Worries, Woes and Wonder

There are some happenings in the garden at the moment, that make you wonder 

if you`re losing the plot......

Losing it to ......slugs, snails, rabbits, mice, aphids.

On first arriving at the garden we usually have a good look round.

This is what I found....

red and green strawberries bitten off in little heaps in the polytunnel (mice)

dahlia tubers uprooted and nibbled (rabbit)

blackcurrants with red blisters (aphids)

the newly planted helichrysum reduced to stalks (slugs and snails)

This is all that`s left.

It is disheartening to see the plants you have germinated, nurtured and raised, disappear.

It made me a little reluctant to plant anything I had brought with me.

In the end I bit the bullet and put in sunflowers....

........with plenty of slug pellets.

I dug over the middle beds and repositioned feverfew which last year was rabbit proof.....

that`s not to say they won`t be eaten this year.

 

In the far bed I put self seeded white daisies.

Let`s see what happens next.

 

Steve put in pumpkins and courgettes.

 

He also did some bean tripods.

And here are the wonderful parts of our visit today....

 

.......the new quince tree with its huge flowers......

.....the broad beans romping away after the rain.

.......the new pet rabbit somewhere in here......

 .......the herb garden making a comeback after being eaten to the ground......

 

.......the magnificent angelica.......

 

 

.........the gunnera leafing up well, considering there is a rabbit hole right next to its roots......

........perenniels starting to flower......

.......Jurys Yellow growing away well......

......cardoon flowers showing amazing rotational patterns.......

We had a long morning  and got through a good number of jobs.

Five more tomatoes in and two cucumbers. 

The strawberry plants came home with us.

 

And on reflection the WORRIES and WOES are far out-weighed by the WONDER.