The photo above was taken a couple of weeks ago and after all the rain we’ve had since then the garden has grown quite a lot more luxuriant, or should I say wild! It was just at the time of the year when everything in the garden changes from predominantly blues and yellows of spring, to deep red, purple and orange of summer.
It’s still a work in progress of course, like all gardens.
Above is a fancy new hydrangea with deep maroon leaves, I believe this was Chelsea’s plant of 2015. It was a birthday gift to me, I’d much rather have a living plant than cut flowers. The ground is looking a bit empty in this part of the garden but the sparrows have been having a whale of a time there, having dust baths.
The day after I bought this bug hotel I read in Dave Goