Sunflower party in the rain

Sunflower party time of year again but in between the recent balmy sunny days for one day only... it rained torrentially - which was the day that we choose to have our sunflower party... however Leslie came to the rescue and very kindly cleaned out a stable which we then gave the festival van make over - decked it out with bunting and fairy lights and flowers and lanterns and it looked very jolly and cheerful ..

Four o'clock arrived and the measuring stick came out and off we went round the hamlet measuring all the sunflowers. It was a good effort this year, they were quite a few to measure but it was still a close run really with two (experienced) households in stiff competition, a large selection sunflowers all towering around the seven/eight foot mark.. the tallest coming in at eight foot one inch.

despite a (declared) relationship with the chief measurer I only came third with a six footer but in the end it was a previous winner who took the trophy... for the second time in three years.... the runners up need to try harder as we cant let this winning become a habit!!!

The secret ingredient is duck poo water apparently.... that and a posse of trained ducks to eat the competition or at least the eggs shells patiently saved to use against the slugs- at least this year we didn't have to contend with rampant lambs charging amok around the garden.

Its been a week since the party and the recent sunshine interspersed with odd rain showers has made all the flowers even taller but I fear that even measured this week mine would still come a brave third

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