Dogged determination

This time last year we were having major flash flooding throughout not only this country but many other parts of the world. I have to confess, although we were not flooded - the garden was a quagmire and so very little weeding and grooming of the borders and rockeries in the garden took place. Yesterday, the weather was one of those beautiful days with blue skies, golden sunshine bathing over everything and a soft, warm, gentle breeze. I decided to take a stroll around the garden to see what new plants I could find ... and was surprised to find a dog rose rambling and twining itself in and out of two honeysuckle bushes along the fence! A bird must have dropped the seed last year and it has grown and pushed its way up into the sunshine with strong determination. Although it is a wild plant - I couldn't pull it out. I may regret it at some point in the future as the thorns on the dog rose are fierce spears that lacerate the skin with the ferocity of a rabid dog. They do have a soft warm fragrance however and may be I can put the rose hips to good use later in the year.

The dog rose or rosa canina

*What every school boy should know ... you can use the innards of the dog rose hip to make itching powder! Watch out if you get the contents onto your hands or anywhere else or you will be itching yourself for hours.