Today’s guest picture comes from Dropscone who had occasion to be in Kent recently and took this picture of Hever Castle just to show that there are castles there too.
We chose the right day to leave North Berwick as it was either raining or just going to rain as we packed up and left after breakfast. Matilda went back to Edinburgh to a packed social day of dancing and parties so I expect that she will sleep well tonight.
We had really enjoyed our holiday with her and her parents.
We pottered home cross country in our newly repaired car, hoping that it would last the distance. In spite f passing through a torrential downpour near Selkirk, the car lasted the distance and we arrived back in time for lunch. It was raining lightly but that didn’t discourage us from having a quick look round the garden to see how things had gone during our absence.
The lawn wrecking crew had been hard at work.
You would think that there must come a time when there are no more insects to peck down there.
The rhododendrons and azaleas are coming into their time…
…and several azaleas which Mrs Tootlepedal moved late last year seem to have survived the ordeal very well.
The path along the back of the garden is looking very promising.
The rain let up a little in the afternoon so I went out and did a lot of tulip deadheading. Most of the tulips looked a bit like this…
…but in sheltered places, the later tulips were still looking good.
There is no shortage of replacements for the tulips.
The first of the geraniums were ignoring the rain.
There is a regiment of alliums ready to burst into action and the advance party is out.
The clematis over the back door is looking very healthy after the mild winter.
Sweet rocket….
…and cow parsley…
…add a little wild flower touch to the back path.
In the vegetable garden, the gooseberries and strawberries will soon need protecting from hungry birds and the Christmas tree has survived being dug up, sat inside and then replanted and should be bigger and better when required next winter.
The pulsatillas have finished flowering but are still very decorative, especially on a damp and soggy day like today.
Altogether, it was a good welcome home.
There has been some small bird disease about so I am not putting any seed in the seed feeders for a while so the flying bird of the day will have to make way for a flower of the day for the next week or so unless I get a lucky shot of a passing starling.
Tootlepedal's Blog 
Enjoyed the cavalcade of flowers from your garden.
If you are anything like me, there is nothing that quite compares with the feeling of coming home. Oddly, my favorite photos were of the de-petaled tulip and the new growth on the Christmas tree. Who needs pretty petals? A shame about your bird disease. Is it the same problem that shut down your feeders last year?
Yes, trichomonosis.
The garden has been busy while you were away 🙂
Benign neglect.
Yours is the first clematis I’ve seen this spring. It looks to be doing well.
Amazing that the birds are finding so many insects on that lawn, but good for them for doing so.
It is saving me having to get the scarifier out again even if it leaves things looking a little tatty.
I dug up and replanted our purple clematis, and I don’t think it will bloom this year. I am hoping it likes its new location better. Direct sun is too hot here in summer for some things.
Mrs. T’s garden was indeed a nice, colorful welcome home! Boy, the wrecking crew really did a number on that lawn.
They must be getting a feast of something.
Lovely back path, pulsatilla, and other flowers. Now that you are home, I can catch up with an inundation of comments 😉
Such colour!
A little rain hadn’t done any harm.
Thoroughly enjoyed your’e holiday in NB.60 years ago we spent many holidays there, my uncle had the hardware store in the High street which is still open. lovely memories. We partook in the same activities, the Bass rock, the Law etc. I loved the putting greens on the East links.
It was a bit chilly for putting and the flags hadn’t been put out so we didn’t get a go at that..
Fine picture of Hever Caste.
Glad you found the garden in such good order and full of so many bright colours after your week away.
Home sweet home! The garden gave you a lovely welcome back after your lovely holiday.
It had done very well and held lots of new delights so we were pleased.
Sorry to hear another bird disease is passing through your area.
The gardens are looking lovely, and your jackdaw crew has been hard at work.
They are beginning to annoy me! Enough is enough.