Ever Hopeful

 Sometimes in the garden, I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Obviously as a sun-lover I am enjoying the heat but perhaps not enjoying what is happening in the garden. I just wonder how much longer it can go on. I cannot believe how some things are hanging on with such colour. You certainly get to know the survivors.

I noticed today on the way to the garden, a lot of fallen leaves and even some spiralling down in the strong winds.

There was rain about 9 a.m but it was a laughable amount which will make no difference whatsoever.

It isn't until you run back through photos and blog entries for this time last year, that you realise the lack of growth and lushness.

Sunflowers are beautiful but under stress.

Here are the beautiful ones.

 

Here are the stressed ones.

 

Most peculiar.

(At home I have pulled up my first sunflower section.)

Yesterday I took out the sweetpea row. That is something I usually do at this time of the year. It is nontheless a sad task. As gardeners we plant with such high hopes. 

But we remain as always, ever hopeful.

Whether that is for rain or for next years results .... it could be either.

 

Poppy Fairies and Confetti

The drought continues but luckily still no hosepipe ban. At the garden there is still plenty of water in the huge black tank. At home we are saving grey water for our own garden.

Quite a few plants are starting to show signs of stress and some have even shriveled and died. I have done a lot of cutting back and clearing.

Forsythia

Helianthus

But the French marigolds are doing well and also crocosmia (or montbrietia)
 

Note the colours

 

I spent some time strimming the sparse grass edges and then clearing a path by the tortoise run.

 

It was bearable enough for Steve to work in the polytunnel where cucumbers are thriving. Not sure it will be the best year for tomatoes though.

The garden is full of butterflies. They are loving the marjoram in full flower and the mint which is also flowering. I have to be patient to get the photos.

This is a Gatekeeper.

 Bumblebee on marjoram.

 

Soldier beetle on yarrow.

There were lots of other insects around.

 

The Lemon Queen sunflowers (Premier Seeds) are amazing.

 

Our harvest for the day.
 

The craft trolley is looking colourful and I am adding to it fairly regularly. I felt sorry for the little boy who was looking for the fluffy grey seal. Unfortunately it had sold. He wanted it for his mum. I did make him another one which he can have if they come again.

Interestingly I moved all the fairies to a string across the front, they were previously at the back on a board. Since moving them I have sold seven.

 

I bought this spray of poppies for half price, dismantled them and created poppy fairies.

 

 Here they are in my own fairy garden.

 

I have five more to go. Nothing I love more than making fairies and fulfilling my childhood dream. And if anyone wonders why I have so much craft stash to draw on, its because of this.

As a child I did not have the tools, the craft components or the skills.

 

On Gardeners World, our main t.v garden program, the lovely Sue Kent suggested drying flower petals on a heat pad to make confetti. This I have tried. It is a very successful method where the petals keep their colours.

And bio-degradable.

 

Finally my zinnias for a splash of extra colour.

I think I might love zinnias as much as dahlias!!

 

Wow .... did I really just say that!!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Growing with a Passion

 The heatwave continues and there are parts of the garden beginning to suffer. The fernery needed water this week.

Under the grass are the foundations of an older building which become clearly visible in dry weather.

The pond was getting pretty low so we were very pleased when Anne topped it up because we haven`t been staying long. We get to the garden early and go home as soon as the essentials are done .... watering and harvesting.

 

 

The sunflowers are loving it but there are one or two which did not "get away" .... surrounded by other plants and a row of broad beans.

Here are some of the different varieties.

Sungold

Ring of Fire

Lemon Queen

Piccolo I think

Also looking good are the hollyhocks. i am always astounded to find the seedlings just growing in the pathways. I prise them up just before we go home and pot them up as soon as I can. I sometimes wonder why I don`t scatter my precious seeds on the paths seeing as there is such good germination.

We usually find that the self-seeders are much stronger and more likely to survive but you do have to put up with them in rather awkward places such as the middle of the bean row.

