A Posy for May . Garden Update and Cherry Blossom

The lovely sunny weather has departed and left us with strong winds, and although rain was forecast, we haven't had all that much.  It has turned colder too we are still lighting the log burner in the evening.

An unexpected and unplanned combination of tulips and wallflower beautifully co-ordinated.

I love this tulip and buy it every year - such delicate markings - and as the flower head ages it turns into a soft lilac colour.

The daffodils have all but finished but the tulips are still going strong, there are buds on the lilac tree, which didn't flower at all last year and the ornamental cherry is garishly showing off its blossom.

If you can spot the white blossom in the top left hand corner - this branch has reverted to type from where it was grafted and produces small cherries which get scattered all over the garden and produce tiny plants.

The wallflowers are taking centre stage now but compared to other years the plants are rather small perhaps they didn't take too kindly to the long winter.

The container apple tree - Charlotte - is the first one to blossom.  I haven't had any fruit for a couple of years from it and it has suffered from mildew - so although it looks healthy enough at the moment - anything could happen - shame, because it produces a great tasting apple.

This Spirea is flowering its socks off at the moment - when it isn't in flower it is quite a boring shrub, but it is certainly making up for it just now.

And in the wild garden - my name for the bit of garden that is full of weeds that I can't seem to eradicate - the grape hyacinth and cowslips are magnificent.

Memory Lane

For many years I kept a variety of rabbits - it was the only livestock I had room for

other than cats and dogs. 

top left - Coco

top right - Mary Mungo and Midge

middle right - Bugsy

and

Daphne - bottom right

Bugsy was my favourite - I had him for years  and he was as tame as can be - when I was working in the garden he would follow me round and keep me company.

A Dish to Make

I have been finishing off the tomatoes I froze at the end of summer last year.

Fried tomatoes on ciabatta is a favourite lunch of mine.

I saw it being made and eaten when I watched the DVD

Julie and Julia - if you love eating and cooking then this is the film for you.

Meryl Streep's voice gets on your nerves a bit but it is a great film.

A Book to Read

This is the next book on my pile to read

Deep in the heart of Paris, its oldest cemetry is, by 1785, overflowing, tainting the

very breath of those who live nearby.  Into their midst comes

Jean-Baptiste Baratte, a young, provincial engineer charged by the king with

demolishing it.

At first Barratte sees this as a chance to clear the burden of history, a fitting task for a

modern man of reason.  But before long, he begins to suspect that the

destruction of the cemetry might be a prelude to his own.

Hope you all had a good week despite the change in the weather - it's a good sign that the weather will turn when I get the garden furniture out of storage for the summer, and pack away my winter clothes.
That's life!