Rosebay Willowherb

This morning we agreed it was time  to make our annual pilgrimage to nearby  Whiteshute Ridge/Bushfield, a.k.a. the blackberry fields. It is an area of scrub with views towards Winchester. The grass was looking quite  dry but there were plenty of blackberries, and  we picked about 7lbs  very easily and quickly.  I was also struck by this rather magnificent stand of Rosebay Willowherb (Chamaenerion angustifolium). It's not a plant I encourage in my garden as it will spread so readily by seed and rhizome,  but here it is not causing a nuisance, and is a valuable  nectar source for  lots of insects.
As always, when we got home, I wished we hadn't   picked quite so many blackberries!  Some are frozen but  most have been boiled in water and the juice is now dripping through a jelly  bag. It's a messy business.....