In late May, we planted out a fairly random collection of annual flower seedlings around the tree pits in Shaftesbury Place, just as last year we’d scattered a motely selection of remaining flower seed there. The result: a beautiful display of summer colour which has been delighting people as they walk towards the station. If only we could say we planned it, but yet again, it’s more the result of serendipity. The magenta, pink and white of the cosmos, the pinks, whites and mauves of the nicotianas, the pinks and white of the cleome have all blended beautifully together, highlighted by the orange of the marigolds. If we needed proof of randomness, there’s a bolting lettuce creeping out from the flowers.

Today we cleared dead leaves, dead flowers and generally tidied up around the station, trying hard to get some water into the soil after two weeks of hot and dry weather. We will try and extend our successful ‘random’ flower arrangements to the other tree pits in Shaftesbury Place next year – always a little dangerous to plan, but we’ve still got lots of annual flower seeds which will need sowing next year.

But for now, we were content celebrating late summer colours – and in particular, that wonderful combination of magenta and yellow, with Madeleine matching the cosmos. Not colours I’d immediately think of putting together but I seem to remember they face each other on the colour wheel and therefore do something magical when you see them together. Under a brilliant blue sky today, we delighted in the bright colours, along with lots of fluffy bumble bees.