Showers.

It's been a day of frequent showers but of course that wasn't going to stop me from working in the garden. Not when it's getting so close to completion.

In the morning I concentrated on carrying buckets of stones up to cover the gravelled area by the pond. I don't plan to do any planting in that section of shingle though there is a small bed of montbretia (penned in by bricks), and a few other flowers alongside the pond. 

After a suitable break I began my next session by laying the final paving slabs. Not my favourite job especially when the gravel underneath is 20mm to dust. Once the last slabs were bedded in securely I had the fun job of finishing spreading the stones. I've had to leave heaps strategically placed around the edges until I get a bag of topsoil to top up the borders but at last I can see what the shingle looks like. 

Apart from the stachys (lamb's ears though my mother called it donkey's ears) by the step and two green thyme plants which I've put next to the path down by the gate I shall wait a while to begin the rest of the planting. I just had a bit of fun putting out the pots (silver thyme, thrift, lavender and grasses) for an initial look.

 After quite a gloomy day we've just had a lovely sunny evening followed by a pretty sunset.