Sunny weekend

 I got this fuchsia as a tiny plug plant earlier in the year, it's now in a big pot. decorating our garden, I have 3 other fuchsia plants, this is the best colour I have.

My sweet peas are giving me a tiny bunch every other day, this is the first year I have had success with them, I am so pleased, they smell divine, I keep one pot next to my chair in the sitting room and the other in the down stairs bathroom.

My red rose has finally bloomed, I cut it right back in the spring in hope to get decent growth, the plant is still small, it's looking healthy.

This was Saturday, it was very hot, but lovely in the shade sat here, these pair were full of mischief and giggles. 

This was on Sunday, much cooler so they played on the lawn, here they are making music, well a din, again so happy. 

Will who is 8 was reading this book, he has read a couple of chapters to me, it's a young adults book, I asked if I could read it afterwards, a very easy book to read with a big message. 3 separate stories, which all lead to a single path, Book 46 read this year.

We made the right decision on Saturday to say at ours, it was far to hot to do much, we did spend most of the day outside in the shade, Molly and George had great fun, Will visited as well, but does not like his photo taken.

Sunday we had a BBQ, so daughter and her three came as well, we had an extra couple, daughter's so to be ex's brother was visiting from Australia with his other half, it was much cooler and cloudy, still lovely to be sitting outside, it was easier to have the BBQ at ours, everyone ate well. The children facetime their uncle often, so they were happy to see him, Grandpa and Grandma were away on holiday, so sadly not with us, again another day outside, easy chatter and laughter. 

Lilly went to stay with Jackie this morning, we are away over night in Windsor, hopefully next post I will have different photo's, life is very simple at the moment and not full of brilliant interesting post. 

Inside

I do love how this plant gives me flowers all through the year, I have recently moved it from the bathroom to the kitchen window sill, it's a compact plant and will sit better here, it is still on the same sunny wall.

Back in January Lilly had a go at this spider plant and bit off the babies, it was popped on the kitchen window sill where Lilly does not go, it's now looking good, I have moved it to a different spot in the bathroom, there is space here for any babies to hang, I can see two forming, and Lilly can't get to it. 

I found a plant for hubby's pot, it was in another pot in this spot, it works well and has plenty of root space. Shaun the sheep has lived on this shelf for years. 

The plant I moved from Betty's head is settling into it's new bigger pot, there is new growth, I have raised it so his hair can fall, it will look better once more has grown. I would like a nicer stand, if I can find one I like, I got this new plant when in Lidl's, hubby did not realise it was a house plant, hubby is not keen on too many plants around the house. I would love to pop him in our shower room upstairs, but I don't think I would get away with it, still I might try.

My 4 plants here are doing well and getting huge, I don't do much to these plants, I have only changed the soil once, I do feed a couple times a year, I have had most of these plants since 2021. The Haworthia Cooperi in the round metal pot is a baby from my original plant, the mother plant got huge so she lives in the greenhouse, this spring I have 2 lovely babies. My pregnant onion is in the greenhouse, it released loads of sap, making my desk top sticky, it seams happy in there. 

Betty is moved to the back wall of my office, I'm not happy with her fake hair, I struggle to grow hair her pot is not very big, for now she is where I can still see her. 

Another plant coming back to life is Albuca Spiralis Frizzle Sizzle, I popped both plants back into the greenhouse to rest for a while, I have two because a second bulb grew from the first, I have repotted them and watching closely for new growth and maybe flowers.

I am going to say it, it's just too hot to do much, we sit outside in the shade more, our seating is very comfortable and cool, Lilly is the same, she rest inside near our open patio door to catch any breeze, I am still saving water from the kitchen sink, Southern Water has stated we are on course for a hosepipe ban later in the summer.

Daughter took me out for lunch on Wednesday,  a very late Mothers day treat, we went to  courtyard bistro, only 15 minutes drive from us, it was lovely, great fresh food, I promised hubby we would go back next week, sadly it's just a bit too far to walk there in this heat.

Thursday we enjoyed the lovely weather in the garden, Friday hubby spent the day DIYing at daughters house, daughter and I with Molly went shopping at Dunelm and B&M, both huge stores with great air-conditioning. Today is our Gala at our castle, its always a fantastic family day, daughter will be here with her 3, we are going to miss it as its far too hot for any of us, there is almost no shade there or on the walk to and from.

