Lovely to see so many people busy in their gardens! I would be cautious @Nenya with the vinegar option. Depending on the number of plants growing in the vicinity and how much you like them or not would be something to consider. There would have to be some residual runoff at some point (I would think), and that might be something to think about also.
I did use vinegar on some weeds I was desperate to defeat (neat, not diluted) and had not thought of any of the above and lost one tree. That was when we switched to the weed burner option for our gravel areas. I also reverted to hand weeding in some other spots.
I can't believe it's 23 degrees C today, so warm for this time of year. I'll have to do a big water of potplants tomorrow. We got the bottlebrush into the ground on Monday and I gave it an extra drink yesterday. So far, so good!
Very dry, so we are watering a lot. However, nothing seems damaged, although I'm sure the potatoes are suffering. But our mulberry, like what looked dead, has produced a tiny shoot. However, rain coming.
Very amusing, that comment that rain is coming. As so often, it didn't, so we started watering. I'm not sure if the weather people want to please us, by promising rain. And I'm sure some people are getting drenched.
We've planted out some of the herbs that were in the greenhouse and have runner beans, butternut squash and sunflower seeds doing well in the greenhouse for planting out a bit later. I got a free packet of mizuna seeds with a herb order so I'm experimenting with those. The ones I planted a couple of weeks ago are doing well so I might set another couple of pots going. We get through a lot of salad in our house.
Sounds like things are going well in your garden @Sarasa! Your mulberry sounds like my Dad's fuchsia @quetzalcoatl . I don't know how many times that thing has come back from being a neglected stick in a pot!! It flowered beautifully for me this year, so I am grateful.
Also grateful for a drop of rain which fell in the night and this morning. Perfect for the plants I put in yesterday; a new lavender and a couple of things the names of which I've already forgotten! All flowering which I love for colour especially in winter. Cheery husband planted two in the ground and forgot to water them in, but they should be OK after the nice steady drop fell to settle them in.
Has anyone tried growing camellias from seeds. I have quite a few pods on my plants and I think I might give that a go and would appreciate any tips. Next big weekend job should probably be trimming back the jasmine as our green bin is empty and not a lot of weeding to do at present, wo plenty of room for jasmine trimmings.
It is currently raining here, which is a great relief, as, being currently either crawling around or on crutches, watering is impossible for me, and Mr Cats, who is wonderful, just WILL NOT give the garden more than a useless sprinkle. I have discovered that I can kneel and weed, however. I hope that the surgeon wouldn’t disapprove…..
Not really a garden, but I started my annual weeding of the congregation's labyrinth. A good sized one at that. In the past, I just walked the marked path. This year doing it in quarters. Giving it two hours a day. Probably will be done by the end of the week. By weeding, I mean hoeing. Can't use a defoliant, Too many people sensitive to chemicals.
Not really a garden, but I started my annual weeding of the congregation's labyrinth. A good sized one at that. In the past, I just walked the marked path. This year doing it in quarters. Giving it two hours a day. Probably will be done by the end of the week. By weeding, I mean hoeing. Can't use a defoliant, Too many people sensitive to chemicals.
I find gardening tedious but I love a nice place to drink beer, so we have a weed burner. Care is needed to avoid collateral damage but allergies and sensitivities are not a problem.
I felt like a Disney princess this morning, surrounded by little woodland animals! Alongside the regular visitors to the garden - blackbird, sparrow and robin, there was a squirrel!
Not really a garden, but I started my annual weeding of the congregation's labyrinth. A good sized one at that. In the past, I just walked the marked path. This year doing it in quarters. Giving it two hours a day. Probably will be done by the end of the week. By weeding, I mean hoeing. Can't use a defoliant, Too many people sensitive to chemicals.
I find gardening tedious but I love a nice place to drink beer, so we have a weed burner. Care is needed to avoid collateral damage but allergies and sensitivities are not a problem.
I have thought about using a weed burner, but I am afraid it would damage the painted stripes.
@Gramps49 is there a less visible place you can o a little tester? (I'm sure you've already considered that).
