Pergola Licks And Promises

 Hello my lovelies!

It’s that time of year when the outdoor structures and furniture are getting a lick and a promise as I focus more on plantings in the big garden the gardeners have rediscovered for me. 

What a difference a few weeks makes in nature. 

The old grapevine is showing signs of life.  Phew!  I did cut it back rather hard earlier in the year and it’s always an anxious time waiting for signs of life after I’ve scalped it. 

(Please excuse the patio mayhem and TP’s bottom - all works in progress!)

Just a month ago the pergola was devoid of any signs of life.

And now the pergola is brimming with life and joy. 

The wisteria and clematis are great buddies.

Living in perfect harmony together. 

I’m itching to tidy up the pergola area but it’s an out of bounds for me right now, whilst TP spruces up woodwork with a new coat of stain as the wood is looking rather tired.  In fact the whole area needs a lick and a promise, the flooring, the furniture, the mangled vines. 

He’s going to have to paint around the clusters!

But it’s quick fix to tide us over for a few years. 

I’ll post pics when the area has been licked beyond recognition!

And until then, nature is flowering things up nicely to take my eye away from the scruffy garden furniture and dangerously rotten decking. 

This 20 year old scruffy picnic table will be reincarnated as a utility table.  I only throw things away when they cannot serve any imaginable purpose. Are you the same?

And the decking in this area is so rotten that I daren’t climb on a step ladder to cut back the mess of clematis and wisteria on the struts above. 

The decking will be replaced with slabs when the garden firm can find a slot to put down a new patio at Chez Pout.  I guess I’ll have to work with what I have for a few months until then.  Give the whole area a lick and a promise.  But I’m happy with that.  My creative juices positively gush at the challenge of making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, in the garden, the house, and the most challenging sow’s ear - ME!

We work with what we’ve got eh. 

Is that  generational thing?

Right ladies, let’s hear how your outside space is doing.

Does it need b lots of attention, like mine?

Or are you totally on top of things, with well maintained hard structures and organized plantings?

I’d love I’m to hear. 

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A la perchoine,

Mary x