Flowers and flowery china

I was very busy organising our choir's concert... and also being in Wales, socialising and so on... so the garden had got away from me somewhat. There's lots of colour, but there are also quite a few weeds, as well as things that require to be discouraged from taking over the whole garden. I love irises. 

And I love this thalictrum, but I have another one, much smaller, that sat there for 34 years behaving itself and then suddenly, a couple of years ago, decided to take over the world. I have been battling with it this evening. So far, I am not winning. It has matted roots, and sends out sideways bits of root which then shoot up some distance away. Grr. 

There are lots of bulb leaves which haven't yet yellowed, so have to be left for a while. They do look a bit messy. Is that yellow flower a ranunculus? I think so. I used to know...

These pansies have been flowering for months. 

I have been yanking out lots of forget-me-nots, which are getting past their best. 

Lovely bright heuchera, 

and alliums. See the paeonies behind them? I must stake them tomorrow, before they flower. This is a difficult task, because the bees on the alliums suspect me of wicked intentions. 

Mr L was away for the weekend, riding trains up north with some rail-enthusiast friends. We had hot weather. He did not. I missed him, but it was nice not cooking for a few days. I ate cheese sandwiches, peas and fruit. I'm not a foodie. 

It's been too hot for gardening, though I have nobly been doing it anyway. 25C, which is 77F. Too hot for a feeble Scot. This afternoon, though, I sat in the shade beside this lilac, which smells divine, and read my book. 

 And it's Minimalising Monday, so this coffee set is on its way to a charity shop. I got it from my aunt and uncle for my 21st birthday. I'm now nearly 76. It was a design I chose, and in due course we got lots of matching china for wedding presents. I still think it's pretty, but though we do occasionally use the rest of the china, we never use the small coffee cups because who wants a small cup of coffee these days? (They're much smaller than they look in the photo.) Unless it's espresso, I suppose, but we never have this. I decided to add some plates, a jug and a sugar bowl because I have three of these jugs, two sugar bowls and plenty of side plates. (Why did I get three jugs?)