I've reached the pottering stage....

Everything is earlier Julia, the bulbs were which has enabled me to clear the yellowing leaves away, cut back all the hellebores, I've nearly finished my planting out also, not worrying about losing any to late frosts as they've been out on my table under the apple tree for over a month, saying that the table is full again so I have plenty of spares, I will be using my shoehorn again this year...

Your garden is full of colour, Lincs, and looks thriving. Perhaps you might find time now to sit back and enjoy it! I love antirrhinums and have some under cover growing from seed, but nowhere near advanced as yours. We've spent 2 or 3 hours per day most days since the beginning of the month on the garden but there always seems to be loads waiting to be done. One day I hope we can all get to the 'pottering' stage but it doesn't seem likely....

Love your garden Lincs, its full of interesting little surprises and so pretty. Sending sympathy re watering - I can't carry big watering cans either and my brassicas have only just germinated. But you have so many lovely flowers it must be a joy to walk round and see them. Nice to see Harriet again too.

Your garden is looking terrific Sue, and I love the shadows in some of your photos 🙂.

what a super collection of roses you have. Do you have a favourite? What colour is Pilgrim's Progress

I think mingles are very important as they help pull different areas together. I am pottering in some areas whilst psyching my self up to tackle the rest of atrocity corner and the side drive down by the lilacs.

Glad you had company in the garden Lincs. I rarely do unless I count my feathered friends.

Anget I do sit and admire but its usually from the inside, rarely when outside unless someone is visiting, then I do sit and chat, even when I make myself a drink, if I take it outside I usually spot something that's in need of a tweaking session, then I'm off again and my cuppa gets cold or I forget where I've left it, lol...I'm a gardening addict, no two ways about it, if I haven't got a job to do out there I'll turn the compost...

Thanks Stera, I am pleased to say that I now have something in flower all year round, always a pleasure even on the worst days to take a wander around.
Harriet is a little treasure but got herself into trouble yesterday, the little madam thought it was a good idea to dig in one of my newly planted borders, five and a half years and that is the first time she has ever done that, I know we spoil her rotten but I was not allowing that. lol..

Thankyou Sheila, I like it when I get the shadows, did get a few with my own shadow in them but omitted to post one of those, often the only way I get one of myself in the garden unless hubby has his camera out and takes one of me working, not a good idea to post one of those as I do get very dirty at times...

Seaburn my all time favourite is Handel, such a pretty rose, Golden Wedding running a close second, I had forgotten to post it so added it at the bottom of the photo's, Pilgrims Progress is the third pic down, yellow with the white frill, that first bloom had opened at the back of the arch...well
Thats right about the mingles bringing it all together, also they keep the weeds down, vital when caring for a big garden as you well know, just wish I could stop the bindweed infiltrating from next door, I'm even considering using very strong weedkiller and I haven't had to resort to that for years..
I'm never alone in the garden now, Pepper follows me everywhere, Harriet usually only joins me when its cooler or drizzling which she loves to be out in...

I do love your garden Sue and have added it to my favourites!
Where can I start...well your beautiful roses and what a lot you have got! The gorgeous blue Aquilegia! The irises are spectacular !
All the little areas you have created and I love your pond !
You are good , edging your lawns! I seem to cut the grass and then run out of steam! Haha!

Thankyou Klahanie, it keeps me going I admit but its my favourite pastime....

Thankyou so much Rose, I'm ecstatic today as another one is nearly fully open and it is my Peace Rose, when it was tight buds I wasn't altogether sure, it always starts with orangey/red stripes so could have been the same as the others, now I can see more yellow, I honestly thought I'd lost it as no flowers last year, think it didn't like being moved so took a while to recover...
I hate edging the lawns Rose, useless at getting them to look good, hence the reason for concrete edging up near the house,I can run the mower over the top of those, the bottom one I only edge when the grass encroaches into the walling, normally its a job for the strimmer, also a nightmare as the darn wire snaps every few minutes, I do lose my rag a lot of the time with that, lol...x

Oh Sue, I don't like strimmers! I have had near accidents with those in the past!
I did consider putting edging round the lawn, but I am always changing the shape and the lawn is getting less and less!
I forgot to say..I like your two little helpers! x

That was a really good look at your wonderful garden Lincs. I envy your variety of roses. In my garden, roses have been my greatest and most consistent failure. Any variety I plant first gets hit with white fly early in the year and then mid summer gets chopped to pieces and eaten by hundreds of Japanese Beetles and whatever method I’ve used to combat these two pests has had no effect so I gave up on growing roses. With regards to the Japanese Beetle, do you have this pest in the UK?

Sue, considering you are maintaining your garden alone I think you have worked wonders with it! I especially love the Roses and the Irises ... well done you! :o))

L'strife I remember many years back that particular beetle being mentioned but that was a very long time ago, as far as I know its not a problem for us, which by the sounds of things, as regards your giving up on roses is a very good thing, would knock me for six if it happened to mine...I don't use sprays at all because of my ponds, I have Lavender growing near them which keeps the nasties away and give them a garlic douche twice a year which helps prevent blackspot, some recommend planting garlic nearby but haven't tried that, although its also s'posed to enhance the perfume so perhaps I should...

Bless your heart, thankyou Shirley, I have to say its far more enjoyable than housework, now that is work, sadly neglected at this time of the year unless we get rainy days, the garden comes first, Derek has got better since he retired completely, will use the hoover, now learnt how to load the dishwasher properly and keeps the kitchen tidy for me, I simply cannot get him to do the polishing but I'm working on that..LOL... He likes being inside and I out so it works for us, not only that he has trouble with his breathing these days, cannot walk far at all so its easy stages for him....

Lincs....I had some nerve making an entry in this blog without knowing what the term “pottering stage” means and I should have asked right off the bat what this idiom refers to?

Lovely garden Linclass, Ty for sharing it with us. Nice to see your 2 little canine friends also.

Lincslass your garden looks simply fantastic! Your roses are stupendous! 👍

Loosestife, though you may know more than I do about the beetle I found a webpage that lists some things you can do to try to control them at least:

https://www.almanac.com/pest/japanese-beetles

I had never heard of it before now, nor have I seen it around here.

Wishing you luck with their control!

L'strife that has made me chuckle, it never occurs to me when writing that some members would not be familiar with my comments, good job I didn't say I was pootling around, lol....

Hello F'few thankyou very much, they are good company, we hold some brilliant conversations as I often ask their opinion on things....

Hello David , thankyou, how is the planting on the balcony going ? Looking forward to seeing this years display..x