MOT

 

MOT

Red pyracantha by our front door

It was time for the MOT and annual service of our nineteen-year-old car, so we drove it to the local garage and left it there yesterday. This morning, the garage called to inform us that the car was ready to be picked up so off we trotted to collect it.

Struggling to survive

As we were about to leave, I was shocked to notice the parlous condition of the large pyracantha bush between the dining room window and the garage door. At least a third of it had dropped its leaves and there was little evidence of new growth on a normally vigorous evergreen shrub.

 I don’t know why I didn’t notice it yesterday morning. Possibly the rain concentrated my attention on getting into the dog box out of the driving wetness.

Not long for this world, I fear.

Anyway, there is much work to be done on hacking back what remains of the plant and hoping it recovers its usual glory. We planted it many years ago, and it is possible that it has outlived its span. The birds will have to feast on others of our pyracanthas. Strangely, they never seem to sample the bush by the front door, which is full of fat red berries, or the yellow-berried one at the foot of the drive.

I wonder if exhaust fumes from the car parked by the bush has contributed to its sorry state, though it seems strange that it should suddenly be affected after all these years.