addendum, sort of

 a new home-made hazelwood gate in our back garden, on the dike, looks like it belongs here

 from the dike we walk down towards the back of the house; the north facing wall is an excellent spot for the Hydrangea anomala ssp. petiolaris (link) (I googled the name)

our wild-flower flowerbeds

every year a bird nests here, usually it's a wren; I have seen the nest but am not sure it is a wren's nest this year, will keep an eye out

looking from the back of the house towards the back garden, sweet chestnut on the left, an old baking pear on the right

the shed on the left (can you actually see it?) covered in hop, wheel barrow and lawn mower evidence of garden activities in weeks gone by, eldest son has promised to mow the grass tomorrow - otherwise it'll be up to me

 we then wander past the west-facing side of the house to the front garden, towards the blue studio aka the bird hut, where the close observer might notice the cracks between the paving stones have been cleaned (on my knees, by hand - it's quite meditative once you'get started and also slightly obsessive as you spot more and more bits that need to be removed, when is enough enough? some plants are really pretty and pulling them out feels so controlling, that in a nut shell is my whole issue with gardening, or at least I think it is)

 back on track: on the verandah 

solar (over)dyeing: avocado peels and pits

 jars and tins full of mysterious liquids

meanwhile another kind of riddle in the studio: I'm quite sure I know what has been eating India Flint's book: a snail, but although we have spotted it's glistening trail for weeks now, we haven't actually seen him/her (they can be hermaphrodite) I would never have believed a snail capable of this (the book eating I mean) but as I have recently finished reading Elizabeth Tove Bailey's 'The sound of a wild snail eating' I not only know they do eat paper, they are also nocturnal creatures and so it makes sense I don't see them during the day when I'm busy in the studio
By the way: the book is fantastic reading if your into snails (which I am) and if you're not you will definitely look at them in  whole new light.
In order to preserve it, I have removed India Flint's book from the work bench and placed several of my bird cards in it's stead, hoping something will tempt the snail and who knows what might happen?!

 I will leave you all guessing what I'm up to here as I myself don't exactly know the outcome, the gel medium was a birthday present from son D. and I'm experimenting.....

enormous thistle next to roof-tile bed, I'm going to let it grow as long as it doesn't interfere too much with the other plants and flowers...it is getting quite big!

of course I cannot leave out the most important being in our midst, it's difficult taking pics of a small black dog: either he's moving, or the person's hand is moving, or he's asleep in a dark corner and you can't see him....anyway he's a delight and has stolen all our hearts