Thank you for all the lovely birthday messages yesterday. I felt like Queen for the day! Today was another glorious day so I took some time out to spend in the garden. I potted up some Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.
I am looking forward to using the herbs using Karon's book for guidance.
I saw this unusual ladybird on the blueberry bush. Not often that you see a black ladybird with red spots!
I then noticed the more usual red ladybird with black spots nestling in last years hanging basket.
The Victoria plum tree is in blossom. I look forward to many plums!
I finally potted up some Primulas that I had neglected in their tiny shop bought containers. Hopefully they will thrive in their new containers until I decide where to put them in the garden.
The Pieris is blooming beautifully. The bees love it so much.
Here is a close up of the delicate flowers.
After all that pottering I need a slice of home made birthday cake, filled with butter cream and home made lemon curd, topped with a crunchy lemon drizzle icing. I think I need to get digging in the garden tomorrow to work off all those extra calories. I hope the sun shines for you all this weekend.
What a stunning cake you baked for your Birthday Simone! So fluffy, puffy, yummy, delicious...I could go on for hours...
ReplyDeleteHerbs are such a pretty addition to the garden, and very useful too!
Have a great weekend!
xxx
I saw some ladybirds today, just the usual rea ones though.
ReplyDeleteYummy cake
Julie xxxxxxxx
Yummy looking cake! Have a lovely weekend! Abby x
ReplyDeleteOoh now thats not fair!
ReplyDeleteLulling us in with your oudoorsyness and then wham big fat cake!
Bet it was lush!
Clare
That cake looks delicious! I've neglected to plant some shop bought primulas too. they'll be dead after all this lovely sunshine! Oops!
ReplyDeletexxx
Oh how lovely! We need to buy some more rosemary and sage as ours didn't survive the relocation last year, unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteThe ladybirds are gorgeous... in our previous house we had infestations of them in all our windows and doors... used to freak Tim out that many in one area, especially as we had the red spots on black variety which he had not really seen before.
Oooh your birthday cake does look delicious! :)
ReplyDeleteThat is a very unusual ladybird, I have never seen one like that before, it's really beautiful!
The plum blossom is very pretty too.
Have a lovely weekend Simone!
Vivienne x
Lovely sunny garden pictures! I'm so glad you had a sunny happy birthday, and a deeeelicious cake too! Have a wonderful weekend!
ReplyDeleteHelen x
Oh my I love the look of your cake, bet it tasted just delish-i-o-so!
ReplyDeleteLisa x
Your cake looks delicious. You have been busy in the garden; we have had to buy a new rosemary as our old one died in the bad weather. Only the chives survived. Glad you had such a lovely, sunny birthday - have a great weekend:)xx
ReplyDeleteBeautiful flowers - nothing like that around here!!
ReplyDeleteLadybugs, as we call them, are good luck, and I'll bet that black one brings extra good luck!! Lastly, Simone,
I would happily have flown over to celebrate your birthday if only to taste a piece of that gorgeous cake!!
Loved seeing all the comments you got!
Have a lovely weekend!
Judy xxx
Friday Cake Bake! I'm hoping to get the wholly unimpressive shamrock cake up tonight! Do you know, we rarely see one ladybird in these parts, let alone two!
ReplyDeletewe often see the black/ red ladybirds up here --- if you google it there is loads of info
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely day in the garden and the sunshine has brought out the flowers too, love the look at your cake, looks VERY yummy!
ReplyDeletelove
Lyn
xxx
I love your little herb garden and all your flowers - beautiful, and such a sign of Spring, hurray! Glad you had a lovely Birthday and that cake looks completely yummy.. have a lovely weekend! Sarah x
ReplyDeleteLemon, my personal favorite! Hope it tasted as scrumptious as it looked. (Judy, I would have gladly booked a seat next to you.)
ReplyDeleteI like the English name ladybird so much better than the American ladybug. We had an infestation of Asian lady beetles that look much like ladybugs and I would have felt less "bugged" by them if I could have thought of them as ladybirds. So happy the unusual black with red spots showed herself.
Do you know the Latin name for the flowers you show on this post? They look oddly familiar but I can't quite place them...
happy weekend all!
Happy, happy birthday Simone. Hope you enjoyed every minute. Our Victoria plum is flowering for the first time and I am so excited! Have a great weekend x
ReplyDeleteLucky you having Victoria plums. I love those. The blossom is so pretty, and a nice photo too. That cake is amazing. You're one mean baker Simone. Your black ladybird is of the Harlequin variety, and is not a native species. I've seen one or two in my garden over the years. x
ReplyDeleteI think the black and red ladybird is a Harlequin and might pose a threat to our native ladybirds. You can find out more here - http://www.harlequin-survey.org/
ReplyDeleteGorgeous shots of your flowers.
ReplyDelete