The weather is back to normal with a cool wind. Ben has chosen to spend the day mainly indoors beyond a quick wander round. I was pleased to see the ladybirds are on duty consuming the aphids even if their inroads are a bit limited.
Too hot!
It was too warm to be in my sunny Magic Garden for long today. Ben had a short time sunbathing in the Thyme zone while I pegged out the washing and checked there was water for the birds still. I picked some more gooseberries & a handful of raspberries. My favourite sea hollies are in full bloom at the moment and are being enjoyed by the bees.
Sunday
The temperature has gone up again but fortunately not as much as further south. I spent this afternoon pottering in the Magic Garden. I have thinned out the apples and watered the trees. I’ve planted out a cheap fuchsia into a trough and took cuttings from it. Meantime Ben checked out his various catnips before retreating indoors.
Friday
It’s been windy here all week and mainly dry. It seems to be a year for my plants being eaten - the latest being sawfly in my gooseberries. I have released some native British ladybird larvae on to the artichokes and think there is an improvement visible in the aphid situation. Ben and I sat in the garden this evening and were both a bit reluctant to come indoors.
Tuesday
It was still rather windy but I’ve continued to harvest some fruit from the Magic Garden - blackcurrants, gooseberries and raspberries today. Ben inspected the garden first thing but hasn’t been keen to stay outdoors without me. I have a coreopsis in bloom that is somewhat unexpected as I have no recollection of planting it! The wee rose my Hedgewatch friends gave me is blooming away as are my sweetpeas. I’ve picked my first vase full - such lovely scent!
Monday
After the warmth of the weekend, it has cooled down again and there is a gusty wind blowing with destructive power. I also have the problem of aphid farming by ants on my giant artichokes which the ladybirds are not keeping up with. They are weakening the stems of the flowerheads.
Another Warm Day
After I’d carefully watered things yesterday evening, it rained! I also removed a load of blanket weed from the pond & cleared the bottom of the fountain. I didn’t spend long in the Magic Garden today but did enjoy watching my families of blue tits
A warm day
It was comfortably warm in the Magic Garden this afternoon. I’m pleased with the wildflower components that I’ve introduced particularly around the pond.
Monday
It’s warm but windy here and not really an afternoon for working in the Magic Garden. I cleared a bit of ivy from the arbour seat and ‘repaired’ part of the roof with duck tape. This evening I planted out an agastache & a white lavender into gaps. The first of the annual sweet peas are blooming and the cornflowers. It’s lovely to see so many butterflies, hoverflies and bees in the garden. Ben has moved his way from snooze point to snooze point during the day.
Agastache Morello
Lavandula augustifolia Vintro White
Sunday
The butterflies and bees have been busy in the Magic Garden today in the sun. Ben cat has also been busy.
Roses
I have a five roses in the garden - 2 in the front garden, 1 against the back fence, 1 against the side fence and my “Hedgewatch” rose that is in a big tub so I can take it with me when / if I move. They are all blooming but only the wee rose in the pot has undamaged blooms after all the wind and the heavy showers.
Saturday
A few small tasks done in the Magic Garden today between very heavy showers. The fruit is coming on well and the rain will have helped.
Friday
The sun came out this afternoon & out of the wind I spent a happy spell of time just sitting enjoying the Magic Garden with my cat.
Thursday
It’s been a busy bee day today. I visited Stanton Hall Gardens to buy some plants for the front garden. I took the opportunity to treat myself to a new ginger rosemary as well as some dwarf French beans as I didn’t get round to sowing mine. I was quite proud of myself as I didn’t buy anything else extra today except for some snapdragons! Quite a lot of the plants in the Magic Garden came from there originally including the snapdragons going into their second year. Ben-cat’s collection of nips are blooming really well now & the bees are enjoying them almost as much as he does.
Wednesday
I’ve gradually been planting out a mix of plants into the front garden - more heuchera including a new favourite for me ‘Purple Crinkle’ which as its name suggests has ruffled edges & a silver overlay; two rhodanthemum; 2 fuchsia Mrs Popple & a pink Dianthus. I also rehomed some strays from the back garden.
Tea break in the Magic Garden
I didn’t have time to do any gardening today despite having some plants to get into the front garden in the next day or two, but I did have time for a cup of tea and a check in on the bees as well as Ben.
Busy Sunday
I had little time to spare for the Magic Garden today beyond planting out some lettuces, which hopefully won’t become slug fodder, and some sunflowers.Its extremely windy so the garden is getting a bit of a battering. I had hoped we would have some rain today but the showers seem to have passed us by. I’ve used boiled water for my new carnivorous plants but the rest of the garden is largely having to take its chances beyond ensuring the pond stays topped up and there is water for the birds..
Sunny Saturday
I’ve done some work on the front garden & added in some new plants along the edge of the border and some foxgloves under the rowan tree.
Heuchera Silver Gum Drop
Heuchera Victoria
Tiarella ‘Oregon Trall’
Hardy geranium
Heuchera Alfie
In the back garden, the vegetables and fruit are coming on well. I have planted out the courgettes and rehomed a rhubarb crown. I look forward to the gooseberries and raspberries. The earliest pickings of kale are possible now. My container garden works well for the vegetables.
New Additions
We had a lovely sunny afternoon and warm too despite still being windy. I’ve invested in four new carnivorous plants to replenish the ones I bought some time back and spent some time refreshing my trough and pot that contained the originals.
Darlingtonia californica
Drosera intermedia
Drosera anglica
Sarracenia alata Purple Throat
Alliums
This year’s stars so far for me in the Magic Garden have been my alliums. According to my records I have 10 white Allium Ping Pong, 3 White Giants & 2 Mount Everest and 8 Allium Cristophii & 2 Allium Gladiator. I’m not convinced they have all come out but am already making plans as to where more of these tall alliums need to go in - in particular I think I will add some more purple giants into the front border part for next year. The Cristophii with their open stars are I think my favourites but they are not very robust in the wind we currently have.
