More Flowers!!!!

I never really thought he would do it but I spent most of Sunday listing Marks Koi on eBay.

He has been on about it for a while, saying that the fuel bills are getting too expensive and he is getting fed up of spending most of his weekends cleaning the pond.

He has things that he would rather spend his money on than loads of electricity to run the pond.

The pond currently takes up about 1/3rd of the garden. It is about 14' x 10'. That big brown thing at the bottom is Marks Bungalow, although he calls it a shed!

In some ways, I am a bit sad. Most of these fish we have had from babies and they all have their own characters. Hoover - named because he "hoovers up" the food from the top of the water - is one of the best. He plays with you. He loves a tickle under his chin and is first around when he thinks there is any food.

Also, unlike the others who grab the food from your fingers, he expects you to hold it for him while he nibbles on it.

But the up-side is - more flowers!!!!

I have always insisted that I am not a gardener and I don't want a garden. However, I LOVE flowers. And, I figured the easiest way to get them was to grow them.

The "garden" started off with a couple of pots.

Then a couple more pots.

Then I insisted that we really need something to cover that horrible fence. I wanted Jasmine and Honeysuckle but we ended up with Clematis. I didn't realise there were so many colours.

There is just a little bit of ground down beside the path that is behind the pond. Perfect for planting climbers in. And, covered with weed membrane and slate, provides a perfect environment for Clematis.

I have tried to find ones that have different colours and flower at different times of the year.

This lovely purple one is coming up strong and has loads of buds on it already.

Unfortunately, the white one isn't so strong and the winds which whistle along the fence continually damage it. I might end up cutting my losses on that one and replacing it.

I am sure I can find a new home for it.

But my pride and joy is my trough.

It is an old animal trough and is about 30 years old. And it looks it!

I really love the natural look to it and have tried to plant it with flowers that will enhance it.

White Violets!

I didn't know you could get these until a friend gave me some.

And the traditional Violets.

Which are spreading all over the trough. But I don't mind, they are so pretty.

These are Daisy type flowers. I think they are a Chrysanthemum. The first year I had them they flowers for ages then died in January. That was when I found out that they were supposed to! It took me ages to find them again!

This year I took cuttings and kept them on the kitchen window sill. I cut it back when it started dying off but now it is sprouting again!

This is Felicia. Also known as Blue Marguerite. It was supposed to have died over winter as well but is flowering again.

I also have a load of other little flowers in there, hopefully for colour all through the summer.

The pea gravel helps stop the compost drying out and provides a lovely background to the flowers.

I am sure you noticed the Mushrooms in the first one. Mark makes them for me. These are the small ones. I have lots of little ones in the pots, mostly made from Laburnam.

That big one in the earlier picture is 22 inches in diameter and big enough to use as a stool!