Ending May

Quickly zooming through the last few days of May:-

Back to Saturday. After swimming lessons the children accompany me on a quick trip to a charity shop. MillyTheCat came home with A...

...and a tractor with N.

I got myself some of fabric. Two pieces of old flesh coloured cotton for making rag dolls and a large square of red velvet to be used as a backing for my completed tapestry panel to finally turn it into a cushion.

I aslo tried to persuade the children to come for a walk so I could photograph some hawthorn and cow parsley gorgeousness before it all disappears for another year, but it was TOO HOT for N so after a measly dandelion photo shoot we returned home for another afternoon of playing in the paddling pool. We had extra fun this time with the addition of a spray hose attachment, as you can imagine...

That evening it was off to a nearby farm of a friend for a BBQ.

The farm lane.

Starters. Yummy!

Some people were camping. We've yet to get ourselves sorted out with a big enough tent and all the other necessary equipment (a comfy bed mat is top of my list) so it wasn't us.

The hen house.

Later the moon rose...

...and the sun set.

We didn't leave till about 11:30 and the children were still wide awake and thoroughly enjoying themselves. It was just one of those special evenings.

The next day, after my failure to capture wild blossoms I resort to photographing things in the garden yet again. May is just such a pretty time in the garden, all suddenly becomes green and lush. The weeds have not quite taken over so I still feel vaguely in control.

Bubbles.

Eidelweiss.

Violas awaiting planting.

Another snail. After my last post I was interested to hear how other dealt with their snails. I never used to have any bother with snails and was quite happy to let them live in the garden. To be honest I don't think there can have been many of them in the past, it's only now that they seem to have multiplied and started devouring my plants that I've become aware of them and that they have become a nuisance.

I collected some of the prettier ones for a photo shoot (all these are still alive to my knowledge - no snail was harmed in the making of this particular post)

#1 heads off for some shade.

#2 follows.

Now #3.

Pink hawthorn (dissapointingly few blossoms this year)

Osteospermum.

Aquilegia.

Monday was the last day here with the hot sunny weather. In the early evening I collected A from Rainbows. We took the long way home and I took my camera...

Bunting flutters in the breeze.

Finally I get a photo of some cow parsley. I'm happy now!

Some of the hawthorn bushes have pink blossoms which are rather pretty.

We venture into one of the many fields of grass there are nearby (it's a dairy area). A enjoys running through the long grass and hiding too, as I remember doing when I was young. Simple pleasures.

It was such a nice evening.

Now to some photos taken today. Yet more of the garden, I like to look back at these pictures and see how things have developed over the summer.

I've planted up my window boxes. Already some of the nicotianas are flowering.

 The first rose of summer.

A snail nibbled hosta. Several of my hostas have been so damaged they are barely visible.

The lupins have just started to flower.

Yet another aquilagia, a double this time.

Pieris.

A look back up the garden from the house. The washing hung limply on the line all day and didn't dry at all. So different from last week when it was dry within an hour of being hung out when it was so hot.

Now a little sneaky peek of some things I've been making. It's for Saturday and I'm just hoping they don't fall apart!  

All will be revealed later. I expect you can probably guess what it is but don't tell!