The new plantation

We are reorganising parts of the garden. This was a raised bed that we took apart as the wood surrounding had rotted.

Yesterday, against my better judgement, I was the only visitor to a small independent garden nursery. Their plants were very colourful and healthy looking and I was tempted to buy a few plants.

This afternoon I potted up the plants and placed them in the new bed. I was in the middle of doing this when the thunder and lightning began. And then down came the rain. I couldn't have got more soaked but there were jobs to be done.

Earlier today I had erected "shades " in the chicken field as the hens were panting in the heat. I used towels and swathes of fabric attached to trees to create shady spots. After the rain the shades were soaked with the rainwater.

The little toad that appeared when I was digging out the soil of the refurbished bed, reappeared today and stayed in situ while I placed the new pots .

Hopefully the new plants will survive now that we are having cooler weather and rain.