It’s been a bit emotional in the Dove garden this week – in a good way though. POD’s belated birthday present arrived. With help from family we got her a playhouse on legs with steps on one side and a slide on the other. It also has a swing. She was two on Christmas Day so we postponed giving it to her until now. It stands where our beloved willow tree used to be and POD loves it.
We made the decision to rip up some decking at the weekend. We have three decked areas – one of which is lethal when it’s wet. I slipped and broke both my wrist bones on it 18 months ago. Having had surgery for the second time a few weeks ago, I was pleased to see it demolished. We were hoping to discover Victorian gems beneath the decking but it wasn’t to be.
Over the coming weeks we’ll pave or gravel the area. It’s shady and just outside the back door so ideal for breakfast when it’s warm.
It’s been a funny week weather wise as you’ll see from the slideshow. The glorious sunshine resulted in POD sitting outside and painting her feet green while The POD Father coated her new house with Cuprinol. When the heavens opened, POD paid a fleeting visit to her house and I took some photographs.
The Fuchsia has taken a bit of a battering recently as POD keeps popping the unopened buds. I have to admit I did the same when I was younger. The temptation is too great – a bit like sticking your finger in a Venus Fly 
Trap or squeezing bubble wrap.
The pot plants are coming along nicely and I hope the Iris will flower this year. Buds are appearing in the other pot plants and the daisies are looking perkier than they did.
Around the garden the Rhododendron is looking glorious and our bay tree is sprouting. I even spotted a snail on an unnamed shrub when it was wet. The Magnolia tree is showing signs of life as is the Acer. A pile of logs at the bottom of the garden has been invaded by Goose Grass, and a few tree branches with Ivy, so there’s some work to do.
Out front we now have a hanging basket of Petunia’s which has added some much needed colour. You can’t see much of the front garden as we’re the corner plot of an L-shaped road. The green we overlook was used by a resident’s theatrical group the other day. That’s something we never saw when we lived in South London!
We’re linking this post up with How does your garden grow? over at Mammasaurus. If you have a garden post to share, click on the badge below.
lucky daughter to have her own little house she will be having tea parties in there before you know it. love the upside down shades.
She’s loving the house Helen. She has a wooden kitchen set in there and likes feeding the dollies plastic onion! Upside down shades are the norm 🙂
lovely 🙂 sorry to hear about your nasty slip and subsequent surgeries – how horrible 🙁
Your garden’s looking great. Love the pic of the little one with her upside down shades! Your photo of the Fuschia has made me reconsider one – it is rather beautiful.
Thanks Heather, very kind of you. POD loves wearing her sunnies upside down, she does most of the time! The Fuchsia is gorgeous, I’d definitely get one – they grow quite big as well I think 🙂
so that’s how you did your wrist in! Mr J wants decking but I know too how slippery it can be so I’ve been ignoring him & changing the subject everytime it comes up in conversation, you only have to talk about the weather & he’s off, works every time!
I love the kiddy house, must get TC one sorted if the weather ever stops being rubbish, heatwave tomorrow *allegedly* 🙂
It was a spectacular break – on the point of rotation. I guess if you’re going to break something you should do it properly! This decking is quick old but if you get it I’d get it treated on a regular basis. We did after I broke my wrist but it was still lethal in the wet. It does look nice though! POD is loving her house 🙂
Glad to hear you smashed tat decking up – that must have been one nasty fall, and so glad you are on the mend now. The weather this week has been utterly pants – especially Tuesday. Love the picture of POD in those shades! X.
I was pleased to see it go I have to be honest! Hopefully this will be the last op, I am back touch typing again which is amazing! The week started so well didn’t it – gorgeous sunshine! POD loves wearing her sunnies upside down 🙂
Love pods shades! And I have to agree with her about popping fuchsia buds, it is very satisfying, it also works with morning glory flowers (and bubble wrap). We had a rhyme we would say as we did it; “Grandfather, Grandfather, pop out of bed”
Thank you – she loves them being upside down! The popping is so tempting isn’t it, I’ll have to have a look at morning glory flowers. The rhyme is brilliant 🙂
Wow, you’ve had a busy and productive week.
Wonderful photos.
Thank you – it’s been quite constructive! May result in doing very little this weekend 🙂
Death to decking! Death to decking! Oh the satisfaction you must have felt. I never knew it was the decking you fell on.
I love your photos but you know I’ve got to hop off now and find a photo of PODs playhouse!
thanks for joining in again – loving the gardens this week and all the raindrops on flowers x
Thanks lovely – it was a freak accident putting the recycling out! POD’s house is awesome, I can even go in it myself although I’m not allowed! Gorgeous gardens this week 🙂
Hooray! So pleased to hear the dreaded decking is no more. Hope your arm is healing well this time so that awful fall can soon become a distant memory without the decking there to remind you – and you should be able to leave the back door without fear and trepidation!
Thank you – I’m developing an affection for the messy hole that’s left! Hopefully we can make it into a nice area now 🙂
glad you got the playhouse up. My little boy won a little wooden one for his sister late last year and we only just got that put up too (on decking though – eeek! – just a teeny tiny bit of decking though). xxx
How brilliant to win a playhouse – it sounds like its in a lovely location. The decking was really old and warping *hindsight is a wonderful thing* xx
I love fuchsia. We have some but only get a handful of flowers every year.
The photo of your daughter in her upside down sunglasses is adorable 🙂
That’s a shame you only have a handful of flowers. Mind our ours may be the same if POD keeps popping it! She loves wearing her sunglasses upside down 🙂
I’m looking for a couple of colourful shrubs for my garden and I hadn’t considered Rhododendron. I keep planting Camellias, and they keep dying, so maybe I should take the hint!
They are really pretty. Maybe you do need something else if your Camellias keep dying off 🙂
An end to the decking! Very apt! Naughty thing! I love the sound of your hanging baskets. I have wanted to do some baskets but I never seem to get around to it. Beautiful pictures as always. Rhododendrons give such a lovely splash of colour this time of year. xx
Naughty decking, so glad to see it go! We did it the easy way with the hanging basket and bought a pre-planted one. Much nicer to do your own though 🙂