Air Like Soup

It's that time of year.  The poplar trees are shedding their seeds and the air is full of fluff.  Depending on the weather (high winds are forecast) I will soon be taking the annual 'duvet has been sick in the garden' photo.  There are a lot of poplars planted to the west of us, and the usual air pattern means that the air is full of it and it comes our way. 

Also, there is warm weather after damp weather which means that my tiny garden is full of flies.  You can barely move for hover flies, bumble bees, gnats and ants.  I got covered in white fly this morning when I pulled up some weeds that were growing near my central heating vent.  Aphids are swarming over my roses, tended by the ants, and all in all, the air was full. 

Every time I went out today I came in with cargo.  Every time I had to shake off or swat something with too many legs.  And of course I bobbed in and out.  Somehow a small ash had planted itself right next to our foundations so I pulled that up, and the weeds near the vent.  It was bin day today so after they had collected the rubbish I swabbed out the bin with lots of hot water and disinfectant. 

I'm going to have to bite the bullet and actually do something about the garden.  A little weeding will sort out most of it, plus cutting the fuchsia back to a reasonable size.  I don't think I have the will or the strength to actually dig that monster out.  However I need something for the small square in the centre.  I would love to put some herbs there, but it would have to be able to stand up to bear's soccer.  Ideally I would plant it full of alyssum and lobelia.  Both are low growing and resilient and alyssum smells heavenly.  However you don't see it in the shops and I think it's too late to grow from seed.  I could get herbs, and some of them would flourish, and I have plenty of pots I could put them in, but I'm not sure how they would survive against bear, his pals and their ability to direct the football. 

I think I will wait until the air is less thick. 

Image of Alyssum taken by CatherineMunro and used under the Creative Commons Agreement