'Don't go down the coal bunker Granny, you've got enough sla...

Great blog as always Dan! But the BUGS!!! Eeeeeew!
LOL!

Love the new arrangement!

Oh, your final photo is stunning. Loved your blog, very funny - also love your garden - very tidy - now how can this be if you're not a woman...lol. Are those pretty fairy lights solar powered?

Brilliant blog once again Dan, one of your scuttles looks like a german helmet, they are great, and well done Ali for spotting the bargain.
I think your Fuschia is taken at a cracking angle, what a shot! And as with all the other shots they are brilliant, love the insect and bird ones too.

Great blog and terrific photos, OB. I know just how that little sparrow feels :)

MP: Thanks for that, as always. It's knowing what to do but a little change here and there makes it feel new again for a while! Don't you think the bugs are awesome though? Great to have critters and allsorts out there!

Spindle: Not sure you'd say 'tidy' if you saw around the side of the decking. where the slabs have come up - work in progress shall we say! Ali does the veggies and I've taken responsibility for the flowers - I'm a novice but loving every minute of it. Wish I had more time to be 'out there' but work does not allow. Welcome to GoY, by the way! I need to get the hoover out soon as the leaves are already falling!

Bob: thanks mate. Thought you'd like the bugs! Maybe I should have tried the 'helmet' on for size first! Can't remember taking the fuschia shot but everything was 'drying off' on Monday so I was lucky with that one.

Gee:LOL!!!

I love your unusual pots. Wish I had an 'eye' for bargains. They look lovely. Thanks for the welcome :o)

Ali is good at that 'bargain' thing and she loves to snap them up

It all stemmed from seein the first one in the reclamtion yard and thinking, that would be 'different' to plant in!

Now we keep an aye out for things and now I have 3 coal scuttles which is great. May even put one in the border next year when it's doen for something unusual. You get lots of great ideas on here and now, no doubt, i will get more when I visit your blogs/pics!!

i have a camera OK, I have just never uploaded photos before, but promise I will get round to it. My garden is only one year old, cos we've moved into a new build, so I would struggle to get decent snaps to show anyone. I'm also a novice gardener, but am learning lots of this site, and thoroughly am enjoying all the blogs. Thanks :)

Novice myself Spindle and only been doing the whole 'gardening thing' since about April.

We moved here a year ago this month...god, it's flown by when I think of a year! Anyway, it's great having a little escape and any pics are good pics so show everyone your borders so we can share your journey as your garden grows with you.......

GoY is full of great and friendly people and is also VERY addictive!!

OK, you've convinced me. Hubby informs me the camera leads and thingums are in the computer bag so I'll give it a bash tomorrow after work. Fingers crossed the weather is nice and I can get some good shots. Thanks for the encouragement - hope you dont live to regret it..lol

Thanks for taking me round your lovely garden the heather in the new scuttle looks striking. Pass on the spiders though!

Excellent stuff!

Rmember, no-one is going to criticise you. Gardens, plants, wildlife is all good and no matter how big or small a garden is, 2 borders or 2 acres, it's your garden and people are interested in it.

Some of the gardens I've seen on here I would have poo-pooed in the past and may not neccesarily have them myself, but when you see someone else's efforts, you appreciate it and that's why it's good to 'get out there' and start snapping away!

I only found this site by chance when looking for advice on ponds! My better half - she's asleep but best to be careful and call her that else I'll get slapped...lol! - had swine flu and this resulted in my staff not wanting me near work so as I had 2 weeks off after that week, I ended up having 3 weeks off end of July, beginning of August - very nice thank you sir!

If you read back over my blogs, you will see the journey so far and I will add you as a favourite so I know when those pics are posted!!

Good luck and take loads...remember, it's digital so no need to worry about wasted pics, you can just delete them!!

Fraid I'm guilty of the moving things around bit too - I used to move the furniture about every six months, drove everyone mad! But now you've discovered the joys of moving things around outside, which I've always done as well. Delightful blog, love the pics of the birds particularly, and very nice containers.

Hmmmm. As I say, you may live to regret your encouragement. But I would like to show-off my earwig eaten clematis if nothing else....lol - just for Drc

There you go then. You've got one up on me with your clematis. Ali planted 3 in a trough down where the pond now is against the garage wall to grow up the willow trellis.

In my naivety, 2 months ago, as it wasn't flowering and was really not growing, I assumed it was dead and threw it out........I KNOW, but I was new to it all and Ali just 'mildly' flipped until she remembered that I was a blokey and then she seemed to nod, knowingly.....strange that!

So, looking forward to some nice cloe-ups of the clematis....

Ob you made me laugh with your descriptions of yours and Ali`s changes inside and out,I used to change things around a lot but I was not allowed to move hubby`s chair or the bed. I well remember you joining Goy and you have really got the gardening bug,it looks grand and I have enjoyed reading and looking at your progress.smashing photo`s (except creepy ones) many thanks for the last one and think I`ll do an Ali and go bargain hunting,hers look great............

Seeeee Dan I told you it was "normal" to move things around in and outside the house!! Thanks guys for confirming it.
Pics look fabby as usual babe, just wish I could get my hands on the camera to have a go! Lol. x

That's my girl!

Since purchasing the said camera, you have had a perfectly good camera in the one this one replaced........

Some folk are just so ungrateful! What is wrong with a 'Brownie'?

Hope you have a good day at work dear!

Sad innit, when you have to communicate through a blog coz shifts determine you don't see eac other until tonight...:0(

In case anyone is wondering, YES, Aliwya is indeed, my extremely better half......

She has joined us GoYers but alas, has no pics as yet and her busy schedule doesnot allow hr much time but.... Welcome to GoY, babe!

