Followers

Friday 25 May 2007

Ship shape............

The weather brightened up yesterday and MWM went out into the garden and got everything ship shape again. I went out afterwards and took some photos whilst taking in a bit of sun. I used to do all the gardening until MWM retired and my knee got really bad. Now, he does it all - I just supervise!

Click on photos to enlarge
photographs copyright 2007

He has got really into it though, even to growing his own plants from seed. These are his Marigolds almost ready to plant out.







He recently put a lot of new plants round this side of the garden, and moved stuff about. Everything is coming up lovely though not many flowers out yet.





I love my Japanese Acers, especially this one in the pot.





Here's my little arbour that MWM built to my specifications a few years back. The troughs are planted with ivy and lavender, and we have a Passion Flower, two Cematis and Jasmine growing up the trellis. I planted the little strawberry pot with Petunias and Busy Lizzies.


I love the chimes hanging there and Ben (one of the flower pot men) sitting in the corner. He was a present from Sam, our grandson.




The arbour hides the compost bin, well it does when it's covered in flowers!

Behind the arbour we have two Pontentilla's - one yellow and one white




The white one is in flower now.










Also hiding behind the arbour are another two Japanese Acers.







My lovely Lilac tree has finished flowering but it's always in use holding the bird feeder, a cow bell and Jonathan Livingston Seagull.







And here's where I sit surveying my beautiful retreat.

I have a little birdbath on the patio and there is an inscription on it which reads:

The kiss of the sun for pardon
The song of the birds for mirth
You're closer to God in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.

How true is that?

36 comments:

Lo Kelween said...

oh i love the chimes too! so do Aunty Lucy:)

Akelamalu said...

elween
Hello honey, taking a break? Glad you and Aunt Lucy like my chimes. :)

Anonymous said...

Your garden is so gorgeous!

(I'm a Lancashire Lass, too. Living in Ireland now...)

Queenie said...

MWM, is doing a grand job.

Akelamalu said...

misslionheart
Hi fellow Lanky girl and welcome.

Glad you like my garden. :)

Akelamalu said...

queenie
I know! Who'd a thowt it?

Unknown said...

Lovely, truly lovely.

Tammy said...

What a beautiful retreat you have!!!
Love the saying, tis true you know!
:)

CG said...

Wow, it's a paradise, your garden!! you must be a great supervisor :)

Akelamalu said...

dave
Why thank you kind sir.

Akelamalu said...

early bird
Yes it is true, I've just been sitting outside in the sun listening to the birds, beautiful.

Akelamalu said...

cg
I'm glad you like! I am a great supervisor, I just let him think everything is his idea! ;)

Annelisa said...

Now that's what I call a lovely garden... so peaceful. Love the little wooden/bamboo man sitting in the arbour!

You've reminded me that I need to start thinking about salvaging my garden... I did promise myself I'd do it, and my sister's offered to help... I just want to think about how I'm going to do it! It's so big and overgrown! I could do with you coming to supervise (You could bring YWM to do the work, since he's already cued in to your supervision :-D lol... )

I would live to sit in your arbour on a day like today, and enjoy those little birds singing :-) (like the inscription - it's certainly the place to feel peace and relax)

How's the knee now?

Paul Champagne said...

The closest I've felt to God was in Alaska ... the natural beauty untouched by civilization was stunning. But since I can't fly to Alaska every weekend, the garden is a good substitute.

Still sore from all that scrolling yesterday

talj said...

What a beautiful garden you have :o)

Akelamalu said...

annelisa
I'm happy you like my garden. It has taken us 28 years to get there as it was nothing when we moved here. I'm sure you'll get yours just how you want it once you start. If I lived nearer I would come and help you willingly!

We've spent most of today out in the garden reading - it's so peaceful.

Akelamalu said...

paul
Alaska - I've only ever seen pictures but it looks like you could feel close to heaven there! It's hard work scrolling! ;)

Akelamalu said...

talj
I take that as a great compliment from someone who has made a balcony look like a fantastic jungle! :)

Linda said...

You need to send your MWM over here to help me out with my flowers this year - I haven't done any of my usual flowers yet and my window boxes and flower pots are all still empty. Shame on me!

Akelamalu said...

linda
MWM would jump at the chance to come to America, even if it was to WORK in a garden!

Neoma said...

Lovely garden akelamalu, and I love all of the little special statues and items of interest. I have a few, but would love to have some in every nook and cranny. My acers got frostbid, and they turned white on the ends of each leaf, they did send out a few new leaves, but they are basically ruined for this year as to beauty. The garden really took a hit with that late frost.

Your husband is doing it up in a big way, starting his own plants, that is what my grandma used to do, and it sure the way to go with flowers costing what they do. I used to get 6 for about 49 cents, now that same 6 cost about 3.00. I buy flats at the Cass high school 36 plants for 8.00. That is the best way to go, aside from starting my own. I don't have a green house, so i don't try. Your garden is much more formal than mine, it is lovely.

Akelamalu said...

nea
What a shame the frost got to your plants - it's always a danger. I would love a bigger garden to have more nooks and crannies. I wanted the arbour to create a bit of interest. The grandchildren think it is a secret garden round the back of the arbour and play hide and seek with us there. We have some success with seeds because of our little portable greenhouse, it didn't cost very much and stores away easily, it has been worth it's weight in gold.

Mark said...

I like the supervisor bit, you could have added that as one of the jobs you have had lol

Cheers Mark

RUTH said...

Your garden is beautiful. Love the acers! I've always loved the rhyme...we have a plaque in our garden saying.."Our garden Is Our Earthly Paradise"
Happy Gardening & Supervising!
Rx

Julia Phillips Smith said...

I can't help myself - I tagged you on my blog this afternoon. I didn't realize you'd just done a tag. Luckily it's a different one.

Your garden is very soothing, even to look at. Your arbour is especially inviting. So great that the kids feel like it's a secret garden. My mom and I (and my sister, too) have been working on our present garden for 6 years. 21 more and we'll have a stunner!

crpitt said...

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Do not go near my blog until my gardening posts have disappeared!
Your garden is absolutely lovely :)

Akelamalu said...

mark
I never thought of that!

Akelamalu said...

ruth
'Our garden is our earthly paradise' - that's so true!

Akelamalu said...

julia
I'll take a look at the tag later.
Glad you like my garden but I have to say if someone had told me it would take so long to get it like this I'd have had it paved!

Akelamalu said...

claire
I'm on my way over! ;)

Annelisa said...

:-) You wouldn't want to come to my garden... it's long, and has a wonderful view at the end of it, but truly, walking through it is a hazard! I'll get to it... in fact, I've decided to use blogging as an incentive to do something. I'm going to show the before and after pics :-D

Akelamalu said...

Annelisa
Oh yes, you could do a 'work in progress'and nothing shows it better than a garden! I think I have some photographs of our garden before we did anything with it, I'll root them out. I'll do a post about the front garden soon, though it's not as nice as the back.

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

catching up, it is LOVELY!!! a wonderful place...

smiles, bee

Akelamalu said...

bee
You're back, fantastic. Hope you're rested. I'm glad you like it.

katie eggeman said...

Your garden is beautiful and what a great job your MWM did on his seedlings. I need to get my garden in shape.

Akelamalu said...

bankerchick
Thankyou, and MWM is really getting into gardening now - mind you it's taken him long enough!!!