Popping back in to update about the plants recently purchased from the nursery, One was Nemesia confetti blush, which I've potted into a pot just outside the family room window, so I will see the flowers and remember to water it! It is supposed to like full sun, and it's in the sun most of the day, but a bit protected by the eaves of the house.
Planted in the front garden bed by the driveway, some Tulbaghia Border stars, Starburst. Very thin strappy leaves with little star shaped flowers on long stalks. They seem to cope well with the hot dry conditions in that bed. These were watered in nicely by a drop of steady rain and they appear to be settling in.
I was quite embarrassed that I couldn't remember the names, but they are a bit of a mouthful, well, that's what I'm comforting myself with, anyway!!
Today I have been concentrating on the wildflower garden. Pulling up grass and bindweed. Then planting twelve hollyhocks which I grew from seed and six teasel plants which my friend gave me. Lots of other wildflowers are coming up too. 🌱🌱🌱
That sounds just lovely @Boogie, I do love hollyhocks, foxgloves and penstemon, great for height in the garden.
I haven't been outside to work for a week or so. We had some rain and then the whole family was unwell, so just resting up. But the last few days I've done an hour getting leaves and camellia petals off the lawn. Those that have fallen in the garden bed have been left there, but as they blow onto the lawn I clean them up. Tomorrow I need to work in the front garden cleaning up the fallen leaves before it rains and they are washed into the stormwater drain. I also have a bit of weeding waiting for me as well.
I have a small pot of lovely fuchsia hot pink tulips which have now finished, so I'll plant those out, so I can enjoy them again next year.
Our daphne are getting a nice crop of buds, I am looking forward to those coming into flower as I love the perfume. The sweet pea seedlings I planted out appear to be doing ok, as do the ones which have grown from seed, I feel really encouraged by that as I've never had success growing from seed in the past. I guess it helps if you plant at the right time of year and follow the instructions. Who knew??
I've been waiting for night time temperatures to be warm enough to prick stuff out into the garden and finally I've had time. God knows how much will survive as some should have been done weeks ago; but its done now. Also spent a day on general duties. Cant' see where I've been but I do know I've done a fair bit of sorting of the jungle.
Good to know you were able to get your jobs done @Sandemaniac, there is a sense of accomplishment and reduction of pressure in having done that.
I spent yesterday afternoon weeding around the vegetable patch and close to our paths on the shady side of the house. I was getting fed up by the end, but got it all finished this morning. Cheery husband helped by burning some weeds coming up between the pavers and those growing in tiny cracks next to the house.
Rather than do my walk this morning, I decided I needed to get onto sweeping up the leaves strewn all across our driveway. Even though my efforts weren't perfect I did get about 90% swept up and into the green bin, so I was happy with my efforts.
Rain is predicted for the rest of the week, so I thought I'd better sweep while I had the chance!
So today I got up at 6:30 and gardened until 8:30. I got all my petunia seedlings planted out. Tomorrow. I will put my tomatoes in their final positions at the same time in the early morning.
Yes, pretty hot in London. It has brought our cal poppies to a wonderful display, plus our rose bush, which is Irish Eyes. Plus, kale has gone ballistic, problem then is bolting. But most veg look fine. We will get a fine display of love in a mist, and a few goats beard, which I like.
Early morning gardening again today. The tomatoes are all in their final positions. Four Tumbling Toms on the patio, two plants in the mini greenhouse (Big Beefy ones) and one in the the place that is the log store during the winter.
Everything is doing pretty well here at the moment, though the heat has meant keeping a close eye on things in the greenhouse. The raised beds are now all full and the borders are looking good, at least to my eyes, too.
When we moved here five years ago the garden was very much a party garden, lots of decking and not many plants. Gradually we've been changing things, but this is the first year it is starting to look OK. Lots more we could do, we have rather a lot of lawn, but probably how it is is sensible as we can keep on top of things.
I'm starting to leave small circles on my lawn for wild flowers. Easy enough to mow when they become unruly - they look pretty as well as feeding the bees. 🐝
I'm in a holding pattern with my garden as it's too hot to do anything more than the early morning watering. Some of the plants are still flagging and will need some feeding I think. I'll get something when I visit a local plant nursery with a neighbour later in the week.
