Room with (not much of) a view..........

So, it's Saturday morning. Ian's away, Jack's gone up the road for a drumming lesson, Kit's asleep in our bed feeling not entirely chipper, the breakfast dishes are still on the table and I've got 5 mins to fulfil (one of) my tag duties, the view from my kitchen window. Here goes, don't get too excited..................

As you can see the gazebo is still up from Kitty's party and will probably still be there come September. It's a nice place to sit in the shade from the sun - pah, what sun. Handily it also shelters you from the rain, jolly useful in the current weather we're enjoying.

As I've said before we live in the middle of a terrace of Victorian houses so we don't have a large garden. Our kitchen is nearly the full width of the garden so it doesn't have any windows down the side, it's sort of slotted between our neighbours' houses. The view from the french windows is of the whole garden, warts and all. It has two sheds, both of which are full of bikes, paint, garden tools, you name it, a large climbing frame and slide which dominates the view and numerous gorgeous bits of brightly coloured plastic.

I've been admiring all the other gardens on view whilst visiting other peoples' blogs and feel mine is definitely lacking. Basically, I'm not a natural gardener. I'm full of good intentions but I never actually see them through because in reality I can't be bothered. I want a garden to look fab without any work and it's not going to happen. I kid myself that I want a huge garden so I can wander around wearing a floaty skirt collecting vegetables and flowers but I'm more likely to be sitting in it with a cuppa and a good book ignoring the grass waving around my knees and the dandelions peeping at me from the flower beds. I have attempted to grow some broad beans this year but I swear I can hear the millions of aphids gorging themselves on them laughing at me so I've given in!

That being said I do like Jack's little apple tree next to the bench, the only tree in the garden, it's got a few years to go before I can hang a swing off it! I also like my lanterns dotted about the place. Actually I quite like the whole garden because most of the time it's filled with children's laughter and mess, the grass is dead in quite a few places where various toys have sat for weeks, and it's lived in and loved by both my children, what more could I want really?

Finally, at last vindication that I alone am saving the planet. Now I have an excuse for sneaking out of the house on a Sunday morning, unwashed and at an unearthly hour, sporting my eco bags. I'M BEING GREEN, Country homes say so - Hurrah!