Yesterday (23rd September)

We went out in the afternoon and did some more cutting-bits-off-the-rose-bush. The one in the front grows tall (about 6 feet) with thin straggly ends and then half a dozen huge pink roses which wave wildly about in the gusts.

Reluctantly, we removed all the flowers except one. We should probably have taken that too. There are still a few buds left. It seems drastic, but there is the risk that the movement of the whole bush, rocking in the wind, will weaken the roots.

I put all the flowers that had any life left in them in vase.

In the evening, I lit some of the candles and we enjoyed a sort of pre-Christmas moment.

My camera phone was completely unequal to the task! That bright white square is actually the round lamp. The whole scene was much dimmer in reality.

I thought the roses would have dropped all their petals by this morning but they have survived.