Ok Welcome to GoY from me also Aliwya :o))

Nowt wrong with a brownie, Oddbillie, but you'd have a job to upload pictures from it....;-)

Love the blog Dan, fantastic pictures too. Who could fail to smile when looking at the last one :o))))
Glad you've seen the light on moving things around 'because you're bored with it', you're new arrangement is looking great, still plenty of colour there.

sorry im a little late Dan, only got back from hospital today, but im here now to see all your good work :o) i love the coal scuttles and look great planted up, im on the look out now lol, the deck planting looks great to and all your plants are doing so well, keep up the good work, glad i didnt have to take them flags up :o( your poor back

Just had another look at your lovely photos, think I need to go and practice some more! :o(

Hey! Welcome aboard Aliwya!! What kept you?
Welcome to you too Spindle, you dunno what you've let yourself in for!
No Dan, I just think the bugs are yuk! Bees & flutterbyes yes. The rest, no ta!

Brill blog as always BB lol...

Thanks kindly all and glad you enjoyed.

Lily, your pics are brill and getting even better with each blog. A fair few are discarded, let me tell you!!

Sandra: I've got another 15 flags to take up yet.....JOY!!

Welcome Spindle, don't worry about your new garden theres lots of ideas on here AND taking pics is a great way of seeing where you have come from, WE here love to see others ways of doing things whatever it is. A few years ago our garden here was child oriented (lots of lawn and space to be a footballer) now he's grown its changing.
Gardens are like that they evolve!
Great pics Dan and a brill blog as usual ! already met your better half but Hi Ali !!!

oh goody Dan bet you cant wait,, :o((

Cheers Indy, glad you enjoyed and try not to say 'better half' too loud or too often.......you catch my drift?

Goes to her head and just spoils things....:0)-

San: Uuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmm......I CAN WAIT!!

lol, it will be all worth it in the end when you and Ali are sat on your patio next summer enjoying your hard word, you will feel so proud :o)

Mmmm....we'll see!

Hope to get a bit done when I'm off in a few weeks. Border dug over ready for winter to do it's bit on it and then go over it again end of jan ready for planting in Feb/March,

How's your cat been San? Still eating okay and all?

yes she seems ok thanx Dan, thats whats makes it hard to sink in, i keep hoping the vet has it all wrong, she does sleep alot lately but i put that down to weather, getting a bit colder at evenings, she normally sleeps in our room but has taken to sleeping in joe`s room under his chair, not sure why

Sure she's fine. Cat's are funny old things and she's just keeping you on your toes.

Have faith, keep strong and.......DON'T WORRY! It does you or her no good. Continue to love her and cherish her and she will reciprocate with a long life.

Chin up girl!

cheers Dan :o))

Great blog, great photos again OB.

Being female, I get really frustrated at not being able to move my furniture around as I now have such a small house nothing can go anywhere other than where it is now...if you get what I mean! My pots get moved about a bit, but again...once they are in the best spot for them, that's it! So Ali is definitely not alone in the moving stuff thing. :o)
I wonder why we do it? Is it the 'nest building' instinct I wonder?

Might be nest building, but my opinion of my own furniture rearranging habit is that you just haven't got it right, somehow, it doesn't feel quite right. I never do it now, apart from minor rearrangement of houseplants (have loads); I'd quite like to have a go again though, just for a change, but my tv is so heavy I can't move it at all... so it'll have to wait till I get a new lcd one, I guess! And if I do it now, it'll only be boredom with the way it currently looks, not because its not the optimum arrangement.

I used to do it at the beginning of each new year......made it seem like a 'fresh start' I think!

im the same always changing things about, especially ready for winter, get the lounge nice and cosy

What variety are those SWELL rudbeckia in the middle?! And what kind of camera does macro and zoom? The clarity of your images is impressive. When I went looking in Medford (OR) for an ash bucket aka coal shuttle to use with my fireplace, they are now considered antiques and selling for $100+! Ha! Lucky finds for you. Glad to see so many pots: rest of garden looks rather zen with gravel?

Hi Orgratis & welcome to GoY!!

The Rudbeckia are Sonora and seem to be thriving right now, which is nice as they brighten up any dreary day!

A lot of the digital cameras do the zoom and macro and a steady and helps, I suppose......

Ali - aka Aliwya, my better half - was very lucky with these at the boot sale and I was chuffed as well. Always on look out for unusual planting vessels as they 'mix it up' a bit!

Glad you like the pots and the gravel is merely down as a walkway around the veg patch and if you take a look back at some of my previous blogs, you will see the path I've put down to the back gate with gravel and slabs.

Thanks again for your kind comments and look forward to seeing some pics of your garden soon :0)

Theres me keepin shtuum about other halves and their betterness qualities, as requested, and youre goin round spoutin it every other comment, I don't know !

Inadvertent slip Indy.....SORRY!!

Or a badly twisted arm mebee!

Dunno 'bout better but you can be commended on making a wise choice! My daughter, with exorable condescension, is showing me how to work the digital Canon (w/zoom) and with exorbitant patience may even teach me to upload (?) photos. She thinks it's a riot I'm now online almost as much as she: we IM from across the house...

So patronising, the young, can't they be - my son was visibly shocked when he realised I'd already signed up for Spotify online when he was telling me about it...

For WHAT??????

Spotify - its a sort of music access station you can get on your computer - now you have to be invited to join, apparently - full membership costs, but I've just got the free version, which means you get an ad about every half hour or so, though I've never heard one yet. Its great, I can listen to Orbital while on the net...

Very good! I use Vuse!

Never heard of it...!

Its a music site too!
Free downloads.