Self-portrait . . .

. . . .but not mine, I hasten to add!

I thought I'd better pop down to the Walled Garden to catch up with the runner bean picking as we're going away again on Monday for the next few days. Just as well I did - I picked another 4 lbs, some of which we'll take with us, and some I'll hang on the Hope Kitchen door before we go as they're not open at weekends. 

While I was there I had a wander round, which I haven't done for a while. I had to laugh at this face which was fixed to a tree - there are quite a few odd things around the place!

 It must have been a lovely garden in its heyday, but now I'm afraid it's a quite different story. I hadn't seen this lovely specimen of Clerodendrum trichotomum before - probably not so noticeable out of flower. I think it may be the variety fargesii which has smoother stems and leaves than the straight species - I must check when I next go back. Vestiges of its former glory remain - fragments of the box hedging, some of the plants in the herbaceous borders and fruit trees on the walls. I'll say not more, but it would be amazing to return it to its former glory!