There is a bat flying through the garden while writing this blog. He circles at great speed -faster than any bird- around the apple tree, catching insects in his flight. A bat in flight is not easy to see. You can hardly distinguish the shape of the animal as they go so fast, but if you do spot it, it is mesmerising. 

Only a hour or so ago I finished my flowers for this week, under the same apple tree which the bat is now locating using his sonar. I accidentally seem to have moved my flowerday from Friday to Sunday. This time that was because I was on the couch with a gastroenteritis-type illness which at the moment is doing its rounds in the family. But enough about that. I hope next week to pick and arrange flowers again on Friday. 

From last week's roses I still have two left, the orange Fellowship. Tess d'Urberville (red) lasted until today. The pink roses, Queen of Sweden, about five days and the yellow ones, Golden Celebration, only three days. Maybe if I had recut them and seared them in boiling water, they would have lasted longer, but frankly, I was too ill to do so. 

The other flowers that I have left are pictured below. It's basically the same bunch minus the roses.

The peonies in the front garden have finally started to flower. I think the variety is Peony 'Monsieur Jules Elie’, but am not 100% sure. Since they are under scaffolding due to building work, I have no hesitation to pick a few for the vase. Love-in-the-mist (nigella) is also flowering abundantly both in the garden and on the allotment. I just let them selfseed, so they have crossed and are now a mix of white, blue and anything in between, including a few pink ones. I love intrigacy of nigella as well of course the ease by which they self-seed!

Sweet Williams are also flowering and so is my favourite cornflower (Centaurea cyanus): black ball. The list still goes on: carnations, pink and white ones still in bud. A blue Campanula Persicifolia, stasha daisies, some snapdragons and of course roses and Euphorbia oblongata. The latter are all from the allotment where the cut flower patch is covered with blooms. This is how today's catch looks on the garden table prior to arranging in bouquets, with the two vases left over from last week on the left.

So after a half hour or so arranging, including getting some rosemary for foliage, I had four bouquets. As having six vases in the house is kind of ridiculous, I gave two away to wonderful neighbours. I've kept the peonies of course, but I'll let you guess which other one I kept and which ones I gave away.