Some random thoughts in a garden. As well as being long the garden has low picket style fencing which creates an open, communal feel. Apparently all the gardens in the street once had fences like this and you could look all the way up (or down) the hill.
 The garden benefits from overhanging trees which are actually in adjacent gardens. On the left the evergreen Photinia has been a mass of white flowerheads (now fading) and beyond the Laburnum is starting to put on cascades of golden yellow flowers. On the right next door's apple tree has been blossoming all week. Most of the apples grow on this side! But we're part of the same housing co-op so fair shares will apply.

 The Lilac was planted before I moved here and it never flowered- until last year when it suddenly got more light. An evergreen oak was felled in the garden to its left and an ailing cherry tree came down in high winds in the garden to its right.
 The Greater Stichwort has run rampant this year which makes me very happy.

 Wonderful weeds! Garlic Mustard, Green Alkanet and Stinging Nettles. All grow in the garden free of charge.

 I love it when plants weave in and out of other plants. The maroon flowered Geranium phaeum was purchased from Beth Chatto's nursery as I recall; it's spread and settled in nicely.

 Up periscope! By judicious selection of plants it's possible to create a layered effect through the year; as some plants die down others grow through. NB sometimes referred to as "successional planting".  Here for example Stichwort covers the ground, the pointed fronds of Crocosmia push through the Stichwort and the airy stems of Tellima grandiflora rise above both.
 Three species from three continents (Europe, Africa and North America respectively) get along quite happily.

 Bees exist for flowers and flowers exist for bees. Angiosperms i.e. flowering plants and pollinators have co-evolved across a timescale of over a hundred million years. Greater Stichwort has clouds of daisy-like flowers yet mysteriously I have never seen them being pollinated- until today.

 The White Comfrey (Symphytum orientale) just goes on and on flowering this year. Interesting that white seems to be the most prevalent flower colour during spring. It's said that flowers have evolved so as to be most visible in their surroundings and season to particular pollinators