The Perfumed Garden

At this time of year it really is. Lilac, roses, vanilla Nemesia, sweet peas......lots of flowers to cut for the house. The lilac is definitely lasting longer this year and the warm weather followed by burst of rain has really caused everything to race away. The big paeony has been and gone but the other one still isn't out.......and much to my disgust I discovered that my belief that I'd managed to dig out the World's Stubbornest Paeony from the front was misplaced - it is STILL THERE and coming up defiantly beside the pink rose. However other bits of it are definitely round the back and planted on the bank at the back of the pond. I've put in Shirley's geranium, and her nicotiana seedlings are coming on fine. Purple basil starting to come up and Sainsbury's basil planted in the greenhouse and herb frame. Flying saucers out into their pots, and miserable cacti repotted - they have never been happy in that copper bowl so I've dismantled it and given them individual pots in the sun. Miserable Bird of Paradise heavily watered and outside for its summer hols along with the cane begonia.

Paeony just about to flower (June 2nd)

Sweet rocket

we weren't planning on growing mushrooms, this is meant to be verbena bonariensis......

Geranium looked so pinched and miserable after the winter, good to see it flowering now........

Sage flowers.......thymes just starting to flower as well....................

The Frog & Fountain

We are absolutely enthralled by the frogs. I am not sure that it's mutual. Monte is also enthralled by them, though possibly not for the same reasons. We have had the usual beautiful June weather while the exams were on which has now given way to cool and dull i.e. normal summer, but in the good weather the frogs were out every day sunbathing and enjoying the shower we have installed for them. Like so:

What the well-dressed frog is wearing, a chic lilac flower behind the ear

Little and large

He hasn't quite figured out where they go when he tries to pounce on them..

One of my favourites, posing nicely to contrast his colours with the Bloody Dock. There is another small frog on the bit of iris on the left - see him?

see him now?

You can't see me if I hide under the slate, hahaaaaa!

Anything you can do I can do better.......so I am going for *two* lilac flowers

Nonsense. The very latest is one lilac flower and a bit of duckweed.

Well, *I* am going to bring a friend.........

So am I, but just to be multicultural, *my* friends are the water snail and pond skater on the left.....

Today was a bit cold so only hardy teeny frog was out........

And finally today's frog..................still a bit chilly this morning so no sign of any of them and I was just about to give up when this one sprang out of the pondside undergrowth, leapt into the water, swam across and posed nicely on the mint so as not to miss his photoshoot. I wonder if all this attention is going to their heads. I suppose the next step is the photographers from "Hello" magazine coming to view their lovely home......

Pottering

One of those beautiful warm sunny days, and a whole day of just pottering about. Bit of weeding, planting things out, but mainly just loving the garden and watching the frogs. They are so cute. Monte is so funny trying to stare into the water and sticking his great furry face right in, whereupon they swim off smartly and he wonders where they've gone. And I do love the bit where you're staring into the pond and suddenly realise that a bit of it is staring back.....

Katisha helping