Joyful blooms

This zinnia has to be the prettiest bloom in my garden, it came from a mixed packet of seeds and only one plant has given this bloom, I am beginning to love zinnias, I grew them for the first time last year, I have some doing well in a grow bag which I use for cut flowers.

Another bloom I am enjoying is this pale pink fuchsia, I grew it from a tiny plug plant, it's full of blooms.

My mum grew dahlias every year, I'm not so keen on them, so for later summer blooms I love begonia's, always grown in a container, most once they die back stay outside, the two blue pots under the olive tree both go back into the greenhouse for the winter months.  

I have this bulb growing in my side bed, I can't remember what I planted, I did get two cheap bulbs back in early summer, but I am sure I put them in the daisy bed, I will just have to wait and see what blooms, if it is the bulb below I can't see any growth of the second one.

These are the other end of their growth cycle, the seeds are forming on my agapanthus, these in the side bed, they tower over all the other plants and still look beautiful. 

For those who like to see anything through to the end, hubby has hung my new sign, it's on the garage wall just at the start of my veg section, we have a selection of signs here, they can't be seen from the seating area.

It's been mainly dull in the past few days, we have had some sunny moments, the recent rain has made everywhere look so good, I have sweet williams to plant out, grown from seed, as yet their space is not empty, so I have potted them on and popped them outside the greenhouse. 

We went on Sunday to a different garden centre, we are lucky there are 4 really good ones close to home, good is measured by plant quality and price. Mud island is more a nursery, they grow loads of their own plants, I got a couple matching grasses for behind my pond, I am going to dig out the forsythia, I have another spot for it. 

Storm Floris is due, I think here along the south coast, we are below the main body of the storm, it's a worry with the high winds expected, normally we only get these in the winter months, with the trees in full leaf I am expecting to see loads of damage in it's path, I hope you are safe from the storm. 

I guess it's what they call the blues.

A new author to me, I'm reading on Kindle and I found book 23 of a series, this is book 1, it was a good believable story set in a small USA town, I like the way the case started small and grew. It very cleverly brought in more people, with a surprise at the end. Book 54 read this year.

I adore Linwood Barclays style of writing,  building stories around ordinary people, who for whatever reason gets tangled in things they don't want. Set back in Promise Falls, just a short story, working out who done it. Book 55 read this year.

Another good read, it led you all over the place, so much confusion, who did it, who do you trust, your own mind playing games with you. Book 56 read this year. 

Hubby gave me this lovely sign, I asked him if he could make a wooden base for it to enhance the sentiment, he found a perfect bit of wood in his 'someday it will come in handy' pile, it will look much better, once it's attached we need to decide where to put it.

I've not done anything outside, the past few days have been overcast at best and raining other days, I do pick raspberries and blackberries each day, I'm watching my butternut squash plant, I have a few fruits growing.

I am still very antisocial, we have not been out much, we did not both going to town this week, we really did not need anything, hubby suggested we pop to our favourite garden centre, but it's too wet to walk around. The house is clean and I'm reading loads, no crafting, too warm to knit or crochet, I have everything here to make hubby's cushions other than the desire to get my sewing machine out, normally when I feel like this I work on my blog book, but I can't be bothered with it.

My brother Martin has said he does not feel up to the 3 hour drive to visit us, he's on his own, I can understand how he feels, my sister now has her elderly FIL living with them, so it's difficult for her to be away for any time. Hubby's family are spread throughout UK, his younger sister in Wales has spent loads of time in Newcastle with their older sister who has recently had a op, his brother in Devon has been offered a break here, but as normal he is not saying much.

Daughter has a busy few days with helping out school parents and their child care, mainly Wills friends, it's never a chore, they all get on well and she loves helping them through summer holidays, as they are helpful to her other times.

Hubby is lovely, he finds things to do, like me he reads loads, we walk to the village, chat to neighbours, I'm happiest when sat in our garden, the space we have created is perfect for us, for me this has been a good summer, but I do know I need to do more, what is the question, firstly I have stopped scrolling on my phone and tablet, it's a small start.

Thursday we had thunder storms and heavy rain most of afternoon and evening, everywhere has had a good soak, I have a couple task to do, but will wait until the ground is not so wet.

July round up

Nothing again on craft, hubby purchased all the cushions requirements, the garden is mostly sorted, I did get my seeds all half price and then the cost of my second composter, a necessary purchase, I also got a pond oxygenator to help keep the water clean.

I got 4 T shirts from Weird fish online, all in the sale, plus an extra 15% off, all pure cotton.

7 Books read this month.

We have had a good household month, got a second parasol for the seating area, if we sit out in the mornings our existing one only covers half the seating area, it will also help give extra shade when the little ones are here.  

No food waste, our portion size is perfect, we are not popping to the shops so often, you know the scenario pop in for bread and come home with a bag full of food. I am freezing any extras from my home harvest, often only small amounts but over a few days it amounts to a portion for us both. 

I've put on weight this month, sat watching tennis for 14 days and munching on lemon sherbets, I now need to get going and work those pounds off, for sure it will be harder to get rid of them.

July garden

The flower beds are looking good, this side bed has looked good most of the summer, there are a couple of empty spots, normally I show this bed looking towards the garage, today it's the opposite view, towards our seating area. The lily leaves are looking good no flower head, I am looking for something different to fill this gap, for now I can't decide, will have to pop to a garden centre.

This square bed looks better in the front section, the plants along the back have not done so well, the moved shrub in the middle has settled in and will fill the space and add height. I have a forsythia I want to move to one back corner, and I think I will move my Chinese witch hazel plant still in its pot to the other corner, I love foxgloves and poppies and hope some return next year.

This back section, has been a joy, better than I hoped, my astilbe has new leaves growing, so I think it will be OK after moving it, maybe not so big this year. The gladiolas look pretty, I planted 20 bulbs, hopefully in coming years they will flower. I have 2 more smaller snowberry plants once they go in the back, I will let them grow higher to form and low hedge.

My blooms around the garden have so many different colours, for years I tried to have colour controlled beds, these days I just mix it all up. The zinnias and begonias are the stars along with my 2 yellow lupins, I try to grow open flowers for the pollinators, our beds have been buzzing for weeks now, we are also seeing more butterflies. My style has changed, I still like neat edges around the beds, but I am enjoying a cottage style of planting, mixing it up does create a nicer feel. 

I'm hoping by moving a couple of plants I won't need to purchase many, I don't often move plants unless they are having issues, my forsythia is too big for the section behind the pond, I think it will look good next to the red Acer. I will need a plant for the space behind my pond maybe a tall grass and a huge stone. 

I want to clean my pond, it was full of green slimy duck weed, I've got most out, I have purchased a pond oxygenator, which will give the water a gentle movement and help slow down the growth of duck weed. I did not want a fountain, preferring a natural look.

My veg is doing well, I'm picking runner beans every few days, I cooked beetroot for our salad, the few tomatoes I have are turning red, the 3 plants in greenhouse have not done well, just too hot, the plant in raised bed is good, we have been eating salad bits for weeks. My butternut squash plant is full of flowers, I've not grown one before, so I'm hopeful of a few. I'm getting a handful of raspberries most days, we had our blackberry and apple crumble with fresh clotted cream, which was yummy. I am still sowing and I have leeks to go in a raised bed. I also want to try for new potatoes at Christmas, alongside more winter veg.