All play and no work.

make me a very happy girl!
We spent the entire day outdoors yesterday with Luke working on the fourth bridge (aka known as THE fence) and me moving my beloved weeping pear from it's temporary home in the fruit bed to the front garden (oh, the joy of starting to make that look presentable) before shifting the strawberries in front of the fancy blackberry we have ready to train up the fence and planting up the rhubard once the space was cleared and dug over. I have also moved the last of the misplaced raspberries and swapped the chimney pot to use as a forcer for the rhubarb. It's long neck will shade the rhubarb leaves and keep them pale, no sun tan for those delicate stalks. I also edged the entire length and hope, once the fence is completed, to have a row of alpine strawberries with their baby's finger nail-sized fruits at the edge of the border, half as decoration, half as food for the chicks whilst our other strawberries will be protected. You know by now that I will move things when we need to move them and not when it's best for the plant - a shocking admission I know and I'm ashamed to say it but I'm impatient and if a plant is in the wrong place for our planting scheme then it's days are numbered there. However, I will only move it if I give it the very best chance of happily surviving the move so when I knew today was going to be continual rain all day I gambled that, with a great long soak beforehand I could move the plants and then they would have all day of being rained in therefore lessening their stress. Very often, if moving or dividing plants, it's best to cut them back or take off some of the leaf to stop them having to divert energy into all parts of the plant. The less stress they have the better. So far the tree is looking very good and the raspberry seems to have not noticed it's new surroundings.
There is little better to me than spending the day working jolly hard with my man at my side, the radio down low and a sweat on my brow.

This morning, when Socks, (Jack's cat from next door who sneaks in when we aren't and are looking, she's not fussy) begged to be let out. I plodded downstairs at 5.06 to the most beautiful of sunrises. Because we had rain on the way there were great streaks of warm pink cloud and the sun was gleaming through to make it appear on fire. I grabbed my dressing gown, grabbed Luke's camera and went outdoors, happily snapping away at the wet poppy heads, the skyline and the borders before realising the battery was dead so I had to rush back indoors, all the while trying not to wake Luke who was oblivious to the racket going on around him. Finding his other camera I realised I'd missed the chance to catch the first rays of sunlight but still thought I could get some nice shots but alas, the battery wasn't even in this camera. I've posted four posts full of pictures; neutrals, pinks, vibrant oranges and yellow and deep purples- a stroll round the garden for your eyes. I hope you enjoy them.