Friday Smiles

Hello Everyone,

I haven't joined in with Annie's Friday Smiles in forever! It's been a hard six months with not a lot to smile about since the last time, but finally things are looking better, and once again I can see I have much to be grateful for and plenty to make me smile. 

For example:

I think there is nothing better than being able to line dry the washing. I just love that fresh air scent on my bedding. It dried in no time at all today, which is just as well because it was so gusty I had to rush out and bring it in before it took off and ended up in the Clyde Estuary! 

If you have seen my last post, that's this week's WOYWW post, you will know that I am in the process of making over my very neglected back garden. It's too windy to work in the garden today but I did nip out to check all is well and was delighted to see the pansies are blooming beautifully.

 

Also the auricula, brought here from our previous garden when we moved in 2022, have not only survived but are beginning to flower again.

Admittedly, they do need to be split and re-potted, but that hasn't stopped them looking just lovely.

What else has made me smile? Oh, yes, this little visitor to the summerhouse.

Silver is fascinated by bees and had to be shooed away from this one that had got itself a bit confused. I was able to waft it back out to continue it's pollen gathering mission. 

Talking of Silver:

She's absolutely loving spending time outside with me. As long as I'm pottering around, she's there. It's her self-imposed task to guard against intruders, i.e. other cats! She's very territorial.

And finally, a few images that made me smile.

Substitute comments on blogs for texts and that's my problem in a nutshell!

 

I'll leave you with this last one. I hope it makes you laugh, like it did me. 

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

Take care, 

Elizabeth

In A Vase On Monday on Tuesday - More Tulips

Afternoon Everyone,

I've had a few days away from my desk, taking advantage of the wonderful weather we've been having to potter about in the garden - cutting back and pruning, planting out new plants, and just generally tidying up. Not to mention the time taken just sitting, looking and taking in all the new growth the warmer days have brought with them.

The tulips are doing so well this year I didn't mind cutting a few more for the vase this week. That would have been the one for Cathy's meme  In A Vase On Monday if I hadn't run out of time yesterday so it has to be a Tuesday vase instead.

The three pink tulips are an old favourite 'Angelique'. They've been in the same pot - keeping a clematis, C 'Princess Diana', company - for three years now which could be the reason they are so tiny. I think the time has come to rescue and replant them.

The name of this mauve tulip is a mystery. Looking back to a post dated 20th April 2015 I'm reminded that my husband sneaked these into a bag of 'Angelique' and 'Sunlover' bulbs before they were planted into the pot. The foliage, Dryopteris atrata 'Buckler' and Polystichum braunii 'Braun's Holly Fern', was cut from the new fernery which is coming along very nicely.

This dwarf daffodil, Narcissus 'Minnow', with it's flat pale yellow petals and deeper yellow cup looks very pretty growing in a pot.

Now it's confession time. In last week's In A Vase On Monday I named the tulip buds used in the vase as 'Sunlover'.

Wrong! I've no idea what they are called, planted by my husband and so not labeled, but it is definitely not 'Sunlover'. In fact, there are clearly two different varieties, one peach, the other orange.

This is 'Sunlover'. Totally different. And as they are a late blooming tulip they might feature in another vase later in the month.

Garden update.

I know I usually show a few close-ups of plants from the garden but today I thought I'd share a couple of long shots so you can see the mess that is our garden - there's still such a lot of weeding and tidying to do!

Back garden - the herb patch and long border. The woodland is through the rose arch at the bottom of the garden.

Front garden - circular bed. The newly trimmed buddleja is down in the wild corner by the Rowan tree.

There's more but I think this post is quite long enough. If you're still with me this far you deserve a medal!

Since the weekend the temperature has taken a dip - quite a shock after the t-shirt weather we've been enjoying. While it was so nice we took the opportunity to prune the old buddleja davidii right back and plant up two new clematis, purple C 'Dorothy Walton' and pale pink C 'Hagley Hybrid', as well as potting up more pansies and bellis. There's a few outstanding jobs to do and after a trip to the local supermarket today we now have another new clematis, this time the white C 'Gillian Blades', winter windflower, anenome blanda, in shades of blue and an alpine wallflower, erysimum 'Bowels Mauve, to find a home for and plant out.

Happy gardening folks,

In A Vase On Monday - It's Tulip Time - plus a garden update

Hello Everyone,

Well, here we are one day into British Summer Time, and we're having gorgeous weather! And as if to celebrate the sun the tulips are bursting into colour at last. Just in time to be included In A Vase On Monday over at Cathy's blog, Rambling in the Garden.

Planted by my husband, who never labels anything, these could be Sunlover tulips but I can't be certain. I do know, with absolute certainty, that the twiggy foliage is from the black elder, Sambucus nigra 'Black Beauty'.

Tucked in between the emerging leaves are the dark red flower buds which will, in a few weeks, open out into frothy sprays of pale pink flowers.

Needless to say the warm sunny days are encouraging me out into the garden to spend a couple of happy hours tidying up and noting what's putting on leaf or is just about to burst into blossom. I've also been repotting hellebores and narcissisi ... after a winter of being in the shelter of the kitchen door I thought it was time to put them in a sunny spot.

The pot back left contains dog's tooth violets, Erythronium 'Pagoda' which are just about to flower.

Here's a few other shots taken today.

Pansies planted up at the weekend.

Flowering current, Ribes sanguineum

Celandines, Ficaria verna

Spirea 'Gold Flame'

Lemon Balm

Berberis

I'd better stop there or this post could go on forever!

Have a great gardening week wherever you are.