Nice work if you can get it

Despite the dreary, awful, awful weather the skies finally cleared and I got to enjoy one of my favourite summer traditions yesterday even though I was working. I only discovered Open Garden days a couple of years ago but since then I've searched them out and been to as many round our way as I can get to and they're just the best fun for £3 quid I can think of!

Last weekend was our village's day to throw open the garden gates (these pictures are of Winster not my village btw. I forgot to take my camera - oops!). My lovely friend Helen and I had great plans to get around most of them but, typical for us, we got completely distracted by a chance to go up the church tower, have a go at ringing the bells (brilliant!), a delicious cream tea and then plant shopping. We don't hang about when we haven't got our pushchairs in tow! Such a special day.

Yesterday I was in the beautiful Peak District village of Winster, not far from Matlock, in the garden of one of the trustees of the charity I work for, handing out magazines and leaflets and generally promoting what we do. A's garden surrounds a wonderful old house with soaring views so it hardly felt like work at all. Not many garden pics but here's some of the village looking lovely all decked out in its summer finery.

More cream cakes followed (I think this is as much an Open Garden tradition as the plants - hurrah!) I even managed a bit of thrifting whilst I was on my break - a free hose reel. Ok not very exciting but Woody is about to break his neck on my snake of a hose by the back door so I am now very popular.

There's something so special about the sharing of gardens plants and knowledge. As a novice I really appreciate any help and advice and although I haven't got much to pass on myself yet it's lovely to share plants and disaster stories with my friends and family.

It was fascinating watching people coming and going yesterday and eaves-dropping on their plant passions. Everyone was very polite and even if there are things you wouldn't have yourself I love to see how other gardeners put colour and form together. I learnt such a lot and I've got plenty of ideas for my patch next year.

Finally it looks like the weather is perking up just as the holidays start, thank goodness. Hope everyone is basking in the sunshine.

I've got a couple of thank yous to make for two awards I've been kindly given. Thanks to Dolly Dollop who I really admire for being a breastfeeding mentor (what a brilliant thing to do) for this first one and to Schotzy in America, a prolific and very lyrical blogger with a passion for Scotland. Apologies for taking a while to post about these, life's been a bit chaotic recently and I got a bit behind myself. I've forgotten how many people I'm supposed to tag so I'm going to award both of these to these five bloggers who really make me smile! Thank you for brightening up my day!

Funky Monkey

Linen & Roses

Mollycupcakes

Periwinkle

Dragonfly