Saturday has come round again very quickly and it is supposed to be really hot this weekend, not yet though. Last Saturday saw me driving up the motorway to my daughter and family in Bristol, the first time I have been there for 18 months- it was wonderful seeing everyone again after such a long time apart, lots of hugs all round. While I was away, I’m sure the weeds grew another 6 inches, so that is mostly what I have been tackling this week. My 6 for this week are as follows.
No 1 Holly Blue Butterfly
This tiny Holly Blue butterfly was enjoying itself on the Cotoneaster horizontalis by the kitchen window.
No 2 Birthday flowers
Beautiful flowers received for my birthday from my lovely daughter. My favourite peonies, stocks and freesias, what a delicious perfume from them all.
No 3 Rhododendrons
All my rhododendrons are flowering now, they have all caught up, must do a separate post about them all.
No 4 Hydrangea damage.
When we had our hail storm a couple of weeks ago, I only noticed the damage to my hostas at the time. The other day though I found my poor hydrangea looking very sorry for itself. The flower buds have since emerged and they are looking fine so maybe when the flowers are out I won’t notice the leaves, or maybe I could remove them.
No 5 More Birthday flowers.
I have been busy planting up my pots by the back door, the standard Hibiscus was a present from Canada from my nephew and his wife. It arrived while I was in Bristol but waiting for me in the shady front porch kept it nice and cool and it perked up once it had a nice long drink.
No 6 My first paeony.
Paeony Bowl of Beauty is my first to flower this year after P mlokosewitschii which is much earlier. Some of the buds on the others dried up so won’t now open unfortunately and I think the squirrels ate another just as it was about to open! So not the armfuls that I was hoping to pick yet but I have made a start!
These are my 6 for this week, kindly hosted by Jon The Propagator, do please pay him a visit to see other offerings. If the forecast is correct and we are going to be roasting this weekend, I will just have to retreat into the shade with a good book and a long, cold drink!
Beautiful photo of that rhododendron.
Glad you like it Megan, it is very pretty and frilly!
A standard hibiscus – what a lovely present to receive.
It certainly was a super present to receive Jane, I will have to remember to bring it in for the winter though, it can’t take freezing temperatures.
I don’t remember visiting your garden before, but I am in and out of SoS for years now. I would love to see a post on your rhododendrons. The one you shared is lovely. Bowl of Beauty is one of my earliest peonies as well, and I appreciate her for that! Happy birthday!
I have only joined SoS fairly recently so that is probably why we haven’t met before! I will make my rhododendron post my next one as I think they are all flowering now along with all the roses. The rhododendrons are still very much behind where they should be for this time of year, the cold weather earlier on in the year has certainly held them back.
A belated happy birthday Pauline! And how lovely you that you were at long last able to visit your family. That rhododendron is just beautiful, as is Paeony Bowl of Beauty, one of my favourites. Love your birthday flowers!
Thank you Denise, although at my age you stop counting! It was wonderful seeing the family once more, one of my grandsons came back from university specially which was so good of him. The garden is full of flowers at the moment, it was difficult which ones to choose for the post.
Bowl of Beauty! Very well named! So glad you can travel freely again!
She is well named Jayne, such a stunning flower! It is a good 18 months since I saw my grandsons so it was wonderful seeing them again. Both my son and daughter were able to visit when we were allowed to meet outside (well wrapped up as it was cold each time) but this was the first time we could have met up indoors, as it happened the weather was wonderful and we were in the garden most of the time anyway!
Congrats on the trip and happy birthday!
The peony arrangement is fantastic, and I wish I could smell the fragrance.
I’m hoping for our 18 month visit within the next week or two but the grandkids are all too busy to come along to see my parents. I think every activity was rescheduled for this month, but hopefully in another few weeks I can get them there!
Thanks Bittster, it was a wonderful weekend! My peony arrangment is still going strong and the perfume is still filling the sitting room. Nothing beats a weekend visiting with the grandchildren for us oldies, Covid has meant that a lot of visiting has gone by the board, but hopefully that won’t happen again, hope you manage to get everyone together soon.
Happy belated birthday. Loving all your flowers and that delightful Holly Blue. Good grief, that hail sure went to work on your poor hydrangea. What a beautiful peony.xxx
Thank you Dina, I’m hoping the hydrangea will be ok, the flower buds are coming on so hopefully I won’t notice the leaves once they are out. More peonies out now, such beautiful perfumed flowers.x