May - a foot each in winter and summer

"Don't knock the weather: nine-tenths of the people couldn't start a conversation if it didn't change once in a while."

-  Kin Hubbard

May is such a fickle month.  One day the garden is bathed in glorious warm sunshine reminiscent of halcyon days of our youth...

...the next, out come big coats and gloves, and we're scraping car windscreens!

There is much truth in the old wives' tale ...ne'er cast a clout till May be out.

This week we have had night time frosts; -5c is definitely enough to blacken fresh foliage and kill delicate bedding plants.

Most of the plants in our garden are either trees, shrubs, evergreens, herbaceous perennial or biennial like the foxglove above, which seeds itself around and we just weed out those we don't want. 

This beautiful blue ceanothus is c. Italian Skies which is just coming into flower now in the front garden, and is a magnet for bees.

Deliciously scented pink r. Gertrude Jekyll over the arch on the patio. 

And growing up over the other side of the arch is the peach coloured r. Shropshire Lad.

There are a couple of jobs that need attention this week.  The wisteria is growing at top speed and needs tying in, and the wishy washy aquilegias need removing before they set seed.

These ones however, can remain.

So watch out for those night time temperatures.  Anything below 10c, and I pop fleece over anything tender, or bring it inside.

Keep alert, stay safe and enjoy the flowers.

Daisy

I was going to tuck this into the end of the previous post but I think Daisy deserves her own entry.

Daisy was only with her previous owner for 2 weeks before he decided to rehome her.  She has had all her checks and injections, all the paperwork done. We are just waiting for our own vet to check her over.

She has learned sit and down, and is now realising that she will not be fussed if she doesn't have all four paws on the ground. 

We have had her for a little over a day and a half now and she has fitted in so well.

She takes herself off to her bed to nap.

She loves to play of course.

She has been in the car and been to the store to get a new bed and toys, along with a harness so she will be ready for her first walk late next week.  She has met her groomer (who can't wait to have a cuddle when the restrictions lift).  And is getting used to Ellie our Yorkshire terrier, who tolerates her high energy playfulness but isn't yet willing to join in and is quite happy just to watch, thank you very much.

She has a huge crate to sleep in at night and we've had no accidents at all yet (although it's only been 36 hours or so). She goes to the patio door to let us know when she needs to relieve herself. 

Today she is joining Ellie on a walk, but will be carried.  This is to help her confidence with all the sights and sounds she is likely to encounter in every day life. 

Daisy and Bumblebee are already inseparable 

PS: all social distancing measures were adhered to.