Tuesday

I didn’t have much time in the Magic Garden today because it decided to rain inconveniently this afternoon. Ben & I sat for a short time this evening enjoying the peace and quiet as the sun disappeared again. The last few blooms of the Granny bonnets were looking attractive - I will collect the seedbeds to start off the next batch as they are slowly disappearing again from the garden. I noticed I have a red hot poker coming into bloom. It appears to be the solo survivor of a group of three.

Late May Bank Holiday Monday

Not much sunshine today although Ben chased an early sun puddle & it remains windy. I planted out a couple of ‘rescued’ Pulmonaria Trevi Fountains at the back in front of the Winter border’s dogwoods. They join my gradually increasing collection there, with Pulmonaria opal blooming the best. I love the leaves of these plants, said to resemble lung tissue.

I planted out some foxgloves yesterday under the rowan tree and also under the black elder, hoping they will cope with the shade and dryness of both positions. Some of the ones at the back from last autumn’s planting are just coming into flower while the masses of geranium phaeum is going over. The bees are still enjoying it but I think I will chop it back at the end of the week to see if it will bloom again. The magnolia bloom is beautiful still in the back corner & there are scattered roses at the back too. The foxgloves I’ve planted are next to some blue irises that are just coming into bloom catching up with the white ones at the front of the Magic Garden.

Warm & windy

As predicted we had some rain overnight and the wind has increased too but the air feels warm. I spent a chunk of this morning working in the front garden and then this afternoon in the Magic Garden taking time to appreciate the bees and just how good the Magic Garden is looking at the moment. Ben spent most of the afternoon on the cold frame shading its contents.

Friday afternoon

The sun was still with us this afternoon but it is noticeably chillier and rain is predicted for overnight. In the meantime I’ve planted out the last of the sweetpeas needing to move around some of the obelisk supports & wind spinners to make room. I’ve done a bit more pulling up of weeds & filled up my neighbour’s garden bin as well as mine as well as adding to the hotbin composter. Ben checked out all areas of the Magic Garden before snoozing.

Another sunny afternoon

I spent the afternoon in the Magic Garden and have planted out some bedding plants and done some maintenance work in the main Magic portion. I think I have identified a new problem visitor - a narcissis bee fly. The true bees are also active around the Magic Garden while Ben was noticeably inactive!

Sunshine

Last autumns bulb planting spree is paying off with the irises joining the allium party. The white ones have come out first but there are buds across the Magic Garden. Ben and I spent chunks of day outside enjoying the sun

Alliums

We’ve had dry weather if not the sun of elsewhere in the country so I gave in this evening and had a massive watering session. I’m a bit bothered as I have now emptied the water butt keeping the pond topped up so I will have to think about new methods of rain harvesting when it does rain again. The new wee fountain in the pond is working well so at least oxygenation should be good with the pond weed looking okay too.
I am really pleased with the effect of the alliums going through the Magic Garden - the white ones are slower than the purple ones but catching up. The bees seem to enjoy them too.

Sunny day

I have been enjoying the sun in the Magic Garden again with Ben. The bees are enjoying the aquilegia, geraniums & other blooms while the alliums are all gradually coming out.

More sunshine.

I spent a lot of today sitting in the sun in the Magic Garden enjoying the warmth in my wee sun trap. Ben was equally enjoying the sunshine and following me around as I did small tasks although he wasn’t impressed with my using the hose rather than the watering cans to soak the fruit bushes today. The new campanula is flowering and more of the alliums are unfurling.

Sunny weekend

Ben and I have spent a large chunk of this weekend in the Magic Garden enjoying the sunshine. Although the numbers are still lower than I think they should be there have been more bees around today and it was lovely to have butterflies too.

Thyme Tuesday

I have a number of new thymes planted around the Magic Garden and have renewed the Thyme Zone with new plants in 6 of the 7 points between the pavers: Thymus Highland Cream, Thymus citriodorus Aurea, Thymus praecox, Thymus Tabor, Thymus pseudolanuginosus and Thymus Citrodorus Silver Queen I still need to get fresh chips to renew those around the sundial. I also planted out a wee Heurchera Little Cutie ‘Blondie’ which caught my eye while out shopping. I also put out the new solar powered fountain for the pond. It seems to work better than the old one ever did. Ben was at the back of the Magic Garden enjoying the fresh catnip in his patch.

BH Monday

It’s been chilly here today with a north wind coming off the sea. I did a little more to the paths spreading new white chips and pulling up weeds. I did sit for a bit wrapped up in the sun enjoying a cuppa with Ben. I harvested some more rhubarb for tea.

Sunday

Another chunk of an afternoon spent in sunshine working on the paths of the Magic patch but it was interrupted by brief sharp showers which interrupted Ben’s snoozing. I am pleased with how the Magic Garden is already looking this year as it continues to evolve.

Saturday

I spent a lot of the afternoon out in the Magic Garden soaking up some slightly unexpected sunshine. I was mainly tidying up but I have re-done the Thyme zone and cleaned the sundial. I planted out new asters too. Again I was struck by how few bees there are around this year.

Back home

After a lovely trip away which included going to see the tulips at Keukenhof I’ve been back with Ben in the Magic Garden enjoying sketchy sunshine and pottering around deadheading the remaining daffodils and other bulbs as they go over. The scent of broom through out the Magic Garden is lovely - my only sadness is how few bees it seems to be attracting this year.

Tuesday

The lure of the Magic Garden was too great for both Ben and me even though the sunshine was patchy and it failed to warm up today. I have been planting dahlia tubers today so hoping for success later in the year. Meantime there is promise of edibles as the rhubarb in the main trough is growing away freely, the succession of apple blossom is moving its way round the garden and the gooseberries are already looking promising.

Easter Sunday

After an unpromisingly grey morning, the sun came out to make for a glorious afternoon. I had decided to do some major maintenance and changes this weekend in the Magic Garden and today I moved the cold frame to next to the arbour seat and so free up space on the patio. I also moved the hotbin into the unused space between the summer house and shed. This followed on from planting out three new lavender plants - two white flowering and one with unusual leaf markings. I am pleased with the rearranged space even if Ben looked a bit doubtful. He seemed reassured once he found one of the catnips had been moved back into the space. Meantime the sun had brought out the insects to enjoy the feast of blossom from the flowers on the rosemary to the dandelions in the wild patch and the golden marigolds in the pond.

Before

After.

Bonus Sunshine

I was expecting rain to be spoiling play when I got home from work but instead the sun was still in the Magic Garden and I took the opportunity to enjoy the start of the apple blossom season and to check in on the first of the aquilegia blooming this spring as well as the lungworts & snakehead frittilaris

Sunday

Today has been lovely and sunny but with a chilly bite to the air with winds off the North Sea. The insect life is becoming more apparent again with a mix of bumblebees, hoverflies and flies enjoying the mix of blooms and habitats in the Magic Garden. The sun attracted Ben out too to keep an eye on me even if a rather sleepy one.