May I introduce Alissar Princess of Phoenicia, only the second rose I have ever had in any of my gardens... I don't count the one at the Mas as I didn't plant it. The Princess has really come into her own this year,  but it must be three years since I bought her and hopefully she'll have got her roots well down. I believe that roses are very deep-rooted, possibly because they originate from Asia.

I went to Jan's for lunch, arriving a little early so that I could take her to B&Q as she doesn't drive, and I took advantage and bought more seeds and a white scabious.

Lunch was good, as always, chicken thighs, courgette and a mixed bean stew. We discussed the whole range of current world topics, didn't come to many conclusions, and then got really depressed by talking about our advancing old age... what the hell is going to happen to us, and what state is the world going to be in in another ten or twenty years... and will I even manage another twenty, which would make Jan 90 and me 91? We're both single, but even if you're in a partnership one of you is going to die first.

Sorry! I've probably depressed everyone reading this  :-(