Little garden of delights

Rainy old morning - lucky I got out into the front garden yesterday for a little while with dog, wheelbarrow and radio, flat battery! Have'nt been out there for a while to review colours and progress. Had been looking a bit ratty. So, so pleased the developing colour combinations and the softening of what was a very masculine space. How to soften the blaring reds of the photinias and nandinas? Usually the sunflowers, Californian poppies and nasturtiums can shout just as loudly, but with the introduction of soft creamy yellows of these easy care self spreading - potentially dominating - cottage plants the harsh reds are tempered. Delighted to see the white foxgloves have self seeded quite happily too. The pink brown of the echinaceas look spectacular with the bronzey brown reds of the flax and phormiums. All colours complementing very nicely our steely grey rendered house. Pleasing. Whilst at Lanyon on Sunday I bought 3 creamy lilies, purported to have maroony claret casings, and to grow 2m tall, from the lovely Lambley Gardens Nursery. I underplanted the Forest Pansy with some extra alliums and these lilies to further add to this pleasing scheme.

Just as an aside. Gorgeous dinner last night - vegan again. Bill Granger recipe - always reliable. Asian inspired stir fry, eggs replaced with soft tofu. Pumpkin cut into wedges stir fried with garlic and chili and tofu, topped with some garden greens and basil at the end and served with seasonings of soy sauce (or fish sauce), sugar and lime and steamed plain rice. All vegies were from the garden. Quite pleased with myself.

Preparing vegan snacks for my daughter to take on camp produced some very light egg free chocolate and banana muffins and almonds roasted in maple syrup and paprika. Nice.