YELLOW AND PINK AND WHITE AND ORANGE

Today has been mainly washing the kitchen floor but out in the garden we have had some rain and as the week has progressed it has got colder and colder.  The garden does have some splendid yellows in May particularly the march marigold or Kingcup by the pond and the yellow tree peony which is flowering well.

This is view up the garden over the pond from the decking beside R's writing shed. The raising of the level of the outlet seems to have worked well. Though the stream no longer runs into the pond there seems to be enough run off from the surrounding grass to keep it topped up. 

The magnolia stellata is in fine fettle and covered in flowers.

I have also noticed that the white lilac that flowered brilliantly two years ago, did little last year, is covered in buds again. It is a pity that as they go over they go brown.

I did an experiment in the autumn and, after flowering, I removed the old flowers from one of the three Azalea luteums but not the others. The one where the dead heading was done has many more buds this year than the rest. 

The various pots outside the kitchen are now staring to go over and will need redoing with something or other soon.

I am not a fanatic of bedding plants so may put herbs in one or two. The tulips, after they are done will either get bunged into a spare bit of border or go down to the cutting bed.

Time for an intermission - coffee, birdsong and sunshine - and a read of a book on the Low Fodmap diet cannot do it all but will start with cutting the old onions, leeks and such. IBS is such a pain. Anyway I am going to have a biscuit whatever. (IBS - Irritable Blogger Syndrome.)

This is blossom on the weeping silver pear, understated amongst the grey foliage.

The dreaded bindweed is appearing inserting its sinuous stems through the other plants - nasty stuff.

We went out today and the first campion is coming out, both red and white.

Then in the wood we found pink bells and white bells instead of bluebells. One thing the worries me is that some of the bluebells are looking suspiciously like a cross between the wild and Spanish ones - and there is nothing I can do - it is too late.

Redcurrant and strawberries netted (I don't suppose it will stop the blackbirds), strawberries strawed - keeps the fruit off the ground - and rocket and beetroot sown. 

The two failed pots of tulips have been replanted in a gap in the flowerbeds - you never know, might be lucky (or not probably).

The welsh poppies are coming out, orange and yellow together but - alas, alack -  accidentally snapped off the bud of one of the Meconopsis bailey - the blue poppy.

Have solved the problem of the unreachable algae in the middle of the pond - bought a broom handle and some gaffer tape, attached handle to existing rake and now I can reach - back breaking though - the leverage is a bit strenuous.