What's wrong with this picture? We returned to Innisfree Garden, which we saw for the first time just about a year ago. As before we were enchanted by abundant water lilies along the shores of the lake, and the unassuming way the garden's design draws you this way and that, making one exquisite discovery after another. Coming the same time of year (it was 370 days ago to be precise) we found much familiar, and some a little more advanced. 
The pool full of fat pollywogs, for instance. It was full of the fat little critters again - though not of course the same pollywogs as last year. (Are these the next generation or even the one after that? I'm suddenly hearing the closing of Janacek's "Cunning little vixen," which closes as it opens with the call of frogs...) Today's were turning a mottled brown, had grown legs and were busily burrowing to hide in the sand. But back to the picture above, a tree shadow gloriously spreading along verdant lily petals. What's wrong here? It's not winter: it shouldn't be casting a shadow like that in June! Where are its own leaves? A good number of trees seemed to be struggling. I was struck last time already by the vigor of caterpillar pillage here but this seems different. I've heard about beech leaf disease, a blight wreaking havoc in the forests up here. Is that what's going on? When we were here last year, the hills in the distance were a vibrant green.