I'm needing to get my very precious Christmas Rose into the ground. It was in our previous garden and, like all my plants, had a hard time with the house move as everything got mixed up in the repacking of the removal vans and it didn't arrive here for nearly a week and in a smashed pot . I quickly shored it up in a raised bed here and it seemed happy at first but it needs clay soil and partial shade, neither of which it currently has, so I need to act soon.
We are on clay here and the ground is currently hard as iron.
That is a right pain @Nenya, hopefully you'll find the right place for your Christmas rose, so pretty.
Lovely drop of rain overnight. I will have to drag the pots back under cover, that I pulled out from under the eaves to take advantage of the lovely steady rain.
I also will have to remember to water the pots on the baker's stand near the front door (which are all under cover). It's too easy to forget about them!
After four days away we got home to a collection of plants (everything is in planters and pots) that really didn’t need another hot day without water. A couple didn’t perk up in minutes but they are well now.
I'm doing Open Gardens this year. It's on this weekend Saturday and Sunday. I'm just doing Sunday so that I can look around everyone else's Gardens on Saturday. There are 20 altogether.
Mine is very much a wildlife garden. My wild flower garden at the back is kept free of grass. Each year different wildflowers come up, this year we have a lot of lovely nigella. I'm cultivating my lawn to be all daisies, clover, dandelions and thyme. The ground ivy is encouraged and houses many slow worms. My small wildlife pond was put in last summer.
In fact, I have a plaque from Somerset Wildlife Trust to show off to visitors.
I'd love to come, but can't do this weekend. Maybe another year? We went to an Open Gardens event in a nearby village last weekend and saw some lovely gardens and got some really good ideas for ours.
I didn't know you could have a certified wildlife garden and that there were a number of criteria you had to fulfil. Every day's a school day on the Ship.
In the garden here we have done a modified No Mow May. I watched a video by Alan Titchmarsh about it which said he doesn't buy into No Mow May, as it doesn't help Mrs Blackbird who needs short grass in order to grub for worms for her babies - and what happens to the insects if you then suddenly mow on 1 June? He recommends leaving strips unmown for several months of the year. Accordingly, when Mr Nen recently mowed here he left a very artistic wavy swathe of uncut grass across the width of the lawn which leaves several of the lovely wildflowers sprouting therein. It looks so good I think we should keep it like that for ever.
We've also had some very welcome rain in the past few days and it's just starting to come down again now.
As our lawn is so small if we do no mow May, we lose a place to slum outside and, besides, the rest of the garden is a jungle. So we keep it long round two edges for Other Stuff to grow - like crocuses a d paigles. I'm also going to sow yellow rattle in the autumn which will help suppress the grass if it sprouts.
I'm awaiting with interest any action in one particular corner where last year we came back from holiday to find two dead flower spikes. They may have been broomrape, but were too dead to be sure.
In other news a fortnight today by now if all goes to plan (haha) we will be several hours into our drive to Bonnie Scotland. I'll have to get the horn fixed so I can hoot mon.
Mr Nen recently mowed here he left a very artistic wavy swathe of uncut grass across the width of the lawn which leaves several of the lovely wildflowers sprouting therein. It looks so good I think we should keep it like that for ever.
Yes, like a meadow? If you look up meadow maintenance I think it's in September that you mow it and then once again very early spring. 🙂
I mentioned to my neighbour whose garden is stunning that we should do open gardens. I wasn't all together serious but she is quite keen. I'll look into whether it is a possibility. Our neighbour on the other side is actually a landscape gardener so we were wondering if he'd like the idea too. Our main strength would be my husband being able to provide decent coffee!
I suggested to some friends that we should have our gardens open as a fundraiser for kids with cancer as more research is always needed. They thought their garden was too small (and ours is not large either). I know they used a professional to do their planning and select plantings, so I thought it would be an interesting example of a small garden. We have 3 or 4 large beds and minimal lawn, so I thought that could be interesting as well as people can see which plantings are successful and might work in their own spaces.
