It's really beautiful here at the moment. It's not overstatedly so, just small flowers opening, some weeds, some not. The last of the cherry blossom hanging delicately on the branches of the tree, waiting for a gust of wind. Rain, the rain comes and pours, slowly seeping, deep into the roots, and feeds the thirsty.



The Fiancé found a frog in the middle of the road, and rescued it. Calling to me all the while to see him (am I the only one to call a frog beautiful?). Scillas, poppies, wallflowers alike, all vying for sunlight and attention, some flowering some waiting patiently for a nice day. How the poppies will flower this year! Their heads so large on long, slender necks.



A walk down the garden is an assault on the senses. The Blackbird, humble and true, singing his song deep into the evening twilight, terracotta pots filling with life, window boxes fill of seedlings and the occasional weed.



Leaves slowly unfurling, a wasp lazily looking for a place to call home, and a bumblebee doing the same, darting from dandelion to wallflower, to dandelion again.



The small plants that everyone overlooks, in the fields and on the heath, cow parsley, moss and nettles. Perhaps, gently stirring underground a wild orchid, tangling itself in the clover. The plantains with their small white flowers, too small to capture and these spectacular plants, as yet unnamed...



As well as all that we found ourselves at what can only be described as a plant car-boot sale. My idea of saturday morning paradise! Staffed by inveterate local growers and allotment holders, all of which had a wealth of plant knowledge, they were able to advise on what location the plants would thrive in, what colour their flowers would be, and if they themselves had grown the plant. I could see the palpable look of shock upon seeing me, presumably because I am so young (not something commonly encountered in the gardening world), they were quite surprised when, in some circumstances, I was able to tell them more about the plant than they knew!

I came away with some real treasures, two small lavender cuttings, 20p a pot(!), a lychnis or rose campion, something I didn't recognise by the latin name alone, but will be perfect in the cottage garden bed. Plants just known by their latin names, many without any further details, so it will be a complete surprise when they flower, because I know not what colour their flowers will be! I came across the prettiest shrub, upon looking at it, the lady at the stall told me its story. She had been to Tazmania and had brought back the seeds for this plant because she loved the look of it. The only name I know it by is Melaleuca squamea or 'Swamp Paperbark'. I am sure I'm one of the very few people in this part of the world to have one of these shrubs! It is pretty, and according to the lady will do well in a south-facing plot (lucky we have one!). We also found more than one gorgeous (and edible) Jerusalem artichoke, variegated lemon balm, alstromeria, an achillea 'paprika' and a lysimachia ciliata 'firecracker', which the man at the stall promised would give beautiful yellow flowers and already has a gorgeous profusion of bronze leaves.

Now, if only the weather would brighten a bit, I'd get the chance to have all of these planted before the wedding!