More botanicals

The snap being of what I believe to be a juniper bush, once in a pot but moved to this east facing slope, at the house end of our back garden, a few years ago. It may get sun first thing in the morning, otherwise it has to wait until the sun has gone around the south of the house, in the middle of the day. But still high enough in the sky to reach down the slope.

Aspect notwithstanding, the bush seems to be vigorous enough, putting on plenty of growth. But there also seems to be plenty of die-back, possibly the result of the nocturnal attentions of the foxes - with a new litter from somewhere having appeared only in the last few weeks. Not on my watch, I hasten to add.

Not completely convinced, the bush being very prickly to the touch, not, one might think, very animal friendly. And after all, the interiors of trees and bushes do die back, shaded out by the outer canopies. We shall just have to wait and see.

PS: I associate this morning to the very large & handsome juniper bushes which once used to be found in a circular bed in the University Botanical Gardens at Cambridge - now more by way of a visitor attraction than they were when I was a child. Sadly, we don't have the space that they do. A rather dimmer recollection of something similar in what used to be called the Apprentices' Garden at Hampton Court Palace and in the Pinetum at Wisley. Perhaps age is bringing older memories to the fore.