More plants . . . Thoughts from the heart of the house . . .

When I was small, I was always terrified whenever I saw a bee or heard one buzzing near me.  I was convinced that their only purpose in life was to sting me.  Now, of course, I know better.  I just love to see the bees buzzing around the plants as I'm working in the garden or just looking around as I was late this afternoon.  I never manage to capture them in the photos somehow but if you look carefully, you can just make out a bee disappearing inside this fuchsia flower . . . 

 Dazzling dahlias!  I've only really begun to appreciate dahlias over the last few years.  I only ever thought about the tall varieties and whilst they are undoubtedly very attractive, I knew I'd never find the time to stake them and look after them properly.  As a result I don't think I ever had any dahlias in the garden before about five years ago.  What a waste!  I just love these smaller bedding dahlias and they are such good value. They've been flowering  for ages and will  go on doing so right up to the first frosts.

Roses again, I've recently become re-acquainted with.  I always thought they were rather over-rated. How wrong can one be?  Another great value flower for the garden. There are so many different types, there's always a style, a habit and colour that is just right for your situation.

I've realised now - its' only taken about twenty years or so - that it's a good idea to plant up a flower-bed close to the house and visible from a  window in a room you are often in. This means that even if it's cold and wet and you don't feel like wandering in the garden, let alone working in the garden, you  always have something interesting and hopefully, beautiful to look at.

Our garden is quite small but we have a good view of my favourite plants from our kitchen window which is probably where I spend most of my time. Also the view from the spot where I do the ironing is another favourite!

It's no good, I just can't resist photos of plants doing their thing . . . !

I have more or less given up blogging but it's the best way, I find, to keep a record of things that I might want to remind myself about at some time in the future.

I don't mind if I'm the only person who sees this post. I started blogging in the first place for my own satisfaction.

Now, I just love taking photos of our little garden.  It's far from perfect, very small and needs a lot more time spent on it than I have to spare.  Nevertheless, despite the neglect, you just can't keep a good plant down.  Mother nature is determined to do her best, sometimes, I think, even despite my poor efforts!

I regularly take photos of the garden. It's a good way to keep track of how various plants are doing; which do well; which need help and also it's interesting to compare the progress of the garden from season to season and year to year.

Today's shots were taken because I needed to test a new memory card which my OH said was giving him problems.  It certainly recorded these photos well enough.

I haven't bought any new roses for many years but have given way to temptation this year and bought three.  Here is a climber I bought which I hope to train to cover the trellis you can just see. Called 'Compassion'.  Looks promising . . . 

Having only a small garden, there is always space for smaller varieties of plants.  Here's one of our patio roses.  We've had this for a few years.  It may be small but it's beautifully formed!

 Another of our patio roses in a lovely delicate, pale pink. 

I have several clematis. Like many people, we lost several fence panels in the winter storms.  This Jackmanii clematis always does well but I think it's doing even better this year after having been cut right down to soil level when the fence came down.

A nice little splash of colour by the shed . . .

Finally, I never tire of this lavender and fuchsia combination.

Lots more on my Flickr page if you're real gluttons for punishment!

Happy gardening!

A stroll over The Downs into Epsom . . .

I haven't had an opportunity for much a walk at all recently so grabbed the chance to walk over The Downs today into Epsom and back on a circular walk.  Not that far, probably about five miles or so but long enough to call it 'fresh air and exercise'.

Our son was happy to accompany me. He's always easily persuaded if there's a chance of refreshments en route!

Five minutes from home and we pass a few shops, one being the local funeral director.  They always take great care with their window display and it is often topical yet very tasteful (amazingly creative!).  Today's offering was interesting.  Here you can see the 'ghostly spectre' of our son contemplating the 'four last things'.

In fact we spent quite a lot of our walk discussing his funeral (There's a whole new blog post in that topic!) in a cheery sort of way.  No he's not ill, as far as we know!  Funnily enough our walk takes us past the local cemetery too.  

Anyway enough of such frivolity.

Once past the laugh-a-minute shops we follow the undulating landscape of the North Downs down towards Tattenham Corner and the racecourse.

Passing farmland . . . 

Sorry about the poor quality of the photos, I only had my phone camera with me.

To Tattenham Corner.  You can just about make out the grandstand in the background.

Looking down the home straight . . . 

Past the entrance to the racecourse and the Queen's Stand. The Union Flags are there because of the Tour of Britain cycle race which passed through here yesterday.

A popular venue for Sunday lunch.

A different mode of transport advertised on the wall of the Derby Stables.

The Rubbing House, one of our favourite places for Sunday lunch. Great views too.

Signs of Autumn on our walk too.

