Kitchen views

I am so happy that I took these photos last week when summer remembered to come and visit. The views out from the house this morning are too dismal to share - grey, wet, windy and wintry. I have been tagged by Sian to share with you the views from my kitchen window. Our kitchen is at the back of our home and because we're on a hill, our garden is on a gentle slope with our kitchen sitting at the bottom of it. It is perhaps the room in the house that gets the least amount of sunshine and standing at the kitchen sink it is mainly the lower half of the garden that I can see. If you read this post here, there are some more photos too.



On days when the sun is shining and the flowers are in bloom these white painted steps that lead up to the main bit of the garden have quite a Mediterranean feel (good for those Shirley Valentine moments) and are in stark contrast to the softer planting around the lawn and trees beyond. A few weeks ago the poppies were out and their beautiful colours and petals really were a pretty sight.



To the left of the steps is a large flower bed with a wigwam waiting for the very lazy sweetpeas to bloom (have they just given up I wonder). This bed also contains tall foxgloves which a short while ago were standing majestically amongst some peonies and hellebores. Beyond this bed stands the old apple tree which is Little Sister''s favourite reading spot (thank you so much for all her birthday wishes, she had a great day) and where the cats leap up and down chasing after the squirrels.



If I could, I would love to put a window into the wall that stands next to the back door so that if I looked to the right of the sink I would look out on to our patio area. Hidden to the side of the house and below the garden is a suntrap of an area that we sit in whenever we can. My favourite part is this old brick wall that needs rendering but I love it the way it is. This would be my view of choice. I have covered the wall with an assortment of baskets and pots. The tumbling tomatoes are doing well enjoying the elusive afternoon sun, my swiss chard has miraculously survived the slugs and is thriving in some pots. My favourite plants down here are the scented leaf geraniums. Just brushing past their rose, lemon or chocolate fragrant leaves reminds me its summer.



In an old enamel tub the strawberries are waging war against the slugs (ssssh nobody tell them but I think they're fighting a losing battle).



In another corner stands an old painted table that I have placed a couple of trugs full of lobelia. Standing beside this in an old zinc container is some mint, that I use all the time for cooking. Alongside this and just out of the photo is an old chimney pot full of trailing purple busy lizzies that seem to thrive in this shady spot.



Before I forget, do you remember the post about my mini meadow? Well the campions, daisies and ragged robins have now been replaced by toadflax, I've never grown this plant before, it's very pretty.
If you would like to share your kitchen views please do. Any signs of summer sunshine would be very gratefully received.
On my kitchen windowsill I have a little collection of vintage food tins and these will have to be shoved up a bit as the lovely Julia has awarded me with this:




I love reading your blog Julia, so I'm really chuffed you should give this to me. It's now standing proudly to the left of an old tin of custard powder! To the left of an old tin of clotted cream stands this from Mrs Decker.



Thank You!! It's feeling a bit like my birthday. I won't go as far as saying that it doesn't really matter that the sun isn't shining, cos it does matter and that would be fibbing, but I would say that all your kind words and gestures make such a difference to me, thanks. Did you hear that thud? It was the sound of the awards being passed on through the ether and landing on all your kitchen windowsills too (wouldn't it be great to have a blogging tardis so that we could just pop into to say hello to each other? I don't want to get sidetracked but did you see Saturday"s edition of Dr Who? It was fab!). Now you must all go off in search of summer and if you find it please send it back over here to say hello. Have a good few days
xxx