THE WEATHER DOESN'T GET BETTER THAN THIS

After suffering some unseasonably warm, humid days, a cold front arrived and brought us the perfect spring day. Cool mornings and clear sunny afternoons. It doesn't get better than this and the garden knows it.

In just a week the garden has come along in leaps and bounds, and that's exactly what I have to do to get from a to b. Pathways have been taken over by sprawling bluebonnets.

In the English garden the circular stepping stones are completely covered. The new way round the garden is to walk on the brick edging. These bluebonnets will not get to set and throw seed. They will come out as soon as they have faded.

I think I saw the cardinal go onto the nest on the gate, so for now the gate is out of bounds. How many weeks will that be, I wonder.

In the herb garden I have really been disciplined this year, not allowing anything to grow in the thyme bed. It is filling out and I am out with the scissors every day snip snipping to keep the mounds low. Prince Charles was not kidding when he talked about how much work was involved in keeping the thyme walk at Highgrove in peak condition.

Pink poppies have opened up to join the Californias. Who cares if it is a riot of mismatched color. Long ago I gave up trying to grow plants in one palette. If it grows here it gets to stay.