Shaping some shrubs today

Lovely to see your Lacecap Hydrangea Shirley 🙂.
We’re expecting some rain tomorrow, probably when I’m swimming! I shall be so glad to see it though …

You have been busy Shirley! They all look good!
I was pleased to see a green finch there as we haven't seen any in a long time!
We get goldfinches and chaffinches as well as all the other birds.
I think at one time there was a decline in the greenfinches.
The sedums are lovely and the cutting you sent me is in full flower now and the flower head is huge! I am so pleased with it! Thank you once again! x

We had some rain this afternoon. The ground still looks dry but at least it wasn't getting drier! The sedums look good. I have both those too, both goy gifts! Such useful plants for a bit of reliable colour aren't they? I've just taken some cuttings from the red one.
Your birds are very lucky - those grapes look wonderful! Its sad they aren't good for eating -you would think where you live that in this hot summer they would be lovely and sweet.

Lovely shrubs, Shirley. Great to add structure to the garden. Rain on its way… Love your sedums, still have got your variegated sedum you sent me a while back.

I like pittosporums, too, very reliable. I bought a new dwarf one while we were away last week. I want to do a lot of border reorganisation once the drought has broken. I was pleased to see your greenfinch, Shirley. As Rose said they have suffered a big decline. We used to see many in the garden but not now. Good of you to favour the birds with your grapes! Your plants look good and all very tidy - I might treat myself to a small hedge-cutter, they look very handy things to have.

Looks great Shirley, I started my reshaping a couple of weeks ago as things take me longer to do nowday. Love your Sedum. I tried the Chelsea chop on some of mine for the 1st time this year. Then decided that it was such a waste just to throw all the chopped of bit so planted a few (14 lol) in pots. To my surprise, all took so ended up putting them on my local town Fb page, free on collection as I live 5 miles out of town. All went within an hour and what was nice to one of the local primary schools had some to plant up their garden.

Guess the cooler weather has spurred us on, I too have been working my way around sorting out the shrubs, I do mine when I have the space in my garden waste bin, we had a couple of days last week of rain so mine are all perking up again now.. My sedums are just beginning to pink up, I cannot get the darker leafed one to survive here but I'm not giving up on it yet Shirley, determined to find a spot that suits it...Its good to see a greenfinch, we used to have lots but then they all disappeared when the reports of a disease being passed around was reported, the sparrows and dunnocks did the same and now there are literally hundreds back in our hedges, it would be lovely to see the greenfinches recover in the same way..

Julia, we were both busy with shaping shrubs!!
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Sheila, we had an hour of drizzle earlier, not enough to do any good for the garden though.
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Rose, we saw 3 Greenfinches on the feeders this morning, possibly young with Mum and Dad, such pretty birds. So pleased that Hydrangea is thriving for you!
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Stera, the grape variety is Brandt
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Thanks Ams, I seem to have an awful lot of Sedums in the garden now! Just as well I really like them!
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Ange, the small hedge trimmer was bought by my OH as he worried using hand shears would be too much exertion after my heart issues! He knows how much I love using garden tools ... :o))
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Jen, well done with all of those cuttings. I'm hoping to take some Penstemon cuttings tomorrow, should be ok as the temps. have returned to near normal now.
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Sue, our brown bin is out for emptying tomorrow, complete with lots of Bindweed growing through from neighbour. The place is sold, but has been empty for almost seven months and the Bindweed now covers the side path, up to the garage door so I guess it is in there too! I really hope the new folk will clear it.

I have found the Sedum 'Purple Emperor', a really dark one, grows best in full sun.

There seems to be a lot more Sparrows around this year, lovely little birds!

Such a great effort Shirley with everything looking neat and well cared for. I miss having a vine in our garden. I love their autumn colours and the grapes look so pretty. Our hydrangea needed lots of water in that dry spell but is looking a lot better now too. Yours is a perfect pink
colour.

Thanks Chris, I was just in the mood to do some pruning of those shrubs! Today I have cut down the Sweet Peas that were in a large pot and trained against a trellis on the wall. Pot was full of ants, stems of Sweet Peas were covered in Blackfly so I'm glad to have got rid of them!

Lovely shrubs, I didn't realise the pittosporum would be easy to care for. Greenfinches aren't garden birds we see here, so smashing to see your one! I have a new bird feeder, a gift from my daughter and sunflower hearts, so I'll use it now..:))

Your garden is looking good despite the drought, I like the Sedums,they are always reliable & don’t need loads of water. I hope we get some more rain soon.

Your purple Sedums look really wonderful,Shirley! I haven't grown Sedums since I lived at home with my parents - 50 years ago! I suppose I could grow some on the balcony as they are easy going plants to grow!

Janey, the Pittosporums are often used for their foliage to 'jazz up' a vase of flowers here!

Since we stopped using mixed seed for the birds, just Sunflower Hearts, we now have Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Bluetits, Great Tits, Long tailed Tits, Sparrows and occasional Robin ... :o))

Josie, the water butts were topped up from a few hours of heavy rain but we really do need more as the ground is so dry ... :o(

David, sending you a PM.