Leon's 5th Birthday

Leon is 5 wouldyabelieveit? Birthday treat was a trip to the London Eye and he's got his long wished for train station to go with his wooden railway.

Hollyhocks and the bumblebees

Our magnificent Hollyhocks riddled with bees covered in pollen. Getting a pic of them is another matter :)

Five little Peas

Leon performed in his Nursery special assembly, worth remembering :)

Reuben's Birthday

Reuben has just turned 3, he's now 97cm tall - a full 10cm taller than this time last year. He's formidable, cheeky, charming and a fast runner.

The garden in June

Music appreciation

I just put on a 'Kids Dance Party' album. Leon looked at me and said 'Dad, can you put on Ace of Spades?'.
No, not a mistake, it's one of his favourite songs! Now listening to a Motorhead compilation album... :)

Ruth's Birthday BBQ

Daisy's Birthday Party

Easter

Our baby blackbirds

Outside the kitchen window, a family of blackbirds are nesting. It's about 5 foot off the ground so every now and then I've been peering in and taking pictures, they have feathers now so I guess it wont be long before they will be flying around the garden. Mum and Dad are always out gathering worms and have been very happy with my work edging the grass and exposing lots of worms for them. I see them with a beak full of beasties pretty much every time I look out the window or go out to work in the garden.

The garden in April

the weather has been amazing and I've been out in the garden pretty much everyday, either planting, potting on, weeding - only really pulling up baby Hazel trees and brambles. Lots of watering too, I can't remember the last time it rained. I'm risking putting out the courgettes now as we are in a heat wave for the forseable future and April is only for another couple of weeks so I doubt we will go back to freezing now. I've been very pleased with the tulips I got from wilcos last september, I wanted later flowering ones as the ones out the front are over by the end of march and these have looked good for most of April. I'm still curious what's in flower in May. I've got lots of herbs planted out as seeds that are still seedlings, lettuce too as well as annual flowers like sunflowers and marigolds. I've got herbs currently being nursed in pots in the conservatory, dozens of courgettes too, mainly to sell at the next nearly new sale but plenty to go out in my garden. Peppers too, both chilli and sweet. Lots of tumbling toms too, this year will be the year of red, yellow and orange tumbling toms.