Well after nine days away the garden had lots of lovely surprises for me. One of my favourite paeonies is a very delicate shade of the lightest pink, it’s sited under a standard rose, which is fortunate as just before I got home yesterday there was a huge thunder and hail storm! The blooms have nearly all survived and smell gorgeous as you’re walking up the path.

I love irises and I’ve several clumps in the garden, I think a few need dividing as I’ve not so many flower spikes this year. These ones are doing OK though. They came from my mum’s garden and have a beautiful silver edge to the rich blue leaf. They’re all round the bird bath down by the patio, it’s very heavy clay soil there but they seem fairly happy.

Up round the pond everything seems to have grown about 6″! The pond has all but disappeared from view, as has Hubert the heron. The hostas are looking amazing at the moment and to my surprise the purple rodgersia is also looking good – it’s a surprise as I dug it up when I was trying to get on top of the couch grass earlier in the year and I haven’t got round to planting it yet – job for this week I think!

One area which I don’t often feature here is my deep bed, it’s just not usually interesting enough, but it’s looking really good at the moment. The purple continus coggyria has come into leaf, purple alliums are hovering above the paeony and the astrantia. The white blossom at the back is a philadelphus which smells wonderful. The climbing rose to the right is just starting to flower and the wisteria is draping itself across the top of the fence.

This was my first view as I walked (or rather staggered!!) up the drive after my week long walk, it’s not often I think wow! as I look at my garden but it did bring a smile to my face!