May warms up to 31c

Yes it was 31c here in the 11th May, now 31c is not very good for the new flowers that have just been planted out so we have been monitoring everything and it seems OK. For 2015 the cottage has received a facelift in the form of new lime based rendering and new stone around the main entrance door. In addition Maureen has been splashing out on new colour matched tubs for all her new plants. 

Les Deux Platanes with new powder blue flower tubs and of course the new rendering for 2015

The cottage lawn has responded to its spring feed with a nice deep green colour

Other parts of the cottage garden are starting to bloom

A variety of spring colours in the border

Maureen insisted I included this for the colour

We have however had other visitors to our own private garden, Poppy our 9 year old Labrador was not amused.

What is this jumping animal she wonders!

After 10 years of mixing my very inexpensive cement mixer is starting to feel the strain. The bearing on the main drum is very worn, so much that the gears often fail to meet and the drum stops turning. However I have come up with a temporary fix, using a base from my tower scaffold, a long bolt and a plastic wheel.

The low cost modification - engineers be impressed!

This wheel prevents the drum from moving and the gears engage all the time, so the old thing is working again.

So that's it for now.