fresh air friday

 Well looks like we missed the whole of June 

in the garden!

Is it July or April?

I'm not sure today..

 ..here's a quick snap out the back door

before the next blustery downpour.

I've been doing a lot of pondering in the garden this week.

It's good to get away,

find inspiration 

(mainly from the garden in France)

and take a fresh approach on the garden.

You can see in the above photo a change I'm trialling.

I'm thinking of making a pathway on the right,

and digging up some of the grass.

 Love/hate.

When I'm in the garden I rarely relax!

I'm constantly moving plants in my mind.

The above tree is a catalpa,

better known as an Indian bean tree.

On one hand I hate it,

in certain lights it looks horribly yellow/dead,

but then there are the days when it really shines.

I had decided in spring that it was for the chop,

but now it's a keeper!!

 Throughout the year there are
pockets of the garden that look 

especially good.

I'm loving this area next to the bean tree.

 It really shows off my gardening style,

and what I like.

Wild types, splashes of colour and subtle romance.

 I've noticed that I have a lot of pointy perennials,

so many in fact that I cannot remember their names,

which is not like me at all!

I know the purple is a salvia of sorts.

 The pink flower is very cottage garden,

lychnis coronaria,

that I grew from seed last year.

It's a biennial, but I've heard its a prolific self seeder!

 Just a quick peek at the edibles.

I have a 2/3 year old grape vine

(cutting from Ma and Pa)

which has many bunches of grapes!!!

I've never had my own grapes before,

and by the sounds of it there might be a fight between 

me and the blackbird!

Here are my dwarf french beans,

with their sparrow proofing cage.

The veg patch 

including marigolds!

So far we've eaten lettuce, carrots and strawberries.

I've also had a bumper crop of gooseberries,

which I've turned into jarred goodness

(to follow)

Looks like a good year for fruit,

the raspberries are huge and plentiful.

I told you a while back that I'd reduced the veg plot this year.

The reason?

I'm getting an allotment!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brand new allotments are being developed for our village and I have one!

Actually I'm just going for a half jobby,

mainly to grow potatoes en masse.

So my veg patch will be know more..

..but don't worry I have plans!!!!

ps.
Fresh air is very much needed today.
I'm painting the woodwork downstairs
and oiling the kitchen worktops.
Is there any wonder why last night I dreamt 
It was okay to walk down the road with no top on!!!