This morning I planted out a Cecile Brunner, which we hope to use to disguise our back fence. It's tiny, so will take some time, but that's OK. I also have a pink thyme which I am going to use as a test run on our nature strip. I am hoping it might work out well to help with suppressing weeds, and if it's successful I will go mad with seeds as it's a big area. Keeping that spot weeded just by itself is a full on job, so if I can replace the weeds, that would make my life a lot easier.
I planted several marigolds in the front garden last Saturday, and thought they were doing well. But after this last week’s deluge they are being steadily munched, by slugs I presume.
I suggested to some friends that we should have our gardens open as a fundraiser for kids with cancer as more research is always needed. They thought their garden was too small (and ours is not large either). I know they used a professional to do their planning and select plantings, so I thought it would be an interesting example of a small garden.
Small gardens are really interesting. One of the ones I saw last weekend was absolutely tiny - we had to take turns viewing it as only 3 people fitted into it at one time - but incorporated a pond and some vegetables as well as some pretty planting.
Here we clearly need to think about more water conservation. Our one water butt was empty before the end of the recent heatwave but is full to the brim again now after the recent rain.
I was considering cutting off the stems of my lupin now that the flowers have gone to seed (my gardening book tells me I should) but this morning a small brown bird was clinging to the stems and pecking at the seeds so I'm not going to deprive a bird of its meal.
I do love non native plants @Nenya, but in a few spots we are planting natives as they are of course better suited to our conditions. We have our watering on a timer and change the times according to season, summer is early morning or evening and winter is more towards the middle of the day. I dream of having a water tank installed and I should really begin saving up for one.
I'm glad you left your lupins for your bird visitor. I was going to pluck a dandelion head the other week, but as I got closer I could see there was a bee enjoying the plant so I left it alone. Our whole neighbourhood is infested with dandelions, and I have to confess I am not a fan and pull off all the flowers when they appear in my garden.
I read somewhere (Tumblr or Instagram or something) that the modern aversion to dandelions is because of a 1950s advertising campaign for perfect lawns! Dandelions are very noticable flowers, so were targeted for yanking out!
My weeding regime is - nothing spiky (especially brambles), and if I haven't got a cultivated plant to put in, it's fair game for the "weeds", which can be pulled up when I get something better to put in the space. At the moment I've got a mystery plant taking over the bottom half of one bed, but I'm leaving it there until it flowers because it might be pretty! The leaves are quite attractive, growing in rings around the stem, and they're about knee high now.
Finish up my patio pot garden for the summer. Tomatoes, squash, green beans, basil, cucumbers. Giving up on lettuce as something still unknown keeps eating it.
A few days of rain have been useful, except for slugs and snails. Small plants have suffered. I think heat is coming back. Our big rose bush looks terrific, and it's expanding.
I love reading about all your gardens! Native plants are always my favorite, and I remember having to suggest strongly to my neighbors to leave the native flowers. They're pretty and the honey bees and butterflies love them!
My BFF brought over a pot of her homemade potting soil and some marigold heads that had an abundance of seeds for my granddaughter. Together, they planted six seeds and before a few days had passed, there were little sprouts! It was so thoughtful of my friend!
Edited to show I really do know the difference between past and passed.
I blame the Covid.
How lovely of your friend @jedijudy, hopefully your granddaughter will be a future gardener and even if not, she will have a lovely memory of planting the marigolds.
I would have to leave the poppies until they finished flowering @Sandemaniac! They sound just lovely.
So pleased to hear how well your open garden went @Boogie, it always lovely to spend time with other gardeners. They are kindred spirits.
Today has just been an hour of tidying outside. More camellia petals tidied up, leaves on the driveway and near the front door swept up and added to the green bin. The bin will be collected this week, so I'll try to add some weeds to it tomorrow.
We are expecting some showers over the next few days, so I thought I'd try to get into the garden while it's warm and pleasant. Always a little job waiting to be done!!
