Wildflower Diary – 2nd August

I saw Stanley near the post box. He had a trowel in one hand and what looked like a hand-knitted string bag full of beetroot in the other. “Do you grow fennel?” he asked. I said, “No, but I have a very assertive mint.” He nodded, like that made perfect sense.

There’s a whisper going round about some kind of plant swap. No one has explained it to me, but I’ve heard the phrase “garden diplomacy” twice. I suspect the mint may get involved.

The string bag had a hole. A beetroot was missing. Neither of us said anything about it.