How Does Your Garden Grow — May

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This is one of those linkies that I love.  And last year I joined in a couple of times but never felt that I could show the whole of our garden.   Bits of it were okay to photograph but mostly our garden is neglected.   I am not by any stretch of the imagination green fingered.   And even if I were I just don’t have the time.  Full time job, blog, house, teens, the garden comes way down the list of priorities.

Until we decided to organise a birthday party this month for Mr B, C and my dad.  In the garden.   70 odd people.   So alongside ordering paper plates and bunting I have been sorting out the garden and patio.   And doing things like cleaning the garage door that was looking more green algae than black.

We have even given our bench some attention.  We have had the bench for about six years, it used to be at my parents vineyard in France and whilst in our garden has been sadly neglected so we felt it was about time we sorted out the flaking paint and gave it the love it deserved.  It really is a great spot to catch the sun, sheltered from the wind it is the perfect place for an early morning cuppa or a late evening glass of wine.

This is the corner of the patio that we look at from the living room and for the past few months it was a bit of a dumping ground.  There was computer desk there that I thought would make a cute planting table.   Well it did until it kept getting wet and the mdf split and warped and it just ended up looking like a dumped computer desk.   So it is no more.   Patio swept, pots moved around and old dead plants dumped and new plants in their place.

And remember the solar lights from a few weeks ago?  Well there is a second set now so they are strung across the whole fence panel.   Along with my birthday clock from last year, and the chiminea is all ready to be fired up for marshmallows and keeping us warm druring late night gin drinking al fresco.

Even our flower beds have had some attention and been redefined and dug over

The edge of the lawn that Jonnie and I both look at with despair when it grows over onto the stones has been tidied.  And in fact the stones have been weeded too.

And our beloved table and chairs that I got as a birthday present a few years ago has also had two coats of furniture stain (including a mad dash to B&Q at 7am to buy more)

The empty tomato pots are cleared and ready for action in a couple of months

So now when people ask “How does YOUR garden grow”….. well I can show them.

Now if you will excuse me I am off to sit on that bench for half an hour and plan the next stage.  Planting.