Our Trip To The Garden Centre

On Saturday Karen and I went to our local garden centre (Karen's favourite place). 
I did say to her  that I definately was NOT going to buy anything this time. 

 Ha, how long do you think that lasted?  

 She is definately a bad influence on me, lol. 

Yes, I indeed did purchase something - we came home with 3 azalea plants, 1 pink, 1 red and 1 purple. They are lovely though!!!

While we were there I spotted this strange looking thing - I did look to see what it was called  but have since forgotten, doh!!!

They had just been watered - I think it looked amazing. So what else could I do but take out my trusty point and shoot and take some pictures.

I spent yesterday afternoon cleaning our dining room - took the curtains down and washed them, cleaned the windows, the floor and all the skirting boards. It is now shining like a new pin :))
Right which room is next!!!

How was your weekend.

Sharing today with 

Lisa

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Macro Monday

Flowers For Leontien

A flower for Leontien. 
You can follow her at Four Leaf Clover Tales

A wonderfully bright and upbeat lady who truly deserves lovely flowers.  

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Purple Flowers

Well this is it - the last of my flower pictures from last week. 
I will really have to go out this weekend and see what I can photograph.  
I hate when I run out of pictures.

I thinks this is such a pretty flower and such a glorious colour.

I'm off to work in about half an hour - hope everybody has a good afternoon.

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Deb

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A Greenhouse And No Errors

Our Karen has a few hobbies, one of them as you know is baking cakes. The other one is gardening and growing plants. 

We bought this little plastic greenhouse a couple of years ago and it is full to bursting with all of her plants. 

And as you can see my decking is just covered in pots.

I would love for her to have a proper greenhouse but we just don't have the room in our garden. 

So she discovered this larger plastic one which she can walk into and work on her plants. 

The kit comes in a box and is a bit like a tent with poles, tent pegs and ropes. 

Anyway Karen and her dad got started building it up.

Please excuse the unfinished fence painting - that is a summer job for this year!!

Now not only is her wee greenhouse full of plants but this is what any shelf in my house looks like - so I am quite happy we are going to get some shelfspace back :))

 I  couldn't resist a token picture of Karen and myself. She is not keen on getting her picture taken so I grab any opportunity I can :))

Another thing I wanted to mention. 

After I write a post I proof read it for spelling mistakes and the like - yes I really do!!!  

But the thing is when I post it and Danny reads it (have I mentioned that he stalks my blog, 'cause he does and he sometimes even makes comment when I haven't done a post for a day) he finds all sorts of spelling mistakes that I have missed.  

I really do know the difference between too and to and there and their, so how come these mistakes find their way there (did *you* see what I did there?) lol. 

Personally I think there is a blogging gremlin out there that just bides his time and waits till I put my post up and then puts all these mistakes in. 

Well that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. 

Now I am away to proof read this several times and hopefully there won't be any mistakes for Danny to find. Wish me luck!!!

Monday Blooms

Remember I told you that I took a lot of pictures when I was at the woods the other day?

  Well today I'm going to show you some of them.

Now, I love pretty wee flowers and I have to say these were some of the prettiest I have seen for a while.

We were supposed to get lots of heavy rain and wind over the entire weekend but the weatherman got it wrong. It has been bright and sunny. 

 Isn't it great when they get it wrong in a good way :))

My friend has just had a lovely summerhouse built in her garden and yesterday she invitited me over.  We had a good blether (chat), a coffee and generally put the world to rights all in the comfort of her summerhouse. I really enjoyed it.

The only trouble is,

now I would like one!!!

Here's wishing everyone a good and happy week ahead.

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Lisa

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Maco Monday

A Sunny Day In The Woods

What a difference a day makes and what a change in the weather.  

Beautiful today. Sun shining, blue sky and best of all very warm.  Yesterday it was raining, hailing and cold. 

So I decided to take myself off to the woods to photograph some bluebells. 

There weren't as many as I had hoped but it was still lovely. 

 It was so peaceful in the woods, between the beautiful birdsong, the warm sunshine and the fact that there was hardly another soul there. 

Peace, perfect peace :) 

It was such a pleasure to be there taking lots of pictures - can you tell I really enjoyed myself.

Yes, I'm afraid I did take rather a lot - that's something for you to look forward to :))

Rained Off

 My mum had told me that in our local woods there were lots and lots of  lovely bluebells out in full bloom.  So, I was going to take a visit after I finished work today to get some pictures for today's post. But the weather was against me, between the rain, hailstones and wind I decided I might just go tomorrow instead. 

So, what should I post for today.  
Well, today I've been having a look at what recent pictures I have and I found these. 
I have no idea what they are but they are quite unusual.

Euphorbia
Thanks to Rosie @ Leavesnbloom
   for giving me the name of this plant.  

 

This one made me think that they were playing peek-a-boo around the wooden post :))

Hopefully the weather will be kinder to me tomorrow and I'll get to go out.  Keeping my fingers crossed.

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Deb

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A Tale of Two Heathers

Here is some heather that is growing in my mum and dad's garden. Isn't it a wonderful colour.

Don't you think that heather is such a lovely word - some words just sound nice, and I think this is one of them. 

 Another Heather that I knew and loved was my  wonderful dog.  

