In under a year.

In only a period of 9 months this scrawny flower bed has bloomed and now is absolutely gorgeous. 

As you can see it has burgeoned and filled out, in fact its probably the best of the three beds Dh dug for me to plant up. The others are suffering from the intense

 heat we've had this summer

And this is my favourite dahlia, I love the colour and its mop head.

The first bed that we dug has been prepared for Autumn planting; it had dried up completely.  So we have  cut back all the top growth of the perennial geranium, Ladies Mantle, hollyhocks, and the bright pink with silver leaves plant. < Can't remember its name name>

We've thinned out the Shasta daisies and cut the penstemon down to 6 inches as well as pruning the two roses in that same bed. 

I love  the lime colour of the Ladies Mantle and I don't mind one bit that it seeds everywhere.

And this west facing bed has grown into...

.... this, with our grape now growing up the pergola and we have grapes!

It's a wonder we have any flowers here, as this is where Nell squashes her little bum into, when she's feeling too hot. 
So over all not too bad,  when you see what we had when we arrived here, June last year.

A bare weedy grassy garden! 

As well as our flowers, we've had potatoes, runner beans, carrots, lettuce and tomatoes which are all still producing, so not bad for two oldies, what do you think?

Chrisxx