The loveliest things

I’m so pleased to see them back.  The tree is pretty well covered, and I hope will do well this year.  I don’t say it out loud, but I nearly cut it down in the autumn.  Instead I reduced it to about half, and gave it lots of good stuff in the soil, and it seems to have forgiven me.  The apples - when they’re ok - are completely delicious - Cox’s Orange Sunset. Fingers crossed. 
I went a bit mad at the garden centre.  It was sunny, and every single plant for sale was gorgeous and would look wonderful in my tiny garden. I did buy a clematis for the new trellis, courgette and pea seeds for the allotment. And several things for the border - penstemon, achillea, centaurea, tall red lobelia, oh and some black-eyed Susan for the rest of the trellis. Who could resist. It’s quite odd buying and planting plants in flower, my dad would not approve.  I suppose it’s from garden instant makeover shows, people want things instantly. People were buying huge rhododendron and azalea at the peak of their flowering. I’m sure they’d have been happier being planted in the autumn. Not important, I suppose:) 
Regarding the welfare of all these new plants, I’m going to have to up my game with slugs.  I fear they’ve got the upper hand in these rainy times.  I don’t use slug pellets - so it’ll be beer, upturned orange halves and general observation. Anyone got good ideas?