Getting ready for summer.........

Did I hear howls of laughter when you read the heading?  We had a fairly nice weekend - a decent bit of sunshine which raised out hopes for two whole days.  Wednesday today and it is freezing cold and raining as I type this.  To cheer myself up I thought I'd sort photos and look at the sunshine we had.

We got out into the garden as I said and, as usual, we did our own chores.  

 I planted up all my summer pots.  It seems I have seventeen of them not on the watering system.  It is really hard to believe because looking around I can never see more than two or three at a time.  In a way it seems daft sharing any photos as they have a long way to go before looking like anything in particular.  The chimney pot for example should be overflowing with trailing geraniums and lobelia soon I hope.  

There is always the photo album if you are interested in more.

There are sweet peas to trail downwards in hanging pots  on the trellis arch and odd pots of petunias and other stuff scattered about hither and yon.  There are the usual couple of hanging baskets out in the front garden which meant moving the winter pansy pots to the tree.  I also planted my big hay basket under the bay window.  That always looks a sorry sight until it has filled in.

I moved the bulbs which have finished flowering; removing them from their pots and planting in various parts of the garden - front and back - in hopes of another good show next year.  It is always prudent to make a note of them if you are curious as to whether they make it or not otherwise you might just forget what went where.  I am just fine with serendipity.  When they have performed once for me, anything after that is a bonus.

My sister gave me a tiny pot-bound peony last year in memory of the one which grew in our mother's front garden all our years in the house I was born in and the garden of the next one where we/she lived for thirty plus years.  I am pretty sure it isn't part of the original plant but it will serve to remind me of my mom and her garden so I am really pleased it is looking so promising right now: it has flower buds on it.

I think I have mentioned this before - every garden I have ever had has the climbing rose 'New Dawn' in it which is an absolute requirement for similar nostalgia.  The other 'childhood' plants that stick in my mind are a big lilac tree and a positive wodge of purple and white dahlias - courtesy of Pype Hayes Park rubbish tip!  Sadly I don't have those.

While I was shifting plants and pots around my other half 'oiled' the furniture and put it back in its place at last.  We even managed (the next day) to have our first lunch at the table outside; not to mention a couple of cups of tea/coffee and the accompanying sit-downs on the other seat on the patio.

Even the sun loungers are optimistically in place.  A lot of sitting goes on in our garden!