This is for the garden lovers amongst you!

After 2 extremely cold, blustery and wet days, the sun came out around noon. So, wellies and thick jacket on, hatted up, and on with the gardening gloves!

This is the side garden towards the back, facing the park pond. You can just spot it in between the pergola frame.

The border is coming on nicely, with lots of mini narcissii, pansies and tulips. At the back, on the left, is a yellow monarda, which will still have to be dug up, as it is getting too large. It seems okay now, but in summer it towers over everything else and spoils the view. So we aim to put it in the side border, next to the new wood shed.

Our garden is predominantly North-East facing, with the front bit due West (we are on a corner) and the 'backest' back bit East. We lack a sunny South side...meaning our climbing rose White Sneeuwwitje was always facing the garden of our neighbour. When she complained of having all the rose leaves on her desert of a paved in 'garden', we dug up the rose and replanted it next to our fence. So now at least the blooms face our way. It does rather well, by the way, hurray!

This week hubbie has cleared the bit next to our pond. There was a box border there, with mahonia and some shrubs, but it was getting too large. He took it out, and replanted one of our decorative grasses, which was getting too large as well. It doesn't look much now, but in summer it gets huge, over 2 m high and at least 1 m wide.

Now it looks like a mini beach, doesn't it? It is large enough to put a small dining table up, which is lovely, as this bit gets the last sun of the evening.

We've spotted the first frogs in the pond, and the pond forget-me-not is spreading already, as are the waterlilies.

This is the old situation of last year.

I'm looking forward to milder weather, and my froggy chorus in the evenings. We've planted massive lilies, called tree lilies today, which will grow as high as 1.80 if the packaging is to be believed. And a lot of dahlias, in all kinds of shapes and colours. I've strictly forbidden Viggo and Gina to dig them up again.

Right. I'll leave you with one of my favourite images. Bluebells. And an owl. I'll be extremely busy the next couple of days and evenings, so you'll have to wait a while for the next post. But don't fret - I'll be back!