The first of the flowers!!

Thats a nice blog Karen, some lovely flowers you have there, love the rose 'Cocktail'.

Thanks Cinders :)

That rose takes about five years to get its feet down...and during that time it always looks as if you're about to lose it...!

The garden & gh are going crazy here....25c after weeks of awful cold weather but your garden looks really lovely and your plants are doing so well......all those gorgeous flowers..........

It's mad, isn't it, Pam???

I'm just glad to see them...AT LAST!! :))

Blooms are all gorgeous Karen - what a mass of colour going on over your pergola! Flowers here are very slow - plenty of growth but sadly very few blooms except Rhods and Azaleas at the mo...hoping by the end of the week all this sunshine improves matters!

Our Lidl hasn't had any good plants for ages :(

looks so different from just a couple of weeks ago Karen..A bit of needed cheer !!! \0/

See that Solanum...Bloody thug it is, I pulled mine last year. Nice to see it though.

Oh, but it's been like that here too, Scottish...

These are the only flowers I have!!

So, so different from last year..................

But...Paul says that 'the bars' are good!! For all of us, I think!!!!

How can you call it a thug, Pim?!! ;)

I can forgive it anything...because it goes ballistic!!...

...and then - when you're counting on it - it suddenly oops and dies!!!! :(

Our LIDL has been fab lately...if you get to it before it's picked clean...

That viburnum is wonderful Kf. and everything else looking so pretty, they are obviously happy in their new home.

Well mine wasn't doing the suicide thang...so I killed it.

Lidl has had nothing since christmas..It has some great plants usually. :))

Oh, thank you Grandmage!

Last year, I thought that the garden would be in its second year this year!!
But, it was not to be...

...and I like it better! (not that it'll EVER be finished...lol!) ;)

very nice Karen, loads of lovely colour there...

Thank you, SL!

I will be looking for your help when it comes to putting some of them to bed later... :)

My internet's gone wonky...so I only just got this Pim!

Well, I do that (I think) too...two grapevines, just wouldn't go away...

Beautiful........

Thanks Alex! :)

But, still waaaaaaay behind you yet! lol! ;))))

Oooh I'm looking forward to seeing flowers in my garden!! Would just love to be able to pick flowers for a vase!!

A lot of colour in your garden all ready,the same as Scottish here just my rhods and azaleas and a few rock plants in full colour

lovely Karen - love the as I call it snowball tree - Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo’ is a plant I'd love - need to work out some room somewhere ! know what you mean when sun comes out since hidden for a while - it is hyper mode :D

It's nearing the end of May and these are the FIRST, Sharn!
It's not normal for these parts!! lol!

Oh, Suzy!...colour and light = life, n'est pas?!!!! :))

So you know why I've gone a bit doo-lally, then, Paul?? :DDDDD

everything looks beautifull karen, so pretty :o))

yes :D

All looking soooo good!

It lifts the spirits when the flowers come out, well worth the wait Karen when they look as lovely as yours do, my Viburnam was glorious last year but this time I only have one mophead and a nasty case of blackfly instead..

Thank you, San! I can't wait for it to all fill out and see more flowers :))

Thanks Lil! :))

It really does, Lincs! :))
I had something similar with that white rose last year...a cloud of tiny black flying things descended on each bloom just as they opened...it was horrible...

Pretty, pretty and blimey, Salvia already!!

Great blog and very cheerful especially the rose "COcktail".

Some lovely flowers there Karen. Is the sun out again today? Overcast here at the minute but looking hopeful for later and I have booked the day off tomorrow Wheeeeeeeeee!

In fairness, I've just planted the salvia, Lulu... ;)

'Cocktail' takes a few years to get going, Sg...by next year it should be ready to go Molotov! lol! :)

It is absolutely roasting here today, Annie! I'm supposed to be planting things in pots...but the sun has just come around to the 'sun terrace' and I feel like I'm being barbecued!!!
Storms forecast again for tomorrow though...so, I really have to go back out there and get it finished...!

You have some gorgeous plants there Karen .I love the smell of the viburnam so much ! How lond did you wait for Mr hydrangea to flower ? I'm told it can be years ! Worth the wait though :-)

Hi Susie and thank you! This is a new garden - the oldest plants (apart from a few I inherited) are two years old. Most of them were planted last year - and then rearranged this year!
That hydrangea was put in fairly late last year...no growth far...but, strangely, lots of buds! I don't have the right soil for them...but hydrangeas seem to love that part of the garden for some reason... :)

What beautiful plants, Karen - I love the begonias! I find hydrangea petiolaris a little bit moody, and always feel strangely flattered when it performs well!

Hi Melchi!

...and thank you!!

To be honest, I have one or two hydrangeas...in heavy clay soil...and they seem to love it!

I don't mean "mop heads" (although, I've got one of those as well, lol!)...

..but, my Quercifolia is about to bloom its socks off!!! :)

Perhaps it doesn't particularly like my light sandy soil - I've no other hydrangeas to compare it with.

I tried to have them in my old garden, too, about 5kms away...and had the same trouble with them...

I ended up building raised beds and filling them with the right sort of compost...

This one is in total shade, too...although, I don't know how much difference that makes.

LoL Karen about the Salvia! I been away 5 days and returned to last years Salvia in flower, in fact the whole garden is in bloom....hope there's something left to flower later on in the season!

Heehee! June is bustin' out all over, Lulu!!!
You haven't missed your irises, though...?

Yes, HB! It is!!! :)))

Irises all out and beautiful Karen :)

Good! I'm gald you didn't miss them :)