A productive gardening day

I have had a busy day in the garden today, doing jobs which I have been unable to do in the week, due to the hot weather.  This weekend has been grey and cloudy with cooler temperatures, so I was able to catch up a bit.  Above is Jasmine 'Clotted Cream', which is doing really well, with lots of flowers still to come.

 I have planted a couple of Penstemon 'Garnet' and potted my Blueberry 'Goldtraube' into a much bigger tub.  I have also potted my Raspberries 'Joan J' into a big tub too as they had filled the original one.  Above is Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'.

I did some cutting back of geraniums which had flowered and also removed some violas which had become rather thug-like.  Above is Clematis 'Piilu'.

I wasn't the only busy one in the garden - lots of bees were visiting the jasmine and lavender.  So, a good day (but my back is aching a bit now!)

Reasons to be cheerful

 Yes, it is still raining and most people seem to be thoroughly fed up with it.  However, so that I don't start moaning, I decided to celebrate some good things that are happening or will be happening shortly.  My newest rose 'Ferdinand Pichard' is flowering and has the most lovely stripy petals, a bit like Rosa Mundi, but with a paler background.  It has a delicate scent and the fact that I only planted it a month or so ago and it is now flowering makes me very happy.

The first flower on Clematis 'Piilu' which is a reliable and very floriferous plant.  However, I thought that this last winter had finished it off, but it has proved me wrong and is in danger of escaping over the six foot wall as it loves all the rain and has grown amazingly well. 
Other things to be cheerful about: a banana and apple loaf which is yummy, more gemstones on their way so that I can make some more jewellery, the fact that I have finally started the hand embroidery (lots and lots of french knots) on two felt pieces and (the one I am most excited about) I am going to Tatton Park Flower Show a week on Thursday, which should be fantastic.  I have never been there before, so it will be a new gardening-y experience.  Lots of good things to be cheerful about.

A riot of Clematis

Here is Clematis Piilu again, with the biggest number of flowers on it that there have ever been! I was amazed at the number of buds this year, and now that they are opening, it is fantastic.

I don't think I have done anything differently this year - I have fed and watered it as usual - it is in a pot, so needs watering regularly. I am just enjoying the flowers for as long as they last. Gardening is a funny thing because nothing ever stays the same. Sometimes this is good because it means 'there's always next year' if you have a disaster, but sometimes you just want to stop everything and keep it like that forever - totally impossible in reality, but it can be done with a camera or your own memory. A bit like life, really.

A Symphony of Pink!

My garden is flowering madly at the moment and I have a huge number of plants with pink flowers - not necessarily by design. There are also touches of blue, white and purple, but at the moment it is predominantly pink. Still, when the flowers are this gorgeous, I don't mind.

From the top - Rosa Mundi (Gallica Versicolour), Cottage Rose, Penstemon Garnet. I love this penstemon as it came through the coldest winter for 30 years completely unscathed and it is in a pot. I tried to take some cuttings but all but one have wilted and died. Undaunted, I shall try again because I would like lots more of this plant.

Clematis 'Piilu' which is very reliable and floriferous. For the first time this year, it has produced double flowers (below) at the same time as single flowers (above). It also has produced a multitude of buds too. It is a great plant.