summer bedding & other plants

So far so good, is today's motto. Perhaps l should 'touch wood' just to make sure? It's a bit like walking uphill through treacle at the moment, you're almost at the top then you start slipping about a bit.

Today's batch of ice cream was strawberry sensation, which is really a bog standard strawberry ice cream, with added beetroot colour to make it a pale pink. Yes you have read correctly, beetroot. When we started out our strawberry was au naturelle, it looked really very unappetising, a greyish pink in fact, so we had to add a natural colour to make it more acceptable to the general public. Personally l don't do strawberry ice cream, but a lot of people do. We do a 'little moo' for kids & little girls, usually wearing pink, always ask for pink ice cream, with pink sauce & a pink umbrella!

We've had another warm day, that makes 2 on the trot, can't last surely? This weather brings more customers, so the past couple of days have been busy, again mostly the 'grey brigade' presumably going out & about before the holiday rush. Loads of new visitors as well which is always good news and most taking advantage of the weather by sitting outdoors.

l have raised herb beds surrounding the terrace area which is interspersed with a few choice pot plants. l don't really do hanging baskets or bedding plants, the only concession is the old stone trough which l have just planted up with brightly coloured red & hot pink [well that's what the labels say] pelagoniums, petunias & trailing pelagoniums, there is another but l've forgotten what it is. Last year l got completely behind on the outside bit, but this year l seem to have a bit more time & have finally got round to rehouse the pot bound plants into new, bigger homes. Because this area is a sun trap my specimen plants are Mediterranean species, the new pot on the block for this year is an oleander, red, very toxic! l like it!