We are back to the boring cloud cast days. It rained during the night and now the rain is still hanging around waiting to pounce again. It does not bother me so much. It is time that the garden got wet again, although I spray it every morning, but now things are beginning to grow and I am using my herb bed regularly.

Now and again I get a fresh pot of something that I need.I got some parsley in the store as I like to garnish some vegetables with it, especially carrots which give it a more intensive taste and of course boiled potatoes, especially if I serve them with fish. You can also see some sage here and chives and at the corner, still quite small, is a bed of origano, not to mention the thyme on the left front.

At the other end of the bed I have two sorts of rosemary, one variety flowering at the moment. In between I have some basil and savoury which I like to use when the fresh beans are in season. It is quite an adventure for me when I am cooking to see what would be ready to use. It makes it easier for me to cut the herbs as they are all growing in one of my raised beds.

I replenished the bird food with two hanging pods from the store and this is such a hit that they devoured more than the half in one day. Today there is a remainder still hanging and I have now decided enough it enough. At this rate they will cost me a fortune in food and summer is not bird feeding time. I just cannot resist taking photos of their action flights, but enough is enough. It is really time for them to begin to dig for worms and other fleshy insects. The vegetarian days of seeds are now finished.

I decided it was also time to get a few new orchids. They grow exceptionally well in summer outside and I lost a few during the Winter. I noticed a site on Facebook in Switzerland that sell orchids at a reasonable price. They have an offer of three orchids together for a good price and I decided to order yesterday. It is a long established company and there were a few good critics from customers on their web site. The orchids are delivered by DHL so they should arrive in good condition. I had such success last year with my orchids and all of them re-flowered, some for the second time. I still have 3 orchids which are producing new stems. Last year they spent the Winter in my spare room that I use as an office, but next Winter I will keep them in the living room opposite the large window.

Today is again the day of fresh bed linen etc. so I was busy already this morning stripping the beds to let them air out. I have already covered the duvet and cushions with fresh covers and the rest will follow later.

I will now move on to completing the bed revival and other daily chores. There will also be a spaghetti meal to cook for lunch. Keep well everyone, and keep safe. Do not forget, our blogs rely on us to be written.