Cloudy And Carnival Music

 I went to town today to buy some bird food.I came back with some second hand Cd's (Cuban cafe beats, and Latino Carnival music, inspired by the upcoming World cup in Brazil), some new shoes for work, a Yorkshire Life magazine, and some Swiss Chard seeds for the allotment. It never rained as much as the weather predicted.
 The Rhododendron Purple Splendour is in flower. Its two companion Rhodie's have died. This one likes the thin poor builders soil, under the shade of a Japanese Maple. It is Liberally covered in flowers.

 Gorgeous petals show raspberry jam splattered patterns. They are lovely flowers.

 A Welsh Poppy has self seeded in the gravel drive. I love the cheery colours of these hardy annuals. I love the unexpected pleasure of finding them in a new area where you did not expect them.

 The Strawberry Bed is festooned in white flowers. This will be dug up at the end of the year and new Strawberry plants bought. Last year was a poor Harvest. At best this was giving a kilo of Strawberries a week in the growing season. It was much less last year. Strawberry plants have a growing season of five years before their productivity drops.

 Growing under the window is a Dalmatian series Foxglove. I planted them last year and they have been growing over the warm winter. I have a fondness for this cottage garden stalwart plant.

 The Geum Mrs Bradshaw growing under the Blue flowers of the Ceanothus. I love the contrast between hot and cool colours.

Love the Red and Golden Stamen. This plant in flower always reminds me of the Spanish flag.

 I love French Marigolds. They are fiery, bold, and brash. They are strongly scented if you knock past them. They are beloved in India. I bought two trays for £3.50 at Hampson's. They are now illuminating the garden.

 The Geranium flowers year after year. There are not as many this year but the colour is an amazing electric blue or violet colour. The Bees love it.

 I tried to get some White Petunias for the baskets at Hampson's. They had used all the Whites in their expensive baskets. Remind me next year to buy lots of White Petunia plug plants. They can contrast nicely with lots of different colours.
 I ended up with White with yellow stripes and centre. I got White and Blue Lobelia to contrast with it in the baskets.I ended up with one Blue Petunia too (maybe somebody swapped a Blue for a White/yellow one).
  The moral of the story is be more organised.I'm quite haphazard in going to the garden centres late when everyone else had picked the best plants. I got leftovers.

 This garden keeps providing me with volunteer plants that appear in the many pots. Either the birds or the wind dropped this pretty purple flower.
 I left it to flower and it formed lovely seed heads. Translucent green ovals with the seeds visible through the green. I think it is Purple Honesty. I need to save the seed heads. I loved this plants vibrant flowers.
  The Woodpecker was back in the garden again today. As I got the camera turned on he flew off.I will keep trying to photograph him. In 5 years i have seen the Woodpecker a handful of times. He is beautiful but very skittish.
  I'm back at work tomorrow for two long days.I need to get to the allotment to sow my seeds.The plants are big enough now here to go into open ground.