Jane Aston, painter.

 Flaming June. It's been a wonderful month so far here. It's been hot and dry. I think there may be a bit of rain on it's way but it's just lurking at the edge of the village for now. Swallows are sat on the road, just fledged. They are practising their flying. I keep finding them in the house exploring, looking for new nesting spots.

Swaying grass verges.

My neighbour has this beautiful bi-coloured rose. Roses seem perfectly happy here, it can be freezing in winter and spring is short. Summer is long and hot. It's not like the South and we avoid mosquitoes being high up but it's quite tough on many plants. I am impressed by the rose. My Foxgloves didn't make it this year. I'm not sure if it's because they are bi annuals and I need to re seed.  Hollyhocks are doing well they like the dry weather they must do they are the flower of the south growing like weeds. It's always different in the garden usually surprising. I fancy some big grasses must look for some.

Ducks are terrorising me for food. I have trouble getting in and out of the house. These creatures are very shrewd; They quickly work out how to work their ways into parts of the garden I am trying to keep them out of. Very sweet too.

I am having to be a little bit watchful because these troublesome creatures can quickly disappear off. Apparently they go through phases and then settle down. My wireless just about reaches out here. 

I  was looking up the painter Elaine Pampilon, link her husband Christopher Marvell does lovely sculptures of creatures and the owls he does are wild. Link I want to do garden sculpture now. We do have plenty of interesting objects  around to make things, this is the seed of an idea above. 

Our pointy strawberries are arriving as fast as the ducks are to poke their ever expanding bodies. I just came across an article about these pointy French strawberries. apparently much prized among chefs. Not much comparison with those watery affairs you buy in shops. George says they taste like potatoes. 

My newest pile of plates they are stencilled again and the design Hublon is french for Hops, how lovely being that I used to live in Hoppy Herefordshire. 

My garden around George's shed is growing extra limbs, slightly raised using logs and breeze blocks I have also used some sheep manure. Monty Don was doing just this yesterday on his TV show stamping down the manure to produce hot beds. Now I feel vindicated; I need leaf mould too.

then compost from the heap. Trouble is all this for a space big enough to grow a couple of courgettes and tomatoes. The drawer is full of Chinese leaf seedlings, covered to stop cats.

I have a little pond as I wanted to save the tadpoles from the ducks. I have a few legs appearing on the tadpoles. Again protected from cats and in the shade; I would like to go a bit bigger but it's finding a liner. I do have a source filled pond but can't ban ducks from that.