Snowballs in May!

Memories from my childhood are teaming with times spent in my Grandparent's beautiful garden; when the sun always shone during 'proper' summers, their greenest of grass was the most manicured of lawns that I think I had ever seen, and the glorious flowers that tumbled from the borders would attract hundreds of colourful butterflies and bumble bees that filled the air with their hum. 

At the far end of their garden was the most beautiful ornamental shrub, that when I think back, seemed to tower above me as a young child, but was softened by the mass of snowball like flowers that smothered its branches.
So, when my friend Debbie asked me what I would like for my Birthday, I decided I'd like to plant one of these snowball flowering trees, to remind me of my Grandma's lovely garden...Unfortunately, after describing it to Debs, neither of us were sure what it was called. (Rather than buying the wrong thing, she bought me something else instead.)

Then, quite by chance, look what arrived at my shop this morning! - Actually, just when I felt the need for a friendly face today, in walked Jill with this beautiful bouquet...Of course my first question was 'how did you know?...And then, 'what is it called?!'
So, a Viburnum Opulus is on my shopping list - and is what I shall be spending my Birthday money on! 

Flowers really do lift my heart and time spent in my garden is precious. So after driving home this evening, I did a quick tour of our little plot! 

I think one of the other reasons why I love the Viburnum so much, is its similarity to one of my favourite's at this time of year, the lilacs. I say 'this time of year' - It does seem that the constant rain and cooler weather we've had to endure over the past few months (during the serious drought that we are told is gripping the country!), that everything in the garden is a little behind. It was last April that the lilacs were looking their best, not mid-May. 

The Wisteria is still a little reluctant to flower too...

But the auriculars are just perfect right now.

 

It was last June that hubby and future son-in-law cleared the way for a new path to go down in our rear garden...We finally had to admit defeat on the 'time' front and so paid a friend of ours to lay the new path and to build some new drystone walls for us...And a lovely job he did too! 

Its freed up time for us to work on other areas of the garden now :) 

Here's the newest border that I created last year...Which has come on  in leaps and bounds...Lots of flowers to come over the summer months...

So much promise...Even on a rather overcast Friday! 

With so much to lift the spirits already... 

Have a lovely weekend...Hopefully with some sunshine...
and no rain!! 
Niki x