Yesterday was a lovely day in the garden, the last Saturday of June and possibly the last weekend of the current government. The sumac tree in the front garden, which we call ‘Rishi Sumac’ is gradually falling down, in a slow symbolic collapse, but I’ve been hoping that this tree will outlast the government.

And it looks likely that it will.

I have six picks from the garden to share…

Yesterday I started the day with little bit of bramble and bindweed bother in wilder bits of the front garden, then sat under the shade of the red apple tree with a coffee, watching the birds splashing in the bird bath. Our garden table was bought with wedding gift money from friends and family, and its a specially sentimental thing that’s been with us from garden to garden over the years.

The pots by the back door are bright and cheery. It’s fun to change and add to this display, between the back door and the rose bed.

Seeing this view, often with a hungry cat approaching, is a fine way to start the day.

The pots have a mixture of familiar favourite bedding plants – like pinks, lobelia, lavender and perlagoniums.

…and a few I’ve not tried before, like this Argyranthemum (possibly Day-Zee Red, but I lost the label) in a pot with a couple of lobelia (Fanship burgundy, and Laura compact blue.)

The darter in the mini-meadow

Here’s a dragonfly that my lovely husband thought for a briefly startling moment might have been a hornet. After a bit of googling we reckon its a broad bodied chaser. According to the British Dragonfly society the broad bodied chaser larva has a lovely smile. (photo by Christophe Brochard)

The pathway through the rosebed has been planted with more creeping thyme, we’re hoping to get this whole section carpeted with thyme eventually. We call this teeny set of stepping stones ‘the passage of thyme’ because we like crap puns and having a daft laugh… 🙂

Remember that garden table that we bought with wedding gift money from family and friends? The central section contains a barbeque / firepit, and it’s wonderful place to spend an evening under the stars.

Friends joined us for Tandoori chicken and roti cooked over the coals, which was YUM, and I ended the evening with a nightcap by the fire.

Saturday was o much fun that I didn’t have time to post six on Saturday, so this is a slightly late addition to the Six on Saturday garden blogging gang.

And as it is Sunday, I’m gonna add a 7th selection, of these beautiful bellflowers, at the back of the horsey border.

Hope you’re having a lovely weekend,

J x