A voyage around my garden

The view from

my bedroom french windows

Not big but big enough to create an oasis. It appeared to be landscaped, the whole garden is divided into three sections. The first is a hideous patio that needs relaying, the second is what you see. The third section is what should be a vegetable patch but in fact is a wilderness. I would like to create a meadow at some point but I keep forgetting to buy the seeds

The arch is a bit flimsy, but the wisteria is budding nicely. The area in front is the pond, how those poor frogs survived the cold winter I do not know.

The garden has two of these rather incongruous trees. Far too exotic they shed badly but what can you do?

Both my neighbours have wonderful white camellias, I left one at my previous house. What do I get? A Blackpool landlady of a camellia. A blousy red, I do not like it at all

I do not know what this is but it is the most beautiful buttery yellow and has wonderful fragile leaves.

I also love the fragility of this maple. It is small but looks wonderful when the new leaves unfurl.

A wonderful laurel

This is in my pond and appears to have flowered quite early

If you stare hard you should see my beloved tadpoles, they are slightly manic at the moment.

Another mystery, I think this is a very small flowering clematis it has wrapped itself around a tree along with a honey suckle. Yesterday it was covered in delicate white flowers, but sadly the torrential rain overnight left me with just these two.

Violets are like a visit from royalty, one of my favourite flowers.

My lilac is flowering so early it has come out at the same time as the forsythia. It should coincide with my laburnum but it does not look like this will happen this year.

My peony is a stunning white. As the buds grow and burst open I can guarantee it will rain.

I have had this bay tree for years languishing in a pot, I planted it last year and I have been rewarded with a show of wonderful flowers.

My wonderful french windows

If you look very hard through the dining room French windows you may see a rare sighting of the 'Daisy Bird' revising in her pyjamas!

Every year as my impending break from Emin and Leyla looms I plan lots of things I would like to do but can't. 

• I would like to spend the day in Chichester and visit Pallant House. 
  
• I would like to walk along the river to Chiswick and visit Hogarth's House. 
  
• I would like to walk across Hampstead Heath. 
  
• I would like to explore the City and visit the Museum of London.

25 years living in London and there is still so much I want to do. Which has to be a good thing as the old adage goes "he who is tired of London is tired of life" Trite but true.

Instead I have done none of those things, because the house is so calm I have elected to be a housewife for the week. Cupboards have been tidied, the garden is clipped, shelves wiped, pictures hung, 10 black sacks filled and puzzles and games sent to the charity shop. 

Sometimes just living is good enough.

All bar the first image were taken on my Pentax using my Macro lens