Now, at Christmas time with the rainbow coloured lights I think this is a delightful space, however a dear friend of mine absolutely detests the use of trees in an architectural setting.  So since forever, apart from the two happy yew trees that I style in my garden, one as a cone which you can see in the first photo, and is much admired and commented on, the other on the way to the Jacuzzi terrace a pyramid, all be it a bit lop sided pyramid  I have avoided architectural plants.  

Until this spring.

Dear Greta Thunberg is so right, global warming is a terrifying tangible fact of life.

I have noted how my annual bedding plants do not bring summer colour, but really struggle in the hot sun.  Ten years ago I could fill pots with geraniums, surfinias, lobelia, pelargoniums.  They would cascade over th posts and down walls and onto lawns.  But over recent years no matter how much tender loving care and watering we give them, they just suffer.    It is unfair.

The cute olive trees were sitting in prime location in the garden centre and they had a ‘we want to come home with you’ label on them, so they did.  I planted them up and put them in the large urns on the main terrace.  I love the effect, they look great and they should love the heat, May is flowering time and they are generous in their flowers.  Maybe we can add their fruit to the olive harvest this autumn.  But there is one tiny problem, each time I look at them I think of my dear friend and wonder if she is looking askance.  Hmmm…