Highlights from the garden

It may be a(nother) sign of middle age, but the garden is my favourite thing about where we live.  Less than half a mile from Tower Bridge and yet it's an oasis of calm and green-ness and maybe it's because I have learnt to block out the aircraft/bus, police siren noises but I feel peace descend when I am out there.

Anyway, as part of my experimentation in finding out what will grow in the thin soil, I picked up a sad looking Peony 'Sarah Bernhardt' in the plant hospital bit of B&Q 2 years ago and I can hardly bear the excitement...it's got buds for the first time!

Here it is, my budding beauty

and this is what it should produce over the next couple of weeks

Isn't it gorgeous?  And the heavenly fragrance...sigh...

Meanwhile in other parts of my little plot, and this is particularly for the benefit of Bo Peep and friends, here is what's going on

Cistus or rock rose I believe

some self-seeded foxgloves which the bees appear to enjoy and

lots of different shades and textures of green

 

and finally some of the pots. 

I'm aware that these don't really do it justice  - either my camera or technique is lacking I suspect.