I've done a bit in the garden today; I've been away for most of the week and in that time it's starting to run away with itself, but have to limit time out there at present due to raging hay fever.
I'm doing Open Gardens this year. It's on this weekend Saturday and Sunday. I'm just doing Sunday so that I can look around everyone else's Gardens on Saturday. There are 20 altogether.
Mine is very much a wildlife garden. My wild flower garden at the back is kept free of grass. Each year different wildflowers come up, this year we have a lot of lovely nigella. I'm cultivating my lawn to be all daisies, clover, dandelions and thyme. The ground ivy is encouraged and houses many slow worms. My small wildlife pond was put in last summer.
In fact, I have a plaque from Somerset Wildlife Trust to show off to visitors.
I love your hedgehogs! In California we definitely do not get any. I hope your Open Garden was a joy for you.
Like you creating enhanced habitat for wildlife has informed the creation of my garden but it isn't the only influence. I'm also attracted to plants for their sculptural and textural quality as well as color and scale. What started off with birds and beneficials in mind has also been shaped by my own aesthetic impulses which themselves were shaped by walks in nature.
I opened my garden just once about ten years ago to the Garden Conservancy Society. I my crew of one (moi) working hard for weeks leading up to the day. During the day of I personally greeted everyone with questions or who just wanted to talk. The time flew by and only at the end did I realize I was famished.
I didn't meet him that day but another gardening friend alerted me that a blogger had written up his experience which you are welcome to check out if curious.
Glad to hear your open gardens event went well @Boogie. We are now self-sufficient, at least for a while, in onions, garlic, salad leaves and an assortment of herbs. We've always got enough chilis as I have a box in the freezer with an assortment and more are ripening now. The runner beans are looking promising, but the tomatoes in the greenhouse are yet again a bit disappointing. There are loads of self-seeded ones popping up and we're letting them grow as much as we can in the hopes they might do better than the greenhouse ones.
The flowers are doing well, specially the roses and cranesbills, I just wish it wasn't quite so hot
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I did use vinegar on some weeds I was desperate to defeat (neat, not diluted) and had not thought of any of the above and lost one tree. That was when we switched to the weed burner option for our gravel areas. I also reverted to hand weeding in some other spots.
I can't believe it's 23 degrees C today, so warm for this time of year. I'll have to do a big water of potplants tomorrow. We got the bottlebrush into the ground on Monday and I gave it an extra drink yesterday. So far, so good!
Also grateful for a drop of rain which fell in the night and this morning. Perfect for the plants I put in yesterday; a new lavender and a couple of things the names of which I've already forgotten! All flowering which I love for colour especially in winter. Cheery husband planted two in the ground and forgot to water them in, but they should be OK after the nice steady drop fell to settle them in.
Has anyone tried growing camellias from seeds. I have quite a few pods on my plants and I think I might give that a go and would appreciate any tips. Next big weekend job should probably be trimming back the jasmine as our green bin is empty and not a lot of weeding to do at present, wo plenty of room for jasmine trimmings.
I find gardening tedious but I love a nice place to drink beer, so we have a weed burner. Care is needed to avoid collateral damage but allergies and sensitivities are not a problem.
Good. So are insects.
I don't use any chemicals. Bees and butterflies - and all other insects - are precious and declining.
I have thought about using a weed burner, but I am afraid it would damage the painted stripes.
Popping back in to update about the plants recently purchased from the nursery, One was Nemesia confetti blush, which I've potted into a pot just outside the family room window, so I will see the flowers and remember to water it! It is supposed to like full sun, and it's in the sun most of the day, but a bit protected by the eaves of the house.
Planted in the front garden bed by the driveway, some Tulbaghia Border stars, Starburst. Very thin strappy leaves with little star shaped flowers on long stalks. They seem to cope well with the hot dry conditions in that bed. These were watered in nicely by a drop of steady rain and they appear to be settling in.
I was quite embarrassed that I couldn't remember the names, but they are a bit of a mouthful, well, that's what I'm comforting myself with, anyway!!
