FENCE TO FENCE SUNSHINE

What fabulous weather we had this weekend....the heavy rain and cold nights of last week seem a distant memory now...and the sunsets have been glorious! The bees have been busy and are loving the foxgloves

and the dragonflies and damselflies have been whizzing around like mini helicopters...some even sitting long enough for me to take a photo!

And love was definitely in the air for this pair...they actually landed on my teashirt...I felt a bit voyeuristic as I grabbed my camera!
No digital enhancements on this photo...Lesley Joseph really is this vibrant!

The newts are still around...I'm seeing them on land a little more now...
and the Lantana are really enjoying the sunshine...they are still such small plants...can you imagine how spectacular these will look as they grow into a small bush... I also have a yellow one and a pink one..will get some photos when they come into flower.........
I love the way the seed heads of the Allium bulgaricum point to the sky...only a few weeks ago they were like little bells hanging down....
The colour of the Acer Dissectum is at its best at the moment.................

You'd be forgiven thinking there had been a wedding outside the front door; the flower petals are dropping quickly from the tree outside........this is now so tall and so close to our houses...I wish the Council would take a look at it as it could do serious damage to property if it came down in a strong wind....branches are always falling off and hitting the cars below and the noise the Crows make in the morning!

A quick update on the Great Pip Challenge; avocado, lychee and oranges all doing well...not growing much but healthy
Yes I certainly think Summer is on it's way at last...I HOPE I've not spoken to soon!

GOOD NEW(t)S!

I've really got a glut of lettuces at the moment; the Little Gems are starting to heart up beautifully and although the slugs have had a few nibbles there is plenty left for me. I'm a big green salad fan and have been adding some Strawberry Spinach leaves to my salads...
I've heeded the WARNING on the link sent to me by Scarecrow and only added a few leaves at a time; I'm pleased to say I've suffered no ill effects.
I've had a pleasant morning tidying out the shed and putting the plastic greenhouse away...the forecast is that the weather is going to warm up again and I need the greenhouse space for pots now. During my numerous coffee breaks I sat on the bench by the pond and was pleased to see the Newts are playing the mating game.


And guess what!!!!!!!...................Drum Roll....Fanfare of trumpets...................

THE RUBBISH HAS GONE!

MAY DAY

Talj has had a great time taking some fabulous photos in our garden...over the course of time I'll post a few of them...for now though you'll have to put up with mine! I'm really pleased to see so many Ladybird Larva in the garden...............

some have started to reach adulthood and are starting to turn into the Ladybirds that we gardener's know and love. With a preponderance of greenfly this year we need all the help we can get!

We've also had another interesting find........

I'm sure this is a duck egg but how it got here I don't know! The frogs have been sunning themselves happily
and we found a newt under a trough I was moving. Leanne had never held one before.......
The Cammassia are starting to bloom
as is the Wild garlic

We desperately need some rain at the moment...I'm having to make sure that the pots are watered ......usually this time of year Mother nature is doing it for me..........I'm sure it wont be long before the words "Hosepipe Ban" are heard on the news.

PSSST! HERE IS A NEWT!

Not the best of photos but I'm so thrilled to see the newts have returned. I worry every year that they won't come back. Manda and I saw 3 altogether; the female was curling a leaf with her tail; a sure sign of some egg laying going on!