There now, most of the spring planting is now completed. If my husband didn't make the effort to prepare the urns and garden pots for me it would be far more onerous a job getting everything together. He does the difficult work, and it is left to me to complete the job by determining how to mix the annuals for greatest effect. It's something I love doing and which he with his greater sense of aesthetic than I have, very much appreciates.

Of course it will take some time before the flowering plants reach a state of maturity. They don't quite yet fill in their space given, but they will, brimming above and around each of the pots and urns in a gorgeous display of colour and texture and form that is simply irresistible.

It took three days of concentrated effort to finally get this far. One day last week I began with the pots at the front of the house, and did most of them. On Saturday I completed filling those pots in our front gardens and setting out bedding plants in the gardens as well.

And on Sunday, yesterday, I completed planting annuals in our rock garden, and sprinkling them elsewhere in the gardens to complete the process.

And the pots and urns in the backyard also were finally planted, many of them with the begonia bulbs that had begun sprouting nicely, kept over-winter in our basement. I hardly noticed that it had begun sprinkling, then lightly raining. My concession to those untoward-to-planting conditions was to don a rainjacket and continue my fascinating venture in annual out-of-doors decor.

It was all finally accomplished. I have one pot of bacopa left to find a place for, and a flat of wax begonias yet to plant where place can be found for them, and then the planting will have been completed for this year. Gaining me much satisfaction, looking forward to their maturation throughout the course of the summer and into fall. Making me catch my breath each time I surprise the gardens by a quick look then swiftly turns into an admiring appraisal.