Early Saturday morning

I was awake at silly o'clock on Saturday, much too early to be thinking about getting up, but after laying in bed for a good 45 minutes with no sign of sleep returning I decided the best thing to do was just that.  I told myself I could have a nap later, which of course I didn't, so I was nodding off way before bedtime *sigh*

Still, it was nice to be having a little mooch about in the garden so early ~ early enough in fact to see the sun come up.  When I first looked up at the sky there was a very bright light just to the right of the sun, which I think may have been Venus.  No doubt someone will correct me if I'm wrong LOL

We can see across to Graemsay from our front garden, some days more clearly than others.  This is the lighthouse on the island ~ it's amazing how close things can appear if one amps up the zoom lens 😉

Needless to say, I felt the need to take a few more photos of the plants in the garden ~ you know, just in case you are suffering withdrawal symptoms.....after all, it's now five days since I last posted some 😄

These verbena bonariensis were moved from the ornamental side of the front garden over to the kitchen garden border running along the front wall.  They were amongst the plug plants I put in last year, and to be honest really didn't look like they would be up to much once I'd found the poor blighters and transplanted them.  They seem to have settled in really well though (perhaps they like being protected somewhat by the wall), so I'm hoping they will grow and thrive now that they aren't being suffocated by the weeds wildflowers.

They have such pretty flower heads 😊

These two have taken root in the top of the wall, as you can see.  The wall has a series of these holes which I should think were made to accommodate a wrought iron railing at some point in the past.  

I moved the montbretia and astilbe from the other side, too.  Neither of them seem to have noticed!  The astilbe is called Vision Inferno and is very pretty.

This ornamental thistle was a "new home" gift; I managed to lose its label so don't know the variety.  I'm afraid it got rather neglected but has settled well into this spot.  I have some echinops bannaticus Blue Globe nearby and the two varieties are very different in appearance.

The alpines in the old chimney are looking good, as is the festuca down at the right.  

Do you remember me telling you about the pretty yellow flowers on a turnip that had somehow self-seeded in one of the ornamental borders?  Well, here's the proof!  It's amazing what will turn up in the garden if you leave it to it's own devices LOL  

And finally, here's Hamnavoe loading up ready for her 6.30am departure ~ needless to say, I made full use of the zoom for this photo too 😉