Putting out the bunting

Patriotic planting

To celebrate the royal wedding, I have put together some red, white and blue tubs and organised the mobile parts of my garden into shades of red to compliment my established blue Agapanthus and white rose bedding around the patio.
 I'm trying to get into the mood. Sadly the lobelia, which is the blue bit in the planting above, won't be out for the big day so I stuck a Delft tile fragment found when I was digging out the patio, which I believe adorned part of the original house. I think it adds a little something.

Don't get me wrong I am not a great flag waver but I do like a wedding and I wish them well. Like all people making the ultimate commitment, they will need a good send off. I haven't met William or Catherine but I did meet his Mum who could not have been nicer and a friend of mine knows Ms Middleton quite well and says the same about her. I know it's not cool to speculate about people we haven't even met, especially if they have status, but it is also human. They seem kind and a world that, for the most part, wishes them well is a world that is capable of wishing good things for itself and I'm all for that.

I am sad, however, that while the Crown Prince of Bahrain, Baroness Thatcher and John Major were invited, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown were not. I have always thought that the British monarchy recognises its part in enabling the preservation and health of our precious democracy. I think it's a shame that either they or their advisers don't see that an opportunity has been missed here to assert an understanding of that role.

To make the most of tomorrow, we will be hanging out at home and might trot along to any of the three local street parties we've been invited to including one invite from my friend Stephen Bubb, whose brother lives round the corner from us and has been instrumental in bringing his street out for the big day. I love the idea of a street party, neighbours socialising with neighbours, and I am a great fan of the concept of cake generally, so my Kate and I will whip up something appropriate, we think maybe a strawberry shortcake, and give ourselves permission to scoff the lot, taking some homemade cupcakes to the festivities and raise a glass to the happy couple. All good clean fun, so I hope it doesn't rain, although a little precipitation will be good for the tubs and it is April after all.