May was quite a busy month for us with two trips away - updates to follow in due course. But with us away the garden continues to launch into its summer mode.
The bottom patio is looking extremely lush at the moment. We have been thinning out the grape vine and Clematis armandii that cover the pergola to get a little more light down to the ground. 
The pathway from the bottom patio to the greenhouse looks more overgrown than it actually is. The acer on the lower left hand side has taken a while to get established but now is keen to outgrow its space. Although I'm sure it would happily grow much taller than we are allowing.
Entering the bottom section of the garden and the jungle feel continues, the tree ferns are starting to leaf out and increase the levels of shade at the ground. Here too we have been thinning the upper storey plants to allow more light down at the ground level. We had neglected this task a little last year and the ground cover plants suffered as a result. However increased light and water in this area already seems to be paying dividends.
The Jungle Hut has started to age nicely, following its reconstruction five years ago. The cedar shingles on the roof are looking suitable aged now, but still give off the fabulous cedar aroma on warm days.
Finally on this brief tour is the middle patio area - there is a patio there honestly, although there's quite a few pots taking up much of the space
I think the theme of the gardening for the next few weeks is very much going to be one of thinning, and opening up the canopy. However with warmer and wet weather seemingly here for a while, the garden may well grow at a faster rate than we trim it!
Gaz
