Seriously, can you believe our British weather? It’s no wonder it makes up a huge amount of our national conversation.

We started last week with the heating on, moaning about all the rain. Discussing how April had clearly got mixed up with May, as we endured heavy ‘April’ showers.

Worrying about the freshly opened flowers being ruined.

And bursting into song about, ‘raindrops on roses…’ surely everyone was brought up on The sound of music?

And then, by the end of the bank holiday weekend we were all moaning we were too hot! Struggling to keep up with the watering, especially in the greenhouse where twice a day was necessary, as the tomato leaves curled in displeasure.

The heat has made it hard to keep up with all the new blooms in the garden, it’s felt at times like I’ve walked down to the compost bins and when I’ve walked back another few flowers have opened up!

Centaurea montana has been gradually spreading all around the woodland border, I do occasionally rip a few out if they venture too far. This year though, they’ve popped up with the orange geum’s ‘Queen of Orange’ creating my favourite colour combination 💙🧡

I was excited to see that even the potato foliage has decided to break cover, pushing up through the compost. I was really quite late planting them, I’m so looking forward to trying the new varieties.

The hosta’s, I dug up last year are still in their pots as we haven’t had time to rejig around the pond for them. 

They are currently sat next to the pond and are amazingly perfect with no slug nibbling at all! I thought it would be a good idea to plant them around the pond with my many slug munching frogs. 

I only recently learned on David Attenborough’s ‘Secret garden’ series that newts live most of the year out of the pond and also eat slugs. Good, good, good!

We had world bee day last Wednesday, poor things were working hard in the cold rain at the beginning of the week and still at it in the scorching sun at the end of the week. How lucky we are to have them. Our diets would be pretty dire without them!

And so, with the unusual forecast for the bank holiday sunshine, I managed to get the patio power washed on Friday, just in time for a bit of Al-fresco eating. Although it was a bit hot!

No doubt by the end of this week with torrential thunderstorms forecast we’ll be looking back wistfully to the first heatwave of the year. We’re never happy!

Monday 18th May 2026

Aquilegia – Granny’s bonnet – Columbine. Whatever you call them, they are undeniably beautiful 💕🌸💕🌸

#magentamonday

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Spuds are coming up 🤗 I was a bit late planting them this year 🥔🥔🥔 Three varieties to try 😋

#homegrown #potaties #spuds #growyourown 

Tuesday 19th May 2026

The electric blue of Centaurea montana, all cuddled up with Geum ‘Queen of Orange’ 🌿💙🧡🌿

Blue & orange is my favourite colour combination, both in the garden & the house. #TuesdayBlue 

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My anemones have been flowering since the beginning of March & still an odd one keeps opening up 🌿💙💜🌿 

This is my favourite colour combination ‘Mr Fokker’ 

#tuesdayblue #anemone #blueflowers 

Wednesday 20th May 2026

I dug these hosta’s up last year, intending to plant them around my pond in the hope that the frogs & newts would eat the slugs, that eat my hosta’s. 

I think it’ll work as although still in pots by the pond, there’s not a nibble🌿🦎🐸 #hosta #pond #wildlifewednesday #frogs #newts

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🎶 Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens 😻

Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens

Brown paper packages tied up with strings

These are a few of my favorite things…

I hope you’re singing! 🎵 

#RoseWednesday 

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#WorldBeeDay

Without bees & other pollinators we would lose much of our food, most fruits, veg, nuts, seeds & spices. 

So squeeze a few more bee friendly flowering plants in 🌸🌼🌺🐝🐝🐝

This is a female hairy footed flower bee 🐝 #bees #pollinators 

Thursday 21st May 2026

I’m sure the garden is enjoying it’s drink, even if the gardener isn’t ☔️💦 #britishweather 

First iris 💜💛💜

#gardening #bloomscrolling 

Friday 22nd May 2026

Hoping to get lots of gardening done today ahead of what sounds like a hot 🔥 bank holiday weekend 🌿💜❤️💜🌿

I’ve recently taken to wearing a hat whilst gardening & I’m wondering why I’ve not done it sooner! 👩‍🌾 #flowersonfriday #bloomscrolling 

Sunday 24th May 2026

Double #SundayYellow with Iris pseudacorus growing in the pond💛 & Helophilus pendulus, otherwise known as ‘The Footballer’ with its striped shirt 🐝 It’s lava live in shallow water 💦 #hoverflies #wildlife 

Another hot day today! Enjoy your #bankholiday

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I hope everyone’s able to enjoy the super weather ☀️🌿

Hot sunshine on a bank holiday, who’d believe it! 🌿🩷☀️💜☀️🧡🌿

 #sevenonsunday #bloomscrolling 

Happy gardening.