When I was a very little girl, about 4/5 years old, I was bitten by a little Scottie dog.

 I was playing in my friend's house at the time and we had opened a bedroom door and out charged this, very angry, little Scottie dog. 

Well, it chased me round the house snarling and barking. I finally got to the front door and was trapped I couldn't go anywhere else, it louped (jumped) up and attached itself to my knee.  

Ouch!!!

It really scared me and put me right off dogs let me tell you. My parents knew they had to try and find a way to cure me of this fear. They decided the best way was to get a dog as a pet.  

I well remember the day we went to see a litter of  Sheltie (miniature collie) pups and knew straight away that Heather was the one for us. 

 I got her as a special present for my 5th birthday.  She was the most wonderful pet and loved by everybody, especially me :))  We had her until I was 18 and then she sadly died. It was a very sad day indeed!!!

Anyway, to end this post on a more cheery note I want to tell you a funny story about Heather and me.

When she was a wee, tiny puppy and we were trying to toilet train her she would sometimes go behind the couch and do her business without anybody knowing. 

Well of course I would play with her running around the house and we would inevitably end up playing behind the couch.

Yup you guessed it - I would find it after stepping right into it. 

Yuck.

  My poor mum had to wash my feet every time. Nothing quite like the feeling of puppy poop on your feet!!!

I hope I haven't disgusted you all. 

I look back at it and laugh now - not sure if my mum does though. 

Here she is with her own puppy who we called Honey - this was taken in the early 1970's.

Beautiful Blooms

Pieris

Dicentra

Vinca

Just a few of the beautiful blooms that are in my mum and dad's garden.

Mum did tell me what they were all called but I have the memory of a hen and have totally forgotten.

Sorry mum!!!

If your having a look at this post mum (and I know you probably will ;) ) and want to remind me again I will come back and put the names up.

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Lisa

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 Macro Monday

Bluebells

We have got quite a few lovely bluebells in our front garden under the window.  I don't remember ever planting them but I suppose I must have. 

They are so pretty, they make me think of fairies - oh does that make me sound a bit strange?  I hope not!! :))

Anyway I was shooting away at these little flowers with my camera when I decided to cut a stem and bring it in the house.

 I got told off by Karen for doing that - it was only 1 stem though!!!

I loved these reflections I was getting on my favourite black plate - I use it frequently for taking pictures - you must recognise it by now lol.

Then I spotted the reflection of the sky in the plate and I thought I need to catch that - so I went back outside to get the best angle.

When I was looking at my pictures on the computer I couldn't believe the amount of scratches on the plate. So please try to look beyond them :))  

 I decided to try again trying to minimise the scratches but when I went back outside the clouds had turned grey as you can see. 

.

Oh well, I suppose there is nothing else for it I will just have to buy myself a new shiny black plate.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend and are ready for the week ahead.

Inside A Raindrop

Emma and I went round to visit my mum and dad today. They are not long back from spending  a month in Spain. 

By all accounts they had a really good time. The weather was fab for the whole month - can you imagine lovely weather for a whole month - amazing. They did a lot of walking and sitting in the sun. Sounds like bliss to me. 

Not only that but they have come home looking relaxed and healthy. 

What more could a daughter ask for!!!

Anyway, they have a lovely garden so I though I'd take my trusted point and shoot round and snap some pictures. 

I got quite a few lovely flowers but though I'd share these raindrop pictures first.

See if you look close enough there are leaves inside that raindrop. I couldn't believe it when I saw it.  
I think it is quite amazing!!!

Thanks mum and dad for letting me loose in your garden!! :)

I'm a wee bit late - but better late than never!!!  
 I'm sharing today with

Deb

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My Tree is Potted

Remember my apple tree and the fact I needed a huge pot for it. 

Well, I got one and here it is.

 I couldn't believe how hard it was to find a pot this big, but we eventually found one. 

I think it is quite nice.  

 I bet you were thinking it was a clay pot but in fact it is plastic.  I though plastic was safer than clay - but we will see.

And here is my wee tree in the pot in its own place on the decking, securely attached to the side panel. 

I don't want it being blown about in the wind. 

It gets quite windy here you know!!

On a separate note - it was a lovely day here yesterday. It was supposed to be really wet and grey - but look blue sky. 

 And that's my tree reaching for the sky :)) 

I hope the sun is shining wherever you are!!!

Karen's Latest Creation

I knew that Karen was making a cake for Easter and that she had been busy in the kitchen for quite a few hours last night. But when she said "I'm finished"  I was gobsmacked when I saw what she had done. Please excuse the cluttered background!!!!

It has got to be her best cake to date  - I think I say that every time she makes a cake - but this time she has outdone herself.  The yellow and white look so good together.

She has made cakes for a few people now - mostly her co-workers and mainly birthday cakes. But one of them asked her if she would do a wedding cake.  

 Wow!!! 

This will be a first for her.

She has a little experience of piping but wanted to prove to herself that she could do something for them. It also gives them a sample of what she can do.

You know how I like to take pictures of flowers - well here is something just a wee bit different. I thought I would take some macro shots of  the daisies on her cake -just because the are so cute :))

I though I'd share it today with 

Lisa 

at

Macro Monday 

There will be lots of macro shots for you to see there.