Rose petals

I read last year about saving petals from fragrant roses and drying them to make simple pot pourri.  I was a bit sceptical but after only a couple of days laid out in a sunny window I have incredibly strongly smelling dried rose petals that I can put in pretty bowls around the house. This is batch two from my very free flowering Zephirine Drouhin rose. I basically dead head them a bit early and layer them in this terracotta bowl.  It’s best to go for the strong coloured roses as whites or yellow fade to a bit nothing.  

Lovely sunny day.  I spent most of it potting up my big pots - I really must do fewer of them and focus more on the garden but I never learn! I find pots easy because I have had so much experience of them in my London years.  The garden is pretty jungle like at the moment.   Good for wildlife but I am looking forward to the end of no mow may to get some structure back.  

Was upset to find a tiny wren drowned in my water butt and am buying chicken wire to cover the top to prevent it happening again.  Even though wrens are one of our most common birds one doesn’t see them often as they hide in hedgerows.   Too sad.