Here comes the summer

Midsummers day has passed (as has the longest day) and the sun is shining on FauxSurreyLand. The KC is spending her days intermittently sunbathing, staring at birds & snoozing, the  FauxSurreyTeens exams have gone (hopefully with a bang not a whimper), and we have had the first pool party rip through the fabric of our FauxSurreySilence (although it is only one & this time last year were almost into double figures by end June and an apology for the din was offered up without any prompting so things could be looking up!). So as I settle down to a corker of a Wimbledon, watch the heat increase & the nights slowly darken (oooh I am already excited about autumn!) there is no doubt that after the soggy winter & iffy spring, summer is here.

I made a promise to myself to get the garden sorted this year and I have been true to my promise. Work has thinned out slightly -  but will hopefully bulk up again in the not too distant future - so I have spent my "resting" days pruning & weeding & planting; and the garden is rewarding me beautifully. The front garden is a mess of white & pink roses & fragrant lavender all topped off with a ridiculously blousy & colourful hanging basket.


The land out back (AKA our lovely huge back garden) is playing host to a riot of colourful bedding plants  - bright red, white & pink geraniums, all colours of pansies, striped dianthus & lobelia are fighting for attention with a huge lavender - alongside magnificent rose bushes (orange & white) and very very happy chocolate vines, honeysuckle & an exquisitely fragranced jasmine.

You see whilst I was cursing as I slopped out the utility on Christmas eve, the rainwater was permeating the depths of our soil and giving clearly very thirsty plants a very long cool drink. Add to that a mild & gentle spring plus the last few weeks of lovely warm sunshine & a few bits of thunder to top up the wetness, and all the plants are all behaving as if they've taken multi-vitamins!

The only "no shows" this year have been my poppies (think a sleeping fox simply squished them by using them as his bed) and the (un)"Miracle Gro" 'flower magic' which promised a carpet of flowers in just 6 weeks. I have just checked the patch where it was sown - 5 weeks on & still bare soil (apart from weeds). Hey Ho.