Sunday, 31 May 2015

RAIN.....

Well it was forecast which was why we had to get the last of the path laid yesterday!


So it was raining when we got up and continued to rain for an hour or so. But that did not stop us loading up the car ready to go to the recycling centre when it opened at 10 am.


Some of the broken old bricks that we took .


We filled this bags with garden weeds and rubbish.


The car filled with some wood that needs to go! So after two trips to the recycling centre we stopped for a cup of tea, it was beginning dry up, so I took the camera out to the front garden to record what was happening there flower wise.


This lovely pink Azalea is standing under the porch by the front door.


It did not have many flowers this year but is looking lovely and healthy, we need to decide if it stays in a pot or gets put into the front or back garden but that's for the autumn.


An Allium is in flower .


The Cornus Kousa  which up until this year as looked quite poorly but finally it's looking happy in it;s position.


The left hand side from the house.


These two clematis are flowering beautifully.


The roses are starting to bloom.


The left front corner.

The right front corner.


The gorgeous red flowers on the broom make this part of the front glow.


Lots of roses about to bloom in the centre island bed.


Looking back up the opposite side towards the house, so full and beginning to flower.


This Cornus is starting to flower.


Looking down the drive to the road, the wall now hidden beneath the over flowing plants.


We took a trip to a local Nursery and came back with lots of new plants!!These are just a few of them.


Paul spent time potting up some new plants and also some we already had.


We could not resist this Phormium which we will put in a large blue pot we have in the front garden.


We purchased three new Hosta's because we love Hosta's. this is one Paul's planted up ready to go down beside the stone circle at the end of the garden where it's shaded and has a woodland feel.


This is the second one and the third which is two shades of green Paul's already taken down to the stone circle so I will show that when all three are in place.


closer look.

So while Paul was potting these up I was down amongst the shrubs weeding, our garden loves to attract Nettles, buttercups and Bindweed! So I filled a large bag with all the ones I removed from the shrub border!.

So finally it was 7 pm and time to stop! I had just dished up our dinner when I looked out the window and saw the sun lighting up the Wisteria , so leaving my dinner I took the camera and tried to capture the image.


You can just make out the pink glowing from the patio.


I moved closer trying to get the right shot!


This one I think shows best the sun shinning on the Wisteria framed through the arch. After we'd eaten Paul went to take some photo's of the Red Rhododendron that is now in flower.



The rhododendron on the left towards the stone circle.


Such a lovely deep red.


Still lots of buds so hopefully they'll still be in flower in a couple of weeks.


Close up.


Lots of buds waiting to open.


Paul took this shot of the Wisteria from the formal box garden on his way back.


I will miss this when the flowers finally fall!but will at least have these photo's to remind me but not of the heavenly scent!

Well the next two days weather is supposed to be horrendous, strong winds and driving rain, so we may get a couple of evenings off!!


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Saturday, 30 May 2015

MOVING FORWARD..

Well the weekend's arrived at last and we could get out into the garden to carry on with the long list of jobs. We both had to be out this morning, Saturday, me at work and Paul coaching , so it was not until afternoon that we could start on the garden jobs.

First off we moved lots of old garden rubbish into the carport, ready to take down to the recycling centre on Sunday, we needed to move it before we started as the last part of the path being laid would stop us from moving heavy things through the gateway.


Before we start I thought I'd show you the Iris's that have flowered in the pond.


It was very sunny when I took these photo's so the yellow is glowing.


This is year is a fabulous display of these flowers.




Before Paul started on laying the last part of the path, he helped me move the covered benches off of their bases, so that I could re stain them.


These benches are ten years old now and have needed re staining for a couple of years, so having found the Lavender stain used for the sides and roof, I set about re staining that part.


You can see they desperately needed to be done. The roof on both are beginning to move , so we have decided to repair that part and then use some of the left over roofing felt , from the workshop roof, to cover them, hoping that it will help them to survive for another ten years!

My plan was to re stain all the Lavender area's and leave the white which had a lovely aged look but the seats were so bad I decided to re stain them too in the end.

But not having any white I went for Sea grass!


And this is what it looked like after one coat . The wood in places was so dry it's sucked in lots of the stain , so will need another coat to even it out. I was not sure about changing the white but I think these two colours work well together.


Being me, I of course stained it the wrong way round, having stained the body first and then the trellis, so will need to touch up the Lavender where I did not cut in as well as I should have. I managed to give this one an all over coat ( not the roof) and the second one had the Lavender finished but I only got as far as the two trellis done then stopped due to the time, after 8 pm and the fact it was getting quite cold!

Well while I worked on the benches Paul had been finishing laying the path..


He did a great job and it looks perfect with a small step down from the larger paving to the last set of four smaller paving stones.


a longer view.


Now it's finally laid!


Looking towards the gate to the flower garden.


So now it just all needs pointing which will have to wait until later next week due to the weather forecast talking about wet weather until Wednesday! Paul's done a great job, especially as he did not want to have to lay the path but had to step in when other plans fell through!

A bonus in laying this wider path is that it appears to be helping Izzy, whose sight is very bad now, know her way back to the house, so it was worth all the hard work just for that alone!.


Well depending on the weather tomorrow, we'll be taking a couple of trips to the recycling centre and planting up several pots and a couple of trough's.
Plus weeding, sweeping sorting out more rubbish to get rid of  and if the weather stays dry , we made be able to felt the covered bench roof.


We seem to be gathering more pots on the patio! Which still needs cleaning and clearing on the other side!!
Idea's for where we can put things, whose places have been taken by others, are taking hold, so a few things to try out as we work.

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Wednesday, 27 May 2015

WISTERIA PHOTO'S FOR GARDEN

Thought I would share a couple of photo's of Wisteria taken yesterday and today.




We have shared these with the organisers  of the opening. Shame the Wisteria will be gone!


Hoping people will want to come and see for themselves.


Still loads to do, I must make a list !!


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