I haven't been outside to work for a week or so. We had some rain and then the whole family was unwell, so just resting up. But the last few days I've done an hour getting leaves and camellia petals off the lawn. Those that have fallen in the garden bed have been left there, but as they blow onto the lawn I clean them up. Tomorrow I need to work in the front garden cleaning up the fallen leaves before it rains and they are washed into the stormwater drain. I also have a bit of weeding waiting for me as well.
I have a small pot of lovely fuchsia hot pink tulips which have now finished, so I'll plant those out, so I can enjoy them again next year.
Our daphne are getting a nice crop of buds, I am looking forward to those coming into flower as I love the perfume. The sweet pea seedlings I planted out appear to be doing ok, as do the ones which have grown from seed, I feel really encouraged by that as I've never had success growing from seed in the past. I guess it helps if you plant at the right time of year and follow the instructions. Who knew??
I'll sleep tonight!
I spent yesterday afternoon weeding around the vegetable patch and close to our paths on the shady side of the house. I was getting fed up by the end, but got it all finished this morning. Cheery husband helped by burning some weeds coming up between the pavers and those growing in tiny cracks next to the house.
Rather than do my walk this morning, I decided I needed to get onto sweeping up the leaves strewn all across our driveway. Even though my efforts weren't perfect I did get about 90% swept up and into the green bin, so I was happy with my efforts.
Rain is predicted for the rest of the week, so I thought I'd better sweep while I had the chance!
So today I got up at 6:30 and gardened until 8:30. I got all my petunia seedlings planted out. Tomorrow. I will put my tomatoes in their final positions at the same time in the early morning.
🙂🌱
Fingers crossed 🤞🏼 for survival! 🌱
When we moved here five years ago the garden was very much a party garden, lots of decking and not many plants. Gradually we've been changing things, but this is the first year it is starting to look OK. Lots more we could do, we have rather a lot of lawn, but probably how it is is sensible as we can keep on top of things.
I'm needing to get my very precious Christmas Rose into the ground. It was in our previous garden and, like all my plants, had a hard time with the house move as everything got mixed up in the repacking of the removal vans and it didn't arrive here for nearly a week and in a smashed pot
We are on clay here and the ground is currently hard as iron.
Lovely drop of rain overnight. I will have to drag the pots back under cover, that I pulled out from under the eaves to take advantage of the lovely steady rain.
I also will have to remember to water the pots on the baker's stand near the front door (which are all under cover). It's too easy to forget about them!
Mine is very much a wildlife garden. My wild flower garden at the back is kept free of grass. Each year different wildflowers come up, this year we have a lot of lovely nigella. I'm cultivating my lawn to be all daisies, clover, dandelions and thyme. The ground ivy is encouraged and houses many slow worms. My small wildlife pond was put in last summer.
In fact, I have a plaque from Somerset Wildlife Trust to show off to visitors.
Did I mention the hedgehogs? 😊🦔
https://photos.app.goo.gl/crBhTmvWboNvRDSW6
I didn't know you could have a certified wildlife garden and that there were a number of criteria you had to fulfil. Every day's a school day on the Ship.
In the garden here we have done a modified No Mow May. I watched a video by Alan Titchmarsh about it which said he doesn't buy into No Mow May, as it doesn't help Mrs Blackbird who needs short grass in order to grub for worms for her babies - and what happens to the insects if you then suddenly mow on 1 June? He recommends leaving strips unmown for several months of the year. Accordingly, when Mr Nen recently mowed here he left a very artistic wavy swathe of uncut grass across the width of the lawn which leaves several of the lovely wildflowers sprouting therein. It looks so good I think we should keep it like that for ever.
We've also had some very welcome rain in the past few days and it's just starting to come down again now.
I'm awaiting with interest any action in one particular corner where last year we came back from holiday to find two dead flower spikes. They may have been broomrape, but were too dead to be sure.
In other news a fortnight today by now if all goes to plan (haha) we will be several hours into our drive to Bonnie Scotland. I'll have to get the horn fixed so I can hoot mon.
