A little damage

After much rain and the nasty weather of last week, the warm days have returned. The days do have that threatening storm feel though. When I could finally get back out into the garden to check how things faired, not everything was rosy. The pods are bruised from the hail but the peas inside are ok.

The artichokes are looking a tad sad and I am now going to save the tops for a table decoration for a dinner I am having on Saturday evening.

There were no berries left on these strawberries but some others were better off. I think it is often the newest and most cosseted of plants that suffer the most. Or perhaps that is just how it appears.

I am very happy that it is so early in the season to have this damage because I lost 30 tomato plants last Tuesday and as there are still months of warm weather, I can replant and expect a decent crop.

I am in the midst of preparing for my son, Tom's, birthday dinner on Saturday night. It will double as a 40th birthday dinner for my sister too. That means two birthday cakes and twice the fun.Tim has been putting up fairy lights and I have been dreaming up menus that hopefully everyone will enjoy. I'm excited about it now that I have been bitten by the entertaining bug.

Tracy