Tiddley –Pom –Pom

The sun has FINALLY got his hat on. Hip hip hip hurray! After weeks of living in a swamp, it is so nice to finally cut the grass, tidy up and sit basking in the rays. (Whilst wearing factor 50, obviously. Still a red head, after all!)

What does show in our current garden though, is that, other than the triffid-like roses that are beautiful, bountiful and just generally ‘full’, there are very few pretty flowers. There are many lovely trees with a range of foliage, and shrubs a plenty. But a sad lack of colour, especially near the front of the house, has made itself known.

To help remedy this, I have put together some hanging baskets, as well as some planters with old chimney pots we found in the garden, and a few other planters dotted around. As the lock down started to ease, the local garden centre must have been very excited to see us coming! Next year, I will try to grow some flowers from seed, but this will require my organisation being tip top and NOT being distracted by a global pandemic and home schooling. (I still shudder when I hear the noise of the Teams App. Gulp.) But for this year, spending a small fortune at the local garden centre it was.

However, this did mean that my lack of knowledge of all things flowery was mitigated by my going, ‘oh look! Pretty!’ as I strolled past the wonderful selection of lobelias, petunias, verbenas and busy lizzies. A vast array of colours and shapes were there to find. I think my favourite was a petunia with large, velvet-like petals in a deep black. It was called, very originally, Black Velvet. (I do actually like such a sensible name. It means I have half a chance of remembering it!) I coupled it with another petunia with smaller petals with a hot pink colour, with a black centre. These now have pride of place in my chimney planters at the front of the house.

In an attempt to bribe the child who was dragged with me, he could choose a plant to take back. He went with ‘the pom pom flowers’ – marigolds. They are fabulous, a really vivid yellow and orange, and look fabulous planted at the base of his apple tree he has grown from seed with his much more green fingered grandmother.

So now, there is little to do than sit back in my beautiful swing chair and watch my husband mow the lawn. He was the one that wanted the tractor, after all!