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A garden with no tree is just a field as far as I am concerned - and even in fields there are trees !

The kittens are EXTREMELY lively, as you can imagine! I am taking them to the Vet sometime this week to have their first vaccin, and that should be quite a job, if only to put them in the box! They always seem to be hungry (small rations at anyone time), grow a lot and are so much fun to watch as they discover all that they can do!

As for the mother, I think she is here to stay, and I am quite happy with this as she is very affectionate, and a very good mother. They say cats choose their master, well if she has choosen me, that's fine - I am all for it!

Many years ago I planted a greengage tree, a Victoria plum and a damson ("King of the Damsons", a great choice). In the second year the greengage had a small crop and then no more. I had to cut it down to make way for a conservatory. By then the Victoria plum had succumbed to silver leaf disease, and I realised the greengage had needed it as a pollinator.
The damson is self-pollinating and most years has more fruit than I can ever use or even give away.

yes Rosalind, Damson trees can be very prolific if they like the soil; and the fruit all ripen at the same time, so they need to be dealt with immediately - they tend to attract wasps and bees too, they are so sweet.

I only have a small garden so cannot accommodate many trees. However, I have an attractive almond tree that I grew from seed about 10 years ago. It's failed to blossom yet but I live in hope!
At the moment I have several pomegranate saplings that I've grown from pips. I doubt if I'll ever get any fruit but I enjoy the challenge!

Morning pigale!
Sorry, only just caught up with your post from Sarurday! I don't have the Internet at home and only limited access at work or in the local library.
No, don't usually work Saturdays (which is good as that's the main afternoon for getting out for a bike ride with the lads!)
BTW I think ChrisE is on holiday.
I've been keeping up with the Tour in the papers and on the internet; I see Greipel took another stage yesterday but the overall GC remains about the same. Just read that Contador feels he is improving, and is now in a position to make some attacks himself. Look out for him this afternoon, maybe?!
Enjoy your afternoon!

So, didn't we do well in the Davis Cup Quarter- finals then?
And largely (I have to admit although I am not a fan of the man!) due to Andy Murray!
I think this is the first time Britain has reached the Semi-finals since 1978?
We now have to play Australia in September! Venue yet to be decided .

Hello Therogue,

I had high hopes for Contador and thought one should never dismiss him; I must admit I was disappointed in his relatively poor performance in the Pyrenees, but perhaps he is waiting for the Alps. He is not that far behind in the GC (5th or 6th place I think) but he is
over 4mns behind in time -

Does he really stand a chance ? Froome looks very good and Sky Team seems so strong, giving him real support. I wonder if he has not left it too late.

Don't work too hard !

The venue is in the UK. If France had won they would have had to travel to Australia.
I know you're not a fan of Andy, Elle but you have to admit he's not the stroppy teenager he used to be.
They can, and usually do, grow up to be normal well balanced human beings. I know because I had one!

Congratulations on growing an Almond tree from seed - particularly in England. I always thought that such tree needed a Mediterranean type of climate ?

Do you think this could be why it does not blossom?

Two years ago, after losing my husband, I had a strong nervous breakdown and the garden (and everything else) got neglected. When I started to feel a little better, I was faced with a forest of small cherry trees - A lot of the fruit that had fallen to the ground grew so well that when I attacked the job, I ended up by cutting 127 young trees ! Of course, the land had not seen a mower for so long!

If I didn't put a stop to it by uprooting them, I would have hundreds of young trees (poplars, maple, acaca Zumacs etc) growing everywhere and could open a garden centre! Nature is amazing !

Sorry to hear of your loss Pigale.
It has made me determined to appreciate mine a lot more. We are inclined to take each other for granted after 46 years.

The almond was grown from seeds brought back from Spain by a friend. It grew successfully around the Bristol area and I brought it with me in a pot when I moved down to Devon. I think it should flower in time but it gets too big and I have to prune it!
I envy you your large garden, but they can be a worry when you get older. I'm involved with several planting projects in my town so in a way I have an enormous garden!