 Harvest in the hedgerows, or, bounty in the bushes.

I hadn't even noticed the leaves beginning to turn on the trees but obviously they are.  Still, it is the Autumnal Equinox today.

As usual, click on the photos to get a clearer view.

Spring has arrived and Summer is not far off . . .

I have to admit that our garden has been sadly neglected over the past few years but I've decided that this is the year I try to tame the wilderness and get some sort of order back into the 'wasteland' around our house.

Today was my day off and once again a beautiful day so, armed with my trusty trowel, I spent a very enjoyable few hours in the back garden.  (Yesterday after work I managed to re-discover one of the small flower-beds in the front garden!)

It seems to be the season of aquilega at the moment. They are everywhere!  After planting a few plants a few years ago, they have self-seeded all over the place. I'm not complaining, I think they are delightful and just right for Spring when we enjoy the more delicate blooms before the heavyweights of Summer and Autumn take over.

How about this little beauty . . . ?

Blue not your colour?  How about these lovely pink aquilega?

Or these lovely delicate pale pink ones . . . 

Another plant that's introduced itself into the garden lately, is the bluebell.  I know these larger Spanish bluebells are a threat to our lovely native bluebells but I do like them in the garden and they have a delicious scent.

And, yes, I do have a bit of a 'thing' about pansies - I think they're just so pretty and very useful, great for filling the gap between seasons.

Don't you just love the tenacity of some plants?  I planted a clematis in a gap between two shrubs several years ago. As the choisya has grown, the clematis has been hidden but look at these two buds ready to burst as they have managed to weave their way through the branches of the large shrub to reach daylight.  I'm sure there's a lesson there for us . .  .

Final shot, I promise, I love the contrasting greens here offset with touches of pinks.

What a blissful way to spend a day off . . . 

Garden update . . .

Sorry folks, I'm afraid it's time for an update on the garden again . . . 

It was such a lovely sunny morning this morning as I was munching my muesli and gazing out of the window before setting off for work, that I felt compelled (!!) to grab my camera and take a few snaps before I left home.

Yes, it's definitely looking Spring-like out there.

The view from the sitting room window.
You can't see the weeds from a distance! (She says hopefully)

The tulips are beautiful colours.

 A touch of blue from an azalea.

And this hosta is coming along nicely.  Last week the leaves were still tightly curled.

The early dwarf daffs have been succeeded by some lovely yellow polyanthus.
You can't beat yellow flowers in Spring!

Several pots of polyanthus around the place to add a splash of colour - oops, someone needs to do a bit of dead-heading . . .

'All in a row' I hadn't realised until I saw this photo that I had a row of pots all lined up like this.

Weeds, be warned, I'm coming to get you!  This is the next part of our little garden to be 'dealt with'. Close-up it's a mass of weeds.

These tulips really are quite splendid.

I had a few pansies left from my pots in the front garden, so I thought I'd pop them in these pots to keep them happy until the summer bedding goes in.

Well, I must say, you've been very patient, listening to me ramble on.  You may be excused now.  Flower-watch is over for a little while.

A day out at RHS Wisley . . .

I had such a lovely day on Wednesday this week when  a friend who is a member of the RHS invited me to join her on an outing to Wisley, the headquarters of the RHS.

I still can't believe our luck; that my 'extra' day off, taken with hardly any notice, also happened to coincide with one of the best days of the year weather-wise.

The gardens were looking beautiful.  Spring has always been my favourite season, especially in terms of the garden.  Not for me the heady, blowsy blooms of summer, give me the amazing sight of buds bursting on bare branches and the appearance of bulbs pushing their way through the debris of dead leaves after a long, cold, damp winter any day!  I took lots of photos so thought I'd also take the opportunity to update my blog header which has remained the same since I created this new blog. 

I'm very much an enthusiastic amateur when it comes to photographs.  I have a very basic 'point and shoot' camera but with the natural beauty in nature, most of the shots usually come out all right and it's pretty difficult not to achieve a passable result.

I won't bore you with too many but here are just a few to give you a flavour of Wisley at this time of

 year.

Often one of the first sights visitors see after they enter the gardens.  A lovely tranquil scene.

Just a few daffs . . . 

I love this bear.  He looks so natural.  The magnolia makes a lovely backdrop too.

Simple spring bulbs again - beautiful grape hyacinth (muscari).

More water, this time in the glass house.

Yet more daffodils.

Inside the hot house - a great refuge on a cool day - not needed on Wednesday.

Lovely vistas everywhere . . . 

Of course it was ideal timing to catch the rhododendrons, camellias and magnolias.

It's very difficult to choose just a few.