The biggest surprise this week has been the appearance of this stunning gladioli. I don`t remember planting it.

And just a warning to anyone thinking of planting passion flower. This one plant is only two years old. It is rampant. It has grown under the path and come up alongside the tortoise run and it has grown about three or four metres in each direction along the fence.

I love it,

We have a trumpet vine to go in but there will be careful consideration as to where!!

And the casualties so far .... a pretty useless row of broad beans, normally a mainstay for our freezer, our home cucumbers with the droop and mosaic virus .... luckily the ones in the polytunnel are well away, runner beans not forming, possibly bees piercing the flowers instead of going inside.

I continue to pick bunches of statice to dry for winter colour and the lavender is currently drying off in the greenhouse at home.

New lavender bags have been made.

 

 

Happy days.

 

 

 

Chicory and Cherries

If you want any garden jobs done in these scorching days, they need to be done early or late.

This morning saw me splitting a beautiful perenniel rudbeckia, bought at half price, into 5 lovely pieces. I used an old carving knife to do it. It was 7.30. 

I also pricked out the last of my spring bedding. This includes wallflowers, myosotis, bellis daisies, sweet williams and violas.

 I am having to keep a close eye on the seedtrays in case they frazzle so all covered over with shading.

Then it was off for a delightful swim and our breakfast on the beach.

A quick visit to the garden to water.

Inside the polytunnel .....

I was astonished to find the sweetpea row needing a very good pick. Last time there were 4 flowers.
 

The other thing growing madly are the courgettes .... after a very humble start where we thought we would lose the plants .... to this.

Most of our meals include courgettes.

 Second course includes raspberries, redcurrants, cherries, blackcurrants, blueberries (not all at once) with Greek yoghourt.

 

Other flowers doing well are the dried ones ..... statice and pink pokers. The colour range is great. 

Helichrysum are only just starting.

 

I`ve bunched them up to hang in the garden room.

 

Outside the garden on the piece of ground we are developing, a great swathe of chicory has just begun to flower.

 

It is sky-blue. The first time I ever saw it was on the verges in Austria and Switzerland whilst hitching to the Greek islands in the late 60`s. I had plenty of time to study the flora and fauna in between lifts!!!

Tim tells me it grows in the pastures at the farm but he rarely sees it flower due to the cows grazing.

I think it is beautiful.

One for your wild area Belinda if you haven`t got it already.

 

Plenty of insects around it today. 

In fact plenty of butterflies all told. And here is the first buddliea to greet them.

 

 

 

 

 

I

 

 

 

 

 

 

Currant Thief Unknown

What a mixed bag of weather we have had. The heavy rain ensured that we had everything tied up really well. Thank goodness as we had strong winds as well. The sunshine in between has brought the most incredible spurt of growth on all plants, including weeds.

In the garden I had to pick four red roses bent over from the winds. The alstromeria has been virtually flattened.

My niece Hazel, gave me this massive trough. I have filled it with rocket and basil for the polytunnel.

 

The biggest surprise was a lovely bowl of raspberries which we enjoyed in the evening.

My main job of the day was to make a start on the barn path from the other end. This is where the hose is stored and seeing as the grass and other growth is so prolific, I felt it needed to be made safer. 

 

The soil here is wonderful, rotted chipped bark. Eventually I want to shovel it all onto the beds and replace with new chipped bark.

It was a bit daunting to look ahead and see what still needs to be done. But I will get there, as long as I am not troubled by horseflies again. What a nasty bite they can give.

The first sunflower was out .....

 

 ..... and the first sweetpeas which I forgot to pick.

 My second job was to clear this path alongside the tortoise run. Some lovely raspberry runners are growing here, to be potted up next time.

Something has been stealing the redcurrants. I fear there will be no jelly this year. I found a gap under the fruit net but I`ve no idea what it could be.
 

My niece also gave us this mini picnic table, which fits perfectly in the fernery.

 

Still quite a few big jobs to do but we`re getting there.