My garden makes me so happy

[HumphreyCobbler]

I wanted a garden all my adult life, and for the last three years I have had one.

To begin with I was worried it wouldn't be as much fun as I thought it would be, but I soon discovered it was even better.

It was an overgrown, tangled mess when we moved in and slowly we have transformed it. I am still a beginner, but I already know so much more than I did.

Today I came home to find a massive pile of well rotted horseshit waiting for me. It was brilliant.

I don't really know what the point of this post is, I just wanted to share

that is v pretty Pootles

I have a ripe strawberry. We will cut it into four and eat it with the DC in the morning. I must remember not to pick it in front of DD, I made that mistake last year. She then picked ALL the baby figs off the fig tree

We now have a light drizzle.

::Wonders whether Christine is around for a bit more naked dancing::

I've been dancing naked for hours Maud. I'm not doing it right, obviously. The sky hasn't squeezed out a single drop so far :(

The thing about dancing, Christine, is .

oh bollocks, I've been doing it all

I hope mine look as good as the picture, not holding breath though... Ooh interesting about half-hardy thing, I will try that, thanks!

Am already killing plants... My rose keeps producing hopeful looking buds that never actually bloom - on closer inspection there's some white funny looking stuff, I will have to buy some rose spray and nuke the buggers. Anyone with experience of similar?

It's dark now, Christine, we can really let rip. That dance looked rather complicated and it might be culturally disrespectful to attempt it - .

What's the stuff on your roses, Pootles? Could it be mildew? Or rot? Mine have got a lot of green and whitefly - I'm planning to kidnap some ladybirds.

Maybe mildew? Will investigate. Couldn't see any little bugs.

Right googled it, think its powdery mildew. Apparently this can happen when roots are dry - there are some fairly big trees just behind fence its growing on. Arse.

Have mulched, will buy fungicide and keep watering. Can't bear it - see these lovely buds with pink, and they just never come to anything!

Humphrey can't believe you've ripe strawbs - were they in green house?

There's some mildew on one of my apple trees. We need more rain.

::Resumes frantic naked dancing::

I have a lot of mildew on the rose walk. It is a bit gutting, have had to prune off all the flowers on William Lobb. Think they are stressed due to drought conditions. Lots of buds left on the others though.

No, the strawberry is outside. It is massive too, I can't believe the amount of fruit on them. I just hope the wood pigeons don't eat them all.

Have put the rosa glauca in position at the back of the bed, it looks brilliant. I am in love with this plant, it is so beautiful <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=rpmedia.ask.com/ts%3Fu%3D/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/2b/Rosa_glauca_img_2726.jpg/120px-Rosa_glauca_img_2726.jpg&imgrefurl=www.ask.com/wiki/Rosa_glauca&h=366&w=549&sz=50&tbnid=pYxwfjY2QbWjcM:&tbnh=89&tbnw=133&prev=/search%3Fq%3Drosa%2Bglauca%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=rosa+glauca&hl=&usg=__DstjsVL5nDDp322xMCtdhAaT3wE=&sa=X&ei=3OTSTdH0FtCo8AOOrrzrCg&ved=0CBwQ9QEwAA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here it is

We had around 10 drops of rain yesterday and today.

First parsnips seedlings are up!

of Humphrey's strawberry.

My rosa glauca (bought years ago for about 25p at a Scouts fete) has just started to flower. I gave it a severe prune in the spring and it is now flowering at a height where I can actually see the flowers. It is divine. I think it can be grown from cuttings, so if anyone wants a bit, just PM me (although now isn't really the time, I know).

We've just had the front of the house painted and I've decided I need a rose to train around the door. Any suggestions? I'm thinking either red or a strong pink and preferably with a good scent.

Still no blardy rain.

Blush rambler seems very reliable, and fades rather prettily.

<a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=www.rosesloubert.com/collection%2520loubert/2002/blush%2520rambler.jpg&imgrefurl=www.rosesloubert.com/synstylaehort.htm&h=569&w=777&sz=82&tbnid=lkil1TYPR0tD2M:&tbnh=104&tbnw=142&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dblush%2Brambler%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=blush+rambler&hl=&usg=__yFgHKKScgbqiDN1O1WvfOas3uv8=&sa=X&ei=oerSTbXLNY_F8QPR_5X7Cg&ved=0CEQQ9QEwBw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Blush Rambler

or <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=www.justourpictures.com/roses/imgs/newdawn.jpg&imgrefurl=www.justourpictures.com/roses/newdawn.html&h=480&w=640&sz=87&tbnid=uYQgjsLmmubACM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=137&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dnew%2Bdawn%2Brose%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=new+dawn+rose&hl=&usg=__Bo8NPpBMUkBjjuwTGBpxllufNgY=&sa=X&ei=H-vSTe3rHMOu8QPE89DlCg&ved=0CEEQ9QEwAQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">New Dawn smells lovely but perhaps a little pale

what colour is the house?

The house is ochre, which is why I think I need a strong colour (or, on second thoughts, white). I have New Dawn on the garden fence and through an apple tree but think it would look odd here.

How about Compassion? I had one in my last garden (which got too big to take with me ), It's a creamy peach so would look lovely against ochre, has a gorgeous scent, great for cut flowers and hardy as anything.

woke up this morning and it was all damp outside... anyone else?

There is a sprinkling of drizzle so fine that it's almost imperceptible but you can see it on the lid of the BBQ. My rain dance clearly was a bit feeble :(

It keeps looking like it's going to tip it down, then we get a pathetic little shower.

Pathetic and short-lived drizzle here too.

::Strips off again::

::Sigh::

lots of drzzle as I walk home from work with no coat/brolly.... i hope this band of wet makes it all the way through to Kent, Maud!

We have some drizzle here.

::Fervent naked dancing::

Dire news. The hens got into the stawberry patch and ate most of the ripe strawberry. We ate what was left