Patio pots

I've not fitted in a walk today, as I've been needed with J a lot of the time, but I did potter outside a bit. A few weeks ago I picked up an order at B&Q and chose some packs of plants to pot up for the patio, to bring some colour and interest to our mostly sadly neglected garden. They have now grown enough to fill the pots better. The Sweet Williams, after a spell dotted with pretty pink flowers which looked nothing like the tall, rounded heads with multiple florets which my father used to grow, are now putting up a second layer of taller shoots which may produce something closer to my expectations. The snapdragons, another nostalgic choice from my parents' sixties garden, disappointed me a little when they all turned out to be creamy white, but perhaps that will be a good thing now that I can see how multicoloured the verbena is. I'm enjoying them, and soon J's sunflower seedlings will also be planted out in their large tubs.

My main achievement of the day was making the year's first batch of elderflower cordial, after picking and steeping a large colander full of heads from the garden yesterday afternoon. Half of it will go in the freezer, and I hope more will follow.