summer in the garden

Sorry for not posting for so long yet again, there's quite a bit going on at the moment and it's been hard to find the time to do a proper post. I'm trying desperately to get myself in order, I'm such a disorganised person and am trying to properly sort myself out. I'm trying to clear out things so the house is a tidier and more relaxing space to be in, I have far too much clutter and it was starting to feel oppressing, I have so far managed to tackle the bedroom so not doing bad on this front. Am also trying to figure out what direction I'd like my life to go in, this is not an easy task as you can imagine. I went to an Open Day at Sheffield University on Saturday though and I finally feel as if I may be going in the right direction. I can't tell you how nervous I was before I got there, Allsy kept having to tell me to calm down, I don't know what I imagined would happen. After attending the talk on the Landscape Architecture course and looking around the third years final projects though, I felt truly inspired and all my worries disappeared, am definitely going to apply to attend next year. Here's hoping that this will finally lead me into a career doing something I love. 

Yep I'm feeling so happy about the future. I'm afraid to say that with all this going on the garden has been rather neglected. It is apparently summer though, or so they say, and I'm well aware that I haven't posted any photos of the garden in a wee while so I thought I'd share some anyway. Actually, the strange thing is that without me messing with the garden, constantly weeding and pruning it, it looks in my opinion so much better for it. Yes there are lots of wild flowers and weeds within the borders, and it looks a bit rough around the edges, but it looks so much more relaxed and natural for it and I for one loves it.

Corydalis is looking especially lovely this year, speaking to my neighbour Mrs P. this weekend (who has lived here since she married her husband in the 40's) this plant has been here longer than she has. It flowers for ages and scatters itself around the border in a nice gentle way too, I couldn't recommend this cheerful little plant highly enough.

The Aquilegias are absolutely everywhere too! I do love them but wish I had a bit more variety within this border. Something to remember for next year when there most probably will be yet more of them. 

This little area next to the shed is one of my favourite parts of the garden at the moment, it's like a mini wildflower meadow with the self sown Foxgloves and Aquilegias with the buttercups and grasses. Mrs P. very kindly offered to get rid of it this weekend with this rather large scythe instrument she was wielding, at 92 years old she's only a tiny little thing but you should have seen her with this scythe, she was bloody lethal, she only had to look at a weed and it lay down before her, defeated. She laughed and shrugged when I told her that I actually liked this little area. 

Mr Woody seems to like it too.

The shady border is looking a bit better than it did last year too. There's still lots I want to do to it next year but it's looking a lot fuller and lusher, just could rather do with more flowers and more colour.

Most excitedly though, two of my most favouritest flowers are about to do their thang. 

Yes I know, your Roses and Peonies have probably been out ages and all that, and this is probably old news to you, but living across from a wood means that my garden is always well behind everyone else's, living up north probably doesn't help matters either.

So with the abundance of flowers in the garden I have been picking lots of little posies for the house, my only problem is that Bootsy Cat knocks down any vase with flowers in it, quite often breaking the vase, so they are only really safe from his royal naughtiness in the living room and bathroom where he can't get in. I had a major tidy up, clear out and move round of our bedroom though so couldn't resist sneaking some pretty little ones in. Saxifraga is one of my favourite plants, the flowers are so delicate and pretty. I'm afraid I don't know what the name of the larger flowers are but the smaller pink flowers are most commonly known as London pride, my granddad very kindly came me a section from his plant last year as I'd always admired it in his garden, it's now one my most treasured plants in my garden, such a pretty wee thing. 

Bootsy Cat hasn't knocked them over yet but with a face this cute I don't think I could be mad with him if he did.