May...

My favourite month of the year.

Everything is filling out nicely. There is already so much colour from both flowers and fresh new foliage.

The acer that stood up to being chopped down in our first year is becoming a good shape. I plan on keeping it as a shrub rather than a tree.

There are still quite a few gaps to fill around the garden, particularly in the far side of this bed.  All the wires are fitted ready to accept a climber or two.  This side is quite shady apart from early morning and late afternoon.  Ferns work well, as do dicentra and fuchsia.

Whereas this side is pretty much in sun most of the day with a little dappled shade from the sorbus tree.  The bed to the left is purposely dry, poor soil for drought tolerant sun loving plants.  The bed at its far end towards the arch was much improved when we started the garden.

Watching the trees come into leaf is always a joyous occasion, not least because they lend so much to privacy.

Dicentra is certainly in my top 5 plants for late spring - early summer.  They are easy to divide after flowering and in this garden in particular not only thrive, but out perform almost any other herbaceous perennial at this time of year.

This little rose began life as a broken stem from a friend's rose. She struck it as a cutting and it took. Then it found a home with us. 

Whilst hacking back next door's ivy, it appeared that it was covering an old bit of fence that was completely rotten.  A little heft and hey presto - more planting space and more light!

The pink garden is also filling up nicely but there is still so many areas that need filling, preferably with some shrubs to make it less flat.

Lily of the valley. I hope it's happy here, I would like to be able to enjoy it inside too.

The Man That Can ties in the r. New Dawn along with the clematis either side of the secret doorway. The Roses had produced a couple of suckers which were neatly removed.

We were lucky enough to rehome quite a few containers this week, along with this ornament.  She needs a name!

The pond isn't very happy. The Man that Can has promised to to give it a good clean, but not today. It's very cold and wet.

As I create this blog entry, a new princess has been born; 4th in line to the throne.

This new addition brings me to my last photo - crates ready to carry my own new additions from the plant sale at our local Botanical Gardens tomorrow and pots gifted to us.