A half-finished corner

A day spent digging, until the weather came in, at least. Doesn't look at all spectacular, and the lawn is a little worse-for-wear (since it's had half a tonne of soil and rocks on it for the past six months), but very happy to have that little white cherry tree (centre) in place at last.

For those playing at home, that assortment of twigs and trees from left to right is (not including the trees right along the fence): the grafted weeping mulberry, dwarf white cherry, thornless lemon (at back), my beloved Moorpark apricot (largest), and the dwarf black cherry (far right).

Underneath so far, and so small most are almost invisible, are a couple of volunteer broad beans, three Salvia leucantha, two Penstemons (I think "blackbird" possibly, cuttings from an unknown variety in my mother-in-law's garden), one surviving peony (forget which), "Munstead Wood" David Austin rose, a prostrate caper, some Gaura from self-sown seedlings transplanted from the front garden, "Sandford" raspberry, and far too many Oxalis pes-caprae (Sour Sobs) that I just can't seem to stamp out. That seems like a lot, now that I make a list, but there is more depth to this area than appears in this 'in-progress' shot. And, let's face it, I tend to over-plant. 

From Saturday, there'll be a couple more plants in here because it's ROSES COLLECTION DAY! Wheee! 

Oops!

I've accidentally deleted the last post, a case of slipped finger on an iPad screen, and no second chances. Never mind, it wasn't a good photo in any case. I had a browse through some old posts, I really MUST start uploading some real photos again. I've been window-shopping for camera lenses too, and with my tax return weighing down my back pocket, I may have even found one to buy to replace the one pulled off the table by my orangutang-armed baby boy (expensive mistake on my part).

Meanwhile, here are two phone-camera pictures of our very first blood orange! I was worried the fruit would be sub-par; such a small tree, and in its first year in the ground I really shouldn't have let it develop, but I couldn't bear to pluck it off. It was worth it. It was perfect.

PS Next week we four are heading off to Japan for a holiday. Can't wait!

Honest backyard photo

This is our backyard. Midwinter, retaining walls still under construction with their black plastic and piles of rubble and soil, and our patchy, un-mown lawn. It has been raining so much that lawn is under over an inch of water at the moment. That will drain once the rain stops, but that will take a few days (both the raining and the draining).  Still, since a couple more rows have been added to the wall, I felt it deserved a progress shot. Also, some honesty in blogging is always good.