Brown then green

Our lawn has gone

 Hubby has just over a week to work it into a flat solid area, 

then we can lay top soil and turf

 My raised veg plot, so many seedlings

 These are my latest attempt to grow sweet peas

This year I just planted the seeds into this pot, it is behind my trellis with the hedge growing, I hope they will grow up in and around the hedge. Every year, I get them so far, and when I plan them out I lose the lot.

 A nice Iris, I put loads of bulbs in last year and as always then forget what I have planted. My peony, this has to be my favourite plant, I can remember my mum tending to this plant in our front garden when I was a child.

 I love to see it back to life each year. 

 It is market day in the village, 

so I went to get a rose, I wanted a different colour, all the ones I have growing in the garden are yellow or white, this beautiful red one will go by our gates to fill the small gap, I could not find a pot, but I will get one on Saturday. 

 These followed me home

 I showed my boss the invitation below, who immediately agreed it was something I should not miss, and with his support, the big boss has granted I can still have the day off, hubby is very pleased and so am I, I have never been to a garden party where the Queen and Price Charles will attend.

We have had a beautiful sunny and warm day, just like summer, be we are told it won't last, but it is nice to see the sun, everyone is in a great mood.
I sat outside last night reading, I have now finished reading Girl on the Train, it was a great read. Many years ago I took the train into London often, and sat looking at back gardens, not to the point Rachel did, but it was a good story, and someone will make it into a great film.
I have done some stitching, and will show you next time, I am getting to the point where I am thinking about my next project, I have a WIP, Winter Watergarden I might pull out, it is stitched 1 over 2 on linen, which makes counting difficult.
Soon it will be the weekend, not much planned, a trip out with youngest daughter Su on Saturday, and the rest of the time at home. I hope you are building great plans for your weekend.

Let's walk

Last night we walked to our local castle

 I have often posted about visit's to Portchester Castle, 

it's just 15 minutes walk from the house.

We stayed out and watched as the sun went down.

 We were out for just over an hour,

I love these light evenings

There was mist in The Solent most of yesterday, 

and last night it came rolling onto the shore, 

the photo looks eerie, it was very surreal to look at.

All day at work we could hear the foghorns again.

These photo's are not the best, taken with my phone.

My book has arrived and I have already read loads,

I am enjoying it, and find it very hard to put down,

so no stitching.

Our lawn is now a brown patch, hubby had the Rotavator last night and has dug every thing up and levelled it.  We now have to flatten it more, in about 10 days the top soil and turf will arrive and we will have a new lawn. It is such hard work, but hubby does most of it, can't wait to have it all finished, I am so glad we did not have the turf arriving this week with the warm weather.
My seedling are doing well, I have a huge grin when I go to the back veg section of my small plot, the satisfaction of having things growing which some day soon we will be able to eat will never leave me.
Tomorrow is market day, so I will look for a nice new rose for beside our gates. I love having to come through the gates, it feel more secure in some silly way.
Work is good, just busy, but not manic, I am waiting to hear if my day off on 30th can still go ahead, hubby and I are invited to a Windsor garden party, all to do with The Welsh Guards, other parts of our office are having a strike and leave is being cancelled, I will be really sad to miss the event, The Guards are having their new colours.
I am loving wearing light summer clothes and my sandals, every thing and every where looks and feels so warm and summery, not sure how long it will last, but will try and make the most of it while we can.

Green gates

Our gates are done

Looking into our garden

 Hubby made a good job

We have a gap on the right, so I will put a pot there

another rose, but not yellow, I will look for one on Wednesday

our local market has a plant section, the plants are always healthy.

All we now require is something to go in front of the two dustbins.

 I do not have any luck with tulips, I have loads planted, but they never come to much, this double is pretty, I wish I could have a few more.

 English bluebells

I love these, and I have loads coming up in my back garden.

I have grape hyacinths in the front garden, 

but I don't allow them to grow in the back.

I did all the housework this morning and then pottered in the garden, it's so nice when everything is up to date. We sat outside to eat our lunch, first time this year in our garden. It is windy today and out of the sun cool, I have twice picked up Magnolia petals from the lawn, as always a labour of love.
My Peony is coming back, already loads of growth and buds, I really should split this plant, but because of it's age I am scared to do much, I would hate to kill it.
This afternoon, I popped to see Su and David, they are still working in their front garden, all the slate has been laid around the new box plants, one plant is in a black pot sitting on the drain cover. They are hoping to get all the bark down on the other side of the garden this week, both their neighbours commented on how much work they have done, I am very pleased for them.
We did not go for a bike ride this afternoon, it's just too windy, which is a shame, still we have loads of sunny days to look forward to.
Last night we watched a film and I had a glass of red wine, so no stitching to show you, but soon I will stitch.

Saturday at home

When I woke up this morning it was raining,

by lunch time it was sunny again, so I spent the afternoon here

 I hung the sign at the start of my back section, this area is mine, 

hubby does not come up here much. 

I have sorted my difficult little pot, the two plants are plastic, 

but they are a good size for this lovely pot. 

 Every where I have seeds and tiny plants.

 If every thing comes up, I will have far too much, 

having said that something has ate one of my chilli plants in the greenhouse. 

 I was not on my own, this little fellow stayed for ages, this is the best shot I got of him, he was checking to get every last dried worm out of the feeder.

 Hubby has put up the first gate, he had to drill into the concrete to ensure the upright posts will hold tight. He is finishing the second gate, it will be great to see gates after almost 6 years here. 

 This is coming along, the tape is all finished

 I love the design with only a few colours,

all perfectly balanced

I am going to have to start thinking about my next project.

We went shopping this morning, firstly to The Range, I wanted compost and potting compost, every year I have got them from B&Q, but last year the quality was so very poor, so this year I wanted branded bags. The prices were very good, and I got the seed compost buy on get one free, perfect. We then went to B&M, never been there before, but I was told they had the plastic plants, I also got a new set of solar coloured lights for the back fence, the last set are refusing to work. Got a few things from the latter shop, cat food was on special, plus our marmalades. I also got some red onions, reduced to half price, I managed to use just under 30 plants, which is enough for my small plot.
The day has been pure pleasure, we popped to see Su and David also this morning, who had a huge bag of blue slate and another bag of bark delivered, so their task today was to get it all put down, they have a couple of drain covers in their front garden, so we came up with a solution to hide them.
This evening we will watch a film, glass of red wine, just hubby and I, Fliss is away for the weekend. Josh and Sam are back from Manchester on Monday.
Tomorrow I hope to start on the table and chairs, get the primer coat sorted, then I will paint them dark green, hard work, but another great job to have finished. I love weekends like this.