A sunny May morning - with Pimm's :))

Lovely sheila it is a delightful time as you say, eager to get out doing stuff :))

All looking lovely Sheila, have you pruned your viburnum at all?:-)

Yes plenty to do Sheila but so much better than being indoors, its been really warm here today, your garden is looking lovely and will be even more so with the new plants, I too have some outside, was popping them back indoors at night but now they have to take their chances in the big wide world, lol...I like your present from the birds, wish mine would leave ones as pretty as that...
Lovely photo's Sheila....

Hello Sheila, I enjoyed that.
Wow, look at your Viburnum plicatum ‘Mariesii’, mine is still quite small and flat, lol. Was yours wide to start with and then gained height? Its a beautiful shrub.
I've been looking at buying another Cornus and considering Eddie's Wonder, would you recommend it or do you think its slow. I have Cornus Kousa 'Stella Pink' in flower, its an OK shrub but not as spectacular as I had hoped.

Many thanks everyone.

Ba - no, I've hardly pruned the Viburnum, just taken a few bits off the top when they were hiding our view of the bird feeder!

Dawnsaunt - the V. was half this height when I bought it about eight years ago, and almost dead! I know it could get much bigger, but as we're in clay soil, it may not. Lovely that your Cornus is in flower. Probably my 'Eddie's' is slow because of the conditions, but I wouldn't know which one to recommend. There are masses of these flowering dogwoods at the Batsford Arboretum . . . maybe they would be able to help?

Viburnum plicatum is one of my favourite shrubs, but it needs a lot of space...yours looks perfect! Mini Pimms? What's wrong with a maxi? I've actually finished my first bottle....ridiculous. But I do have to share it with two other people! That's my excuse!

P.s. Why not try feeding the Cornus with Rhododendron feed oce a year...might help to fool it into thinking it's in acid soil!

Thanks Karen . . . the mini Pimm's was because it was LUNCH time, and I was playing in a croquet tournament in the afternoon! I have tried Sequestrine on the Cornus (is that what you mean?) - maybe that prompted it into life - and also gave it some leaf mould because I learnt that is what it likes. I have another in a pot in ericaceous compost . . . that hasn't flowered yet either :))

Thanks Sheila, yes there are some many Cornus trees. I have an aboretum near here (Bluebell) I should go a ride up. I didnt realise they liked acid soil, hmmmm, good to know, thanks. My Virburnum M should get going soon then, I've had it about 3 years and a quarter of the size of yours, its growing in clay too.

Fair enough Sheila....can't have you staggering around the croquet lawn! ;)). Yes Sequestrine, or one of the granulated slow release fertilisers...you get them at the GC sold as rhododendron and azalea feed.

Thanks Karen, and good luck Dawnsaunt with your Viburnum!

I can understand the excitement over the cornus, Sheila. Those bracts look lovely. You've some great plants waiting to be planted this week too - hope you get the weather for it. The mention of the croquet tournament made me come over all 1920s, especially with the Pimms!

Super! So exciting at this time of year!

Thanks very much Tuesdaybear - the weather this week seems to be perfect (e.g. sun today, rain tomorrow), and my GH (garden helper) is planting for me this minute!

Yes, isn't it exciting Susanne - thanks :))