Productive space

My sister gave me this peace lily years ago, I had it in a pot for a while and then planted it into this spot, I'm not keen on it, so I dug it out, it regrew, I have dug it out 4 times and again it has grown, so for this summer it can bloom, it's very close to my rose bush and I can't get all the bulbs out, they multiply like mad. 

June is a good month for blooms in the flower beds, there are still gaps which are filling out. there is always  room for improvement. The roses are in full colour, my red bush is still buds, it has never thrived in our garden, the agapanthus have loads of buds, I have them in 3 different spots around the garden. I do love all the different blooms, I don't follow gardening planting rules, it more wild here.

These fleabane daises fill the back bed,

 I just adore them.

The veg beds and bags are doing well, I emptied my first bag of potatoes, which was mixed, they tasted great but just not enough of a harvest, I picked loads of broad beans and strawberries, sadly no carrots ready yet, my runner beans are setting their first flowers, I have tomatoes forming on 2 plants. 

My shallots are in two bags, the space I was going to use in raised bed is not yet empty, I have also planted one of my butternut squash plants, I moved the cucumbers out of the big pot, they were struggling. Everywhere has something growing filling all my space.

Lilly loves to hide, she is very happy under the raspberries, often at the back where she can't be seen, she is also very noisy and will often peek out when I am near.

Sunday I was home alone, hubby was out at a petanque tournament, his team lost in the semi final, it kept clouding over, so was not great to be outside, when the sun shone it was a bit too hot, the wind had dropped. I did sell my metal table and chairs, the lady was very happy with it which pleased me, I've had it for over 10 years, the far side of the garden does not looked cluttered anymore, I was sad to see it go, I have no where for my spring pots. 

Monday we took the bus to town, I had returns to give in at Next, we had a wander around, nothing much caught my eye, it's nice to be somewhere different. Tuesday was a day at home, not much to do, sat in the shade, restful garden time, enjoying the sunny weather.

Thank you for all your kind comments about the garden space, we have lived here for over 16 years, and most days we are outside, in the warmer months we are outside for most of the day. It is a small space with loads of different beds, all have edging to help keep it tidy, I regularly have a pair of snips in my hand, just 30 minutes each day can keep every thing looking tidy. Since the arrival of the new furniture we are sitting out much later in the evenings, I often now read, the seats are very comfortable.  

Sitting outside

Hubby rubbed down this table and chair set, I was going to get it dipped and powder coated white, after a changed around in the garden I can't find a space for them. So for now I have listed it on our local marketplace, there are a few sets already listed, I've not asked for a too high price, I've had interest most want a bigger reduction in price, I'm not hopeful it will sell.

We also sold our outside wooden set, last seen here, in a surprising move we chose a new seating set, originally we were going to wait until next year, we saw a great deal on this set, with an extra 10% off, making it too good to miss. The seating is bigger, the table smaller, here set low, it can be raised to dining height, the parasol is placed behind the bench, there is no hole in the table, it works, we do not want to change it. 

We both love our garden layout, it was always our plan to add a nicer seating set here, we don't require a huge dining table, we don't have the big BBQ's we once hosted, so taking advantage of a good offer, we now (hopefully) have finished all the expensive stuff inside and out. Plus this set fits into our space so it's working well, the 3rd chair is packed away, most days we would not need it, most of the seating stays in the shade.

All 3 chairs can be tucked under the bench section when stored, here you can see the 3rd now spare chair under the bench, the cushions are in the garage, so if we need it we can pop it together quickly. The cushions on the chairs are deeper which means all the seating is at the same height. 

I will always love our garden, together we have worked to make it our special place, we both love a tidy garden, I love the mixed planting and a tidy edge, I am extremely lucky my hubby will do jobs for me, some times he's unsure of the outcome, he does trust my vision. This space is a bit of both of us, I would not have a lawn, he would have flowers in neat rows, we are different, but we blend. We gave our little bench to a friend, she is a local photographer and works with local pre schools, she was very pleased with it, our little ones rarely used it, it's really nice to think it will be cherished by another. 

I have read most of this week, relaxing and not doing anything, I managed to do some housework, just a vacuum and a flick of a duster, we have not seen the little ones so no sticky fingerprints anywhere. Daughter came with Molly on Friday morning, it was sunny and warm so we sat outside, Molly trying all the different seats, telling us she loved them, she then checked the strawberries and blueberries for a treat.

The thunderstorms promised on Friday night turned into just a bit of rain, but the air has cleared and it feels less humid, Saturday I looked after daughter's 3 children, she was out with friends, it had been booked for ages, they behaved as always, so not hard work for me, playing outside most of the afternoon.