Flowers in the rain.

This hydrangea is in the corner of our front garden, by the house, this is hubby's area, he planted this 3 years ago, and it's taken it's time, but here are the 1st real flowers, it's tiny and will never get too  big. It's not a plant I would have in the back garden, but it's lovely. 

This Clematis was dug out of the ground over 10 years ago, before we moved in, Win next door moved it in her garden, but it decided it liked being here next to our front door, so the bit left grew and we love it. 

I have 3 pots all identical along the drive at the side of our house, they are starting to bloom. The Lobelia at the back has blue flowers to add colour. 

This raised bed was new last year, it's in the shade most of the day and therefore behind the rest of our back garden, I love Aquilegia, I did have a 2nd plant, but it choose not to grow this year. The summer plants are beginning to show, soon it will be full of colour. 

I got 2 plants locally 50p each, last year in a local garage/garden sale, Salvia hot lips, they are growing well, I have taken 4 soft wood cutting from them, I have a 2nd rose bush on the other side of my Peony and would like to plant hot lips around it to match. I only need 2 plants, but any extra which grow can be popped elsewhere.

This plant is years old and has been in this chimney all through our winter, we moved the pot when the fence behind was replaced, and now it has little soil. I will take cuttings soon to grow new plants and late summer we will move it to another pot and give it better soil. 

I love this area, English Lavender is my favorite, again I have soft wood cuttings, I would like more of these plants in this bed, I love the way it tumbles forward. The love in the mist growing through it just adds to my joy. Behind is a hedge full of flowers and later in the year berries, the bees love this area.

This pot hangs above the Lavender, I popped a spare Lobelia plant in this pot last year, it decided it wanted to grow again this year. In the pot below are Begonia's, which stay in the pot all year. 

I've been told off, I don't use these much, they sit in a drawer in my shed, the pair on the left was new last year, hubby was looking for my topiary snips to trim plants in front garden, he's going to clean these and oil them, my pair I use all the time, are in the greenhouse and are clean, I always clean them after use, as I do with all my tools.  

I thought it would be nice to show the flowers with the wet stuff on them, it did not rain as much I hoped in the early morning, later it rained enough for the garden to be watered well, but not enough to fill the water butts. We have found a place where we can add another (our 3rd) small water butt, our springs and summers are now having longer spells of dry hot weather and often our stored water is really low, we hope the extra storage will be enough to see me through the dry spells. It should be delivered next week, another small task for hubby and I to get done. 

It's the time of year where I watch to see what plants return to flower in my garden, it's a time of joy and planning, there is always an empty space, I am trying with most of the plot to have less bedding plants, which has to be purchased each year. With more established plants I am hoping they will require less watering, I will always grow bedding plants to fill gaps, I just find it easier as I cut their numbers back. 

I have been busy with softwood cuttings, I hope they work so I can fill some gaps, and with the lavender fill the front of a small bed in which very little will grow, it's solid clay and in this bed, nothing I do seems to improve the soil, so far everything I have added has washed away. My hope is next year I have a garden full of colour with less gaps to fill, when I purchase a plant I try and choose carefully, I have lost so many plants to our clay soil or pest eating them.

Today is dull, after more rain overnight, but like most gardeners I'm happy to have a few wet days, plus the smells and flies from next door almost disappear, making us able to open windows and patio doors.  

Are you singing The Move, Flowers in the rain, I am, it's a great tune.