Beanstalks, triffids and concrete flowers

Letters

I sent that boy of mine out to hock the cd player, and what does he do? Only exchanges it for a handful of magic beans! Magic beans, for feck sake! I gave him a clip round the ear and chucked them out the door. I mean I heard of magic mushrooms, but this beats all. Magic feckin beans!

Well, I came out this morning and these ruddy great triffids have grown in a crack beside the wall of our driveway. They're about seven foot tall and there's no sign of them stopping yet.



I don't think they're beanstalks with giants' castles on top though, I'm more concerned that they might be triffids. I wonder if the expert in our captive audience is able to identify these prodigious wild flowers. Are they escaped (pardon the expression) hollyhocks, or what?



I can't make up my mind if I prefer the pink flowers or the white ones. All in all, I'm glad I didn't pull up those weeds from beside the driveway wall when they first popped up, looking like rhubarb leaves. The triffids are not the only plants in my garden that found there own way here.



I suppose they're like refugees coming to live in my little fiefdom. See, some dreary people will scrape or poison all the weeds from their paths, and they will never know the joy of these concrete flowers. How could anybody look into those day's eyes and do them any mischief?

Lazy Gardener, Mapesbury

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