July 1999

bringing perfume from the lime trees overhanging the lane, is

the month of roses in my garden

whether the exuberance of floribundas or the elegance of HTs

(pictured here archangel, Jackmanii clematis and the first dalia)

I plunged hostas into the pond to keep the leaves intact from ubiquitous slugs and snails

I laid Sainsbury's bags on the ground over weeds that had defeated me and camouflaged them with other weeds I had pulled up.