Stew them, jam them and then make a cake

Buddleja bush known to attract butterflies

Flowering around the side of the hay barn gate – out of sight but there to see when I collect a bale of hay or straw.

The air is fresh, the soil is damp and the grass might start to grow again.

It was good to make more jam early this morning using my trusty preserving pan …

… whilst listening to accounts of the 7/7 underground bombing which took place 20 years ago. We were, ironically, in a country where terrorist attacks are sadly commonplace. As we sat with family abroad our daughter was being herded out of a station in South London miles from her home. She, along with thousands of others, began to walk as they tried to make sense of what had happened. Her weary journey on foot in unsuitable work clothes and footwear ended some time later when she managed to contact an uncle who drove to collect her and take her home. Many perished and hundred suffered life changing injuries. We will not forget.

Not all survive but most grow strong and tall and reward us with fabulous flowers until the autumn