Garden party

This week I gave a garden party to raise funds for breast cancer research. I had breast cancer surgery last autumn and have received exellent ongoing care since then. Neighbours and friends that we have made since moving to Bournemouth came, ate cake, played games, bought plants from my plant stall and made up limericks for the limerick competition. I set out various small tables around the garden so that people could wander about and mingle. There is always plenty of shade in my garden, something I usually moan about but in the present weather an absolute godsend.

Food was on a table in the cool of the house so that people could wander in and out to refill their plates

and take a look at the plant stall as they walked past.

Thanks to everyone's generousity I raised £400 for breast cancer research!

Scarecrows

It is a sociable weekend at the allotment with a produce display and competition, a scarecrow competition and a barbeque. It was another hot day and the allotment site is large so we didn't walk round the whole area. You will see from the photos how parched the ground is.It is hand watering throughout the allotments but some plots are near to the water points. Unfortunately my plot is not! This gentleman standing by his rhubarb patch was my favourite scarecrow. he had been very carefully put together and the message was good humoured; holding his allotment growing for dummies book and a bucket with slug food. I went to have a closer look at him and saw that his head had been constructed from papier mâché.

Not everyone was too bothered about whether their scarecrow had a head! We are all having enough problems keeping plants alive to sacrifice a pumpkin for a head.

Scarecrows of all shapes and sizes, from little girl ones to this impressive large crow.

Then it was time to join this little girl, suitably dressed in a glittery sunflower design, here with her grandad, and eat a beefburger and salad - and a delicious slice of pineapple cake!