Peony.

 A tutu of frothy pink petals....my beautiful Peony. She has quite outdone herself this year, having around ten blooms.

This morning the wind was so strong that I had to cut some of the heads off, as they were being blown every way. The perfume is delicate and lovely.

June is a wonderful month in the garden.

A corner.

 Tucked away behind the greenhouse is a little corner that is not for show. It's a place where old plantpots hide, and weeds thrive.

But there is something very sweet about this corner. Foxgloves have risen from nowhere. Ivy clambers up the old wooden fence. There are Campions and Herb Roberts, lovely wild flowers.

Even a messy little corner can give pleasure.

Just the right moment.

 There has been great activity to and from this little Blue-tit box this week. I was sure the parents were trying to persuade the little ones that it was time to fly.

This morning, as I stood by the window, a little head looked out of the box. Took one look at the world and promptly went back in.

Mother bird was enthusiastically perched by the box flapping her wings...'This is how you do it '...I'm sure I heard her say.

Little head appeared again.

 No thank you. Not coming out.

Finally, after repeated attempt by both parent birds to encourage, the little head leaned out a bit further, and took a leap. It wobbled its way onto a branch and I'm sure I could hear the parents cheering. For a few minutes it sat there, then went to sit on a branch right by the box where it felt safe.

A little later the whole process began again with a second baby who was definitely a stay at home bird. Much flapping of wings from parents and sibling, and at last Baby 2 came out, flopped its way onto the clothes line and sat there looking bemused. They all found their way into the apple tree, and our Robin came by as if to say 'Well done!'

What a joy to be there just at those moments.

(Looking very carefully at the photo you can just see the shadow of a little head in the box.)