Sweet dream...

Or a beautiful nightmare? ;)

I think it's only fair to enlighten my faithful readers as to what exactly is my dream garden supposed to look like.

Some of the features I'd love include a pergola swathed in long, heady blooms of oriental wisteria; big terracotta pots proudly displaying evergreen orange, pomegranate and bay trees; an ornamental fountain or two; a fragrant bower full of roses, honeysuckles and jasmine; a native woodland edge, river bank and a jumbled mass of cottage garden flowers.

Ahem. Back to reality!

What I would really love in our little urban oasis is a place to sit in the sun and drink coffee, read or play with the kittehs. A sensual environment, with beautiful colours, sweet-smelling leaves and flowers, varied shapes and intriguing textures. A wildlife haven for butterflies, birds and - why not - bees. Somewhere to plant and pick our own, home-grown food. Maybe even a patio table and chairs, for entertainment purposes... Watch this space! :)

ETA: Sowed a dozen Sweet Pea seeds into newspaper pots today. They are called Albutt Blue, and are supposed to be large flowered and fragrant. In the picture they look whitish with a purple picotee edge - we'll see in a couple of months' time.