Garden Catchup

I have finally finished my night shifts.After resting yesterday I spent the day reacquainting myself with the garden. This photo shows the Lupins, the Aliums, and the Ceanothus together growing cheek by jowl. The colours all complement each other, cool shades of blue,purple, and white. The Ceanothus is also called California Lilac and should hopefully bring the Bees in for miles with its honey scented Blue flowers.

The Aquilegias have flowered now.These are the Dragonfly mixed Variety.The pink petals and spurs/white centre contrast to the black ferny leaves of the Sambuca growing next to the clump. The other Aquilegias are more darker coloured. The two Aquilegia Fruit and Nut I bought have not done anything this year.The two varietys will probably hybradise and self seed for years to come.

The warm dry weather has encouraged a boom in the amount of Aphids. The Lupins pictured above had a huge amount of Aphids eating the sweet nectar from the flower spikes. The local House Sparrows descended into the sunken border and proceeded to eat the Aphids. They look liked fine diners eating Corn On The Cob as they moved up and down the Lupins flower spikes.My second lot of Lupins have also got a lot of aphids. More fine dining for the House Sparrows.

I love the natural selection of House Sparrows controlling Aphid populations.I feed the Sparrows seed and Fatball and they keep my plants in good condition.

This is a close up of the Lilac tree flowers. The flowers are starting to wind down now. The variegated tree leaves are covering the branches though. I bought a painting on Canvas of Lilac Tree Flowers and Leaves.I hope year on year that the flowers increase in number.

Flowering away in the Wildflower area around the pond are these two beautiful flowers. The first is white and reminds me of Chicory. The buds behind the flower are like enlarged balloons. I think these were seeds in the Wildflower mix I sowed last year.I do not know what its called.

This pink flower is also blooming in the Wildflower patch today.It has nine petals around a central stamen. The leaves are small and triangular.I hope to be able to find these two flowers in my Wildflower book.

I watered the pots along the garden path. All my Roses, Hostas,Lilys (Casa Blanca,Tiger, Oriental Stargazer, Madonna Lily, and Asiatic),Alpine Strawberries, and the Potatoes in Grow bags.

It actually rained yesterday for the first time in weeks. It was a passing shower so its been dry and sunny today. The pond is actually an inch lower now than when I filled it originally.I can see the water marks dipping down.

I hope that I can plant all my Greenhouse plants at the allotment soon.Only a few days ago I forgot to close the greenhouse door and there was a frost.My Broccoli Garnet look slightly sickly today.They might have to be substituted by Hampsons bought plants.

The sun is shining now as I write this.I will cook some Chocolate Chip Muffins later.I topped up the birds food and changed their water. The garden is always full of Garden Birds.They like my organic and wildlife friendly garden.

Its been nice to catch up with the garden and to show more than one photo.

Good Friday

One of the Aliums I planted last year has started to open its flower bud. I think this is an Alium Gladiator. I love the firework explosion of purple flowers that attracts bees and insects. The flower head also looks decorative, once its dried out after blooming.

It is good friday today and the weather was absolutely perfect for the start of a bank holiday weekend.The sun was shining all day.

Cat took me to Hampsons to buy some Barrel planters, two large pots, some bird food, and plant supports.I also bought some more bags of compost when i was there.

I spent the rest of the day in my shorts, vest, and sandals gardening.

The Broccoli's, Cauliflowers, Brussels Sprouts, Swedes, Tomato Red Cherry,Cats Herbs (Parsley,Coriander,Basil,Chives) and French Marigolds have all been re potted. I re potted one Aster to see how it grows on, and a tray of nine Everlasting Flower seedlings

I swept out the greenhouse and tried moving the pots around.The amount of room is shrinking on the shelves, as the volume of plants is expanding.

I planted the Thistle plant (Cirsium Rivulare) we got from David Austin by the wildflower part of the pond.The plants are growing well around the pond. Some of the wildflowers from last year will hopefully regrow again. That is the only area that will not be given new compost!It remains a sandy/stony mix with low nutrients for the wildflowers.

I finished re potting the Tomato plants with the light fading.I used the torch to spy on the pond. My torchlight Safari showed two Newts swimming around the pond.

I saw our resident Frog on the pond last night.Its gratifying that the effort I have put in is attracting wildlife into the garden.

The New Roses (Harlow Carr, and Darcy Bussell) need planting into the new pots that I bought.The remaining Lily's can be planted in the Barrel planters.I have some Gladiolus that need planting in the strawberry bed. The plants are so healthy looking that I think I will need some netting and canes to make a cage to cover the fruit. We have so many birds in the garden. The soft fruit will be very tempting for them.

The concrete path is turning green slowly with the Hostas growing quickly in the April sunshine.

The Roses all look healthy and the Gertrude Jekyll has now got a new curved plant support to hold her upright. It has Rose buds on. I think she may be the first Rose to flower in our garden.

I'm back to work tomorrow so Easter Sunday will be my next gardening day.

Sunshine On A Rainy Day

My Second Day at the Allotment/Wilderness saw the sun shining momentarily between storm clouds. I spent three and a half hours there today trying to do some more clearance, and clearing the roots and weeds I left in the first bed.

The birds were singing and the wind blowing. Apart from the childrens school at breaktime it was perfectly quiet.Good reflective silence to imagine what this wild plot could look like..





This Ladybird sat on a leaf by the edge of the allotment where I share with Mr Saddiq.
I looked at his six small dug beds, and bet they he found it hardgoing just to dig them.He must have realised that a whole Allotment plot was just too much work.
I wander how long it had been since it was last cultivated, so thick is the grass, and so fat the perennial weeds have woody stems and taproots that go down a few feet into the clay soil..




The only evidence I saw of previous cultivation was this Alium globe head. I tried to dig down for it but severed the main stem. It was overrun by grass and weeds though.I had cut the tall red weeds down to near the ground leaving enough stem to show me where they are when I come to clear the ground.
There was also a solitary Spring Onion which has been rehomed in my garden. All other signs of previous cultivation have been obliterated. The wild nature has reclaimed the land back from the

gardeners who had been before.There were small shards of a smashed pot decorated in Dutch Delft design but I have only a few bits.
I borrowed the Black tarpaulin to cover the bottom half of the plot. The cleared debris from the top bed is what is holding it on, with a free scavenged bricks.
The Clay soil was waterlogged and it is still raining now so it will be still. I took some bark chippings to make a temporary path around the first bed. It needs a lot of organic matter.I will use the manure that is piled up and pay a contribution when the Allotment holders return from holiday.
It needs lots of organic matter and raising up to help the appalling drainage.The last photo shows the thirty feet by twelve feet plot though. The muddy paths show which way I have trodden. I tried to avoid it today to let it dry out a bit and for the grass hopefully to regrow.
My muscles are still aching.It has been hard going with the rain and clay. I'm working nights again soon so maybe a few more hours tomorrow. I have some summer bulbs and seeds to plant still in the garden.