Simple things

Me too, absent. I've just been round the garden looking at my foxgloves, which seem to have a bumble bee in every little flower cup. All my strawberries are growing like mad, and the rhubarb is ready for more picking. The warmth of the sun is lovely - pity we haven't had much yet, but I'm enjoying it for now.

A nice row of washing pegged out and the flower pots tidied up and watered just a few more plants needed to fill some spaces where I have l ost some after the weather last week so all in all a very nice day,simples!!!

Albertine rose over the shed - which suffered awful blackspot last year - is just coming into flower and looks perfect. And a lovely perfume!

Likewise. Washing out, gardening later.

Lovely day yesterday, reunion with old friends from many years ago then dinner with DS3 and Fiancee.

Enjoying so many simple pleasures since retirement like sitting in bed with coffee and chatting with DH in the mornings. Not having to watch the time. Being able to do things on impulse. Having time for people. Wearing sloppy clothes around the house with no makeup. I could go on ad nauseum!

jamjam I've got a lovely Albertine climbing along my trellis - its lovely creamy pink flowers are gorgeous today, and it's covered in rosebuds, too. Smells gorgeous after the rain when the sun warms it up

I've just filled a large jar with clean water. My paintbox is open. Pepper's newly started portrait is ready for phase two. The sun is flooding through the window. The garden looks lovely. Mr soop is playing the piano.

What a lovely image soop and to have piano music in the background. Bliss! X

No rose more beautiful.
I am a wimp though and have planted the more repeat flowering, and more disease resistant (mostly) David Austens. Which are coming out beautifully despite the weather. Have a gorgeous pot of them on my table here.

Oh frabjous day! Just heard from our solicitor that we may be able to exchange on our house sale and purchase this week - at last things are moving! The sun is shining, the news is good and I am feeling happy! Everything is looking lush and verdant and beautiful in the garden after all the gallons of rainfall - I think we shall have, or our house buyers' will yet have some lovely flowers to enjoy this summer.

Gagagran Good news needs to be celebrated.

gagagran great news.

The simple things in life can't be beaten, nor can an abundant Albertine rose. This is a great thread absent

Albertine buds are the most gorgeous colour. My son bought me a huge bouquet of cottage garden flowers for my birthday last week, and the peonies are enormous pink cabbages now. I can't stop looking at them

What a difference the sun makes! We have been able to check on the garden, and it is so lovely to see the flowers doing their best after what has been a particularly nasty spell of weather. The garage is finally drying out after being flooded, although that has meant we have had to have a good clear out, so something good has come of it. The washing is dry (ironing!) and we are promised another fine day tomorrow - perhaps I will sit in the garden and enjoy my hard work today. I won't need any persuading.

Alison I can really identify with the sitting in bed drinking coffee bit! We used to get up at about 5.15 and be on the road by 6.00. So now, 7.30 in bed, listening to the vague sounds of commuters en route, is a true simple pleasure.

I think I've waited all my life for tea in bed every morning. My two Jack Russells join in hoping for a rich tea biscuit. Our Albertine rose which needed a severe pruning last year is looking great as does Gloire de Dijon (which was my Nan's favourite rose. If the weather is dry and sunny again tomorrow I plan to make an early start with the weeding. The lawn looks lovely and green this year thanks to all the rain but mowing it is not MY job

The sound of the blackbirds,and the family of beautiful goldfinches,nesting in our hedge,my chickens running to greet me when I go to them,and my two rabbits running around the garden with them,my beautiful black Labrador,greeting me when I come home with a huge smile on her face pleased to see me,and her absolute trust in me,the smell of the garden after the rain blisssunshine

Watching the two squirrels which frequent our garden chasing each other - one of them ran up the ladder OH had left leaning on the hedge today! Listening to all the birdsong and watching the baby blue tits learning to peck the nuts out of the feeder - spring seems to have come late this year, but it's always wonderful!

The creamy blossom and heady scent of the golden philadelphus; the vivid red of the oriental poppies and the profusion of the perennial white geranium with delicate red veins on the petals. And the fresh-air smell of towels washed and line-dried in the .

Ahh! My simple pleasure is gleaning your 'rose' and plant comments and noting them all down..my garden is currently a blank canvas with only a very few odd shrubs, mostly pyracantha, dotted about. My pleasure is looking at plants and planning a scheme that will encourage birds (to add to the very noisy sparrows) & wildlife & provide scent and colour for as much of the year as possible. I have a small veg plot and my pleasure to day was watching DGS1 picking the first 3 strawberries!

AHHHH ......................strawberries from the garden!

The pleasure of gardens seems to be running through this topic. I planted 60 bargain bedding plants yesterday and sighed with pleasure when I looked out of my bedroom window at the neat and tidy,pretty garden.

Postman Pete delivered news of a dear friend. Rory, the feral cat, has eaten two decent breakfasts and is now rolling over and over on the warm paving stones [just like a kitten!] made me

Soop