Flowers And An Organic Row

   The sun was illuminating the Rose Darcey Bussell yesterday.I love the slight tea fragrance that comes from the red cup.The only other Rose flowering is the Moliniuex in the front garden.They smell lovely too.

 The heat seems to bend the Lupins flower spikes banana style.I hope that the two white ones catch up and flower later in the year.I want more primary colours for the Lupins,as the lupin mixed colour are all purple!

 The Birds Foot Trefoil is flowering now at the back of the pond in my wildflower area.It has these lovely vibrant yellow flowers that sing out above the sea of green.I bought clippers yesterday and cleaned the grass edges up around the garden and the pond.The bamboo fencing can now be seen from the conservatory.

 I got this Rose last year from Ann's garden when we were cleaning it up.She was going to throw away the long stemmed rose.I took it back in the car and re potted it.This year it has a lovely pink Rose bud.Only one flower so far,but I do not know what it will look like,or whether it will be scented.I need to come up with a name for it as it is an unknown variety.I need to plant it into the sunken border,or into a big pot.
   The concrete path has over 100 pots of plants already.The plan is to get a stone patio area for our table and chairs.That area will have borders around two sides and maybe room for a few plants.We bought some Butterfly solar lights which we switched on last night after three days charging.They flashed on and off bright blue lights.It reminded me of a police raid!Cat may have to switch them to constant on instead of on and off.

 The Wildflower area has been left to self seed and hopefully change the way it looks every year as different flowers take over depending on the conditions.These Snapdragons have self seeded at the back of the pond.There are these pink ones,and there are pale yellow/white ones that have not flowered yet.These smell amazingly sweet.Like Candy sticks that you used to buy that looked like cigarettes.In the sweet innocent days of years gone by.The scent of the Snapdragons always send me back in time.

 The warm weather has caused the Ceanothus to burst into bloom.The bush is five feet high now and a few feet across.It is covered in small blue flowers who's scent whacks you,every time you walk into the garden.A warm buttery honey smell.The bees seem more interested in the Lupins though than the California Lilac.

 I love the flowers and the contrasting variegated leaves.It will need trimming back later in the year to keep it small enough for our small garden.

This is the Daily Telegraphs picture of the red coated Lily Beetle.I have been trying to hand pick these off my pots of Asiatic Lily's,and even found their unpalatable larvae covered in black poo under the leaves.They are not attractive youngsters!
 Monty Don was drawn into a row with the producers of Gardeners World for not mentioning you can use chemical sprays to kill these pests off.He is president of the Soil association and has gardened organically for 17 years.I cheer his stand on the matter.
   http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9292402/Monty-Don-in-row-with-BBC-over-pledge-he-will-promote-non-organic-gardening.html
 The spray will kill all insects on the plants like Lady Birds,Bees,and Hoverflys.Picking the scarlet beetles off is much more satisfying.Cleaning the larvae off is the most gross thing i have done in the garden!
  I have masses of Lily's thanks to the Dutch flower bulb council.Only one pot has had severe damage at the moment.A few Lily Beetles have laid eggs and the larvae have decimated the leaves off dozens of plants.Stripped down to the stem and covered in black larvae poo.
    I try to garden organically using only rainwater,sunshine,and love.If things get eaten they get eaten.I have tried torchlight safaris to catch snails eating my grape vine,used up turned bottles to try to stop a mole digging up the grass,and copper tape to stop snails getting at Hostas.Not all my organic ventures have been successful.
  I Tried to grow French Marigolds in the plots beds to stop a White Fly explosion.It did not do anything to dissuade them.I live and learn every year.Nature will make a balance between predators and prey.At the moment I am the predator picking off and squashing Lily Beetles daily.
  In the news recently Friends Of the Earth published some research from the University of Reading showing that pesticide usage had gone up 6.5%.The use of Herbicides has also gone up.The two pronged chemical assault will harm our Bee's health,and then our crops productivity if they are dependent on Bee pollination.
  http://www.foe.co.uk/news/bees_chelsea_flower_show_35881.html
  There is a difference between home gardening,and commercial growing.I want to visit Yeo Valley Farm in North Somerset.It is one of only six commercial organic farms in the UK.I wander if it can be done all across the UK.
 I will go to the plot today to do more weeding,grass cutting,watering,and sowing more seeds..