Better outlook

Our garden, this is our view from the outside table, we sit and chat, watch the small birds as they feed from the hanging containers in the tree. We have noticed they hop around the veg beds, hopefully feeding on any bugs, it's good to have so much wildlife in our space. The bigger birds always swoop next door, where she has an open tray bird feeder. 

The garden is a working area as well, laundry on the lines, gone by lunchtime on warm days, hubby packs the lines away after use, this back end of the garden is earning it's keep with harvest of veg to come. At the moment this is my favourite end, so much growing, the broad beans are swelling in their pods, soon be time for a harvest. 

This area along the fence we have not used for years, it's a sun trap, but sadly the flies and smells from next door keep us away. The water feature is new, it's a firepit with a solar fountain, I wanted a low feature, everything else is years old, we both love this space now. Once all the plants in the big tub start to grow the area will be full of colour. 

Being aware on how much I am spending in the garden, we popped to B&Q to get some cheaper plants, £32 spent, one plant almost half price, I cut part of a rooted section from a scabiosa, making a small free plant. Every plant was pot bound, the roots in each case tightly wound around the bottom of the pots, I released the roots and planted, I prefer plants being pot bound rather than weak roots. These have all gone into my side bed. 

I have cut back all the yellowing leaves from the spring bulbs, the bulk being in the long side bed, my composter is now full, but it does break down quickly, I could now see the gaps in the ground, most of my focus will be on the side bed this time, I have bedding plants to go in for a couple of weeks, then the bed should be done. Last year there were Salvis hotlips, but they grew far to big, engulfing everything, whilst they are beautiful, it's not what I wanted in this bed. 

I have twice this week slept over at daughters, she had booked a break in Budapest, which both daughter and SIL needed, the children were very good for me, we had loads of fun, I did not want them to cancel the trip and lose money. As the children get older they are easier to look after, not so much lifting, and they can play well together, I did drive back here for one day, on sunny days they prefer to be outside. 

I am on hose pipe duty most nights, ensuring the broad beans are well watered, along with other new veg plants, all the new flowering plants had a good soak. I was really please using my Hori hori knife, I'm always wary with knives, they do scare me, both my garden knives are tucked away in a drawer with my secateurs, the drawer is a bugger to open, it sticks all the time, which makes me feel they are safe inside.