It’s been an eventful week here. My neighbours to one side repaired a fence. This gave me an opportunity to go through the border and dig up the ever spreading bluebells – as best I could. I now have a tidy looking border waiting for some new additions. It’s a dry shady area which will challenge my planting ideas. My neighbours to the other side had a hawthorn tree from a neighbouring garden fall into theirs and then on Friday, a blustery day here, their horse chestnut tree lost a limb and fell into their garden across the fence line with ours. I can’t tell you how relieved I was that it missed our remaining greenhouse. It is quite possible that this side of the garden may now benefit from a little more sunshine. If only there was some to sunshine to enjoy.

One

The horse chestnut which elegantly draped itself along the fence. My poor neighbour now has two lots of trees to deal with but all is in hand and perhaps we will both benefit from a little less shade. Although we do both enjoy the screening of the gardens that the trees offer.

Two

The clematis have really begun to open up this week. You may remember I bought two obelisks to replace the rose arch, intending that the clematis would entwine itself around these supports and add height to this space. The slugs had other ideas and both clematis in that area were munched to the ground. Elsewhere, there was a little more success. This one is ‘Etoile Violette’.

Three

This one, such a beautiful colour, is ‘Madame Julia Correvon’, another vitticella type. It’s there to weave in among the ‘Blush Noisette’ roses which it is just beginning to do.

Four

The plant focus here is intended to be the sisyrinchium, The psilostemon has self-seeded into this border and I’m not sure I can cope with the colour combination! There may be some relocation on the cards.

Five

Balancing self-seeders with other planting is a challenge here. This is another one that always finds a place to settle into. Iris foetidissima. I like it and it does fill a shady corner – maybe I can move some to the old blue bell patch?

Six

A rose to finish on. It is ‘Lady of Shalott. This looks absolutely beautiful but in truth is probably having a battle with surrounding planting in an effort to become fully established. I will be nurturing it.

June, heh? It is quite cold here this morning but there is promise of some sunshine later. It would help us all enjoy things a little more. But the summer bedding is in the pots, the scented leaf pellies have been re-potted and I did risk planting out some seedlings. I am still keeping my tomato plants in the greenhouse but they will have to go out soon. Courgettes and cucumbers are also waiting for a little more warmth before they are moved outside. Wishing you all time to enjoy the garden this weekend and time to stop by Jim’s garden in Cornwall for the SOS links and Jim’s own garden ruminations.