Yes, like a meadow? If you look up meadow maintenance I think it's in September that you mow it and then once again very early spring. 🙂
This morning I planted out a Cecile Brunner, which we hope to use to disguise our back fence. It's tiny, so will take some time, but that's OK. I also have a pink thyme which I am going to use as a test run on our nature strip. I am hoping it might work out well to help with suppressing weeds, and if it's successful I will go mad with seeds as it's a big area. Keeping that spot weeded just by itself is a full on job, so if I can replace the weeds, that would make my life a lot easier.
Small gardens are really interesting. One of the ones I saw last weekend was absolutely tiny - we had to take turns viewing it as only 3 people fitted into it at one time - but incorporated a pond and some vegetables as well as some pretty planting.
Here we clearly need to think about more water conservation. Our one water butt was empty before the end of the recent heatwave but is full to the brim again now after the recent rain.
I was considering cutting off the stems of my lupin now that the flowers have gone to seed (my gardening book tells me I should) but this morning a small brown bird was clinging to the stems and pecking at the seeds so I'm not going to deprive a bird of its meal.
Eeeeep!
I'm ready 🙂
I do love non native plants @Nenya, but in a few spots we are planting natives as they are of course better suited to our conditions. We have our watering on a timer and change the times according to season, summer is early morning or evening and winter is more towards the middle of the day. I dream of having a water tank installed and I should really begin saving up for one.
I'm glad you left your lupins for your bird visitor. I was going to pluck a dandelion head the other week, but as I got closer I could see there was a bee enjoying the plant so I left it alone. Our whole neighbourhood is infested with dandelions, and I have to confess I am not a fan and pull off all the flowers when they appear in my garden.
My weeding regime is - nothing spiky (especially brambles), and if I haven't got a cultivated plant to put in, it's fair game for the "weeds", which can be pulled up when I get something better to put in the space. At the moment I've got a mystery plant taking over the bottom half of one bed, but I'm leaving it there until it flowers because it might be pretty! The leaves are quite attractive, growing in rings around the stem, and they're about knee high now.
Over £1000 was raised for the charity.
🙂
My BFF brought over a pot of her homemade potting soil and some marigold heads that had an abundance of seeds for my granddaughter. Together, they planted six seeds and before a few days had passed, there were little sprouts! It was so thoughtful of my friend!
Edited to show I really do know the difference between past and passed.
I blame the Covid.
I would have to leave the poppies until they finished flowering @Sandemaniac! They sound just lovely.
So pleased to hear how well your open garden went @Boogie, it always lovely to spend time with other gardeners. They are kindred spirits.
Today has just been an hour of tidying outside. More camellia petals tidied up, leaves on the driveway and near the front door swept up and added to the green bin. The bin will be collected this week, so I'll try to add some weeds to it tomorrow.
We are expecting some showers over the next few days, so I thought I'd try to get into the garden while it's warm and pleasant. Always a little job waiting to be done!!
https://flic.kr/p/2siaKXz
Looks wonderful!
So glad the Open Garden went well @Boogie .
I've done a bit in the garden today; I've been away for most of the week and in that time it's starting to run away with itself, but have to limit time out there at present due to raging hay fever.
I love your hedgehogs! In California we definitely do not get any. I hope your Open Garden was a joy for you.
Like you creating enhanced habitat for wildlife has informed the creation of my garden but it isn't the only influence. I'm also attracted to plants for their sculptural and textural quality as well as color and scale. What started off with birds and beneficials in mind has also been shaped by my own aesthetic impulses which themselves were shaped by walks in nature.
I opened my garden just once about ten years ago to the Garden Conservancy Society. I my crew of one (moi) working hard for weeks leading up to the day. During the day of I personally greeted everyone with questions or who just wanted to talk. The time flew by and only at the end did I realize I was famished.
I didn't meet him that day but another gardening friend alerted me that a blogger had written up his experience which you are welcome to check out if curious.
https://www.succulentsandmore.com/2017/04/pseudonatural-freakshow.html?m=1#more
The flowers are doing well, specially the roses and cranesbills, I just wish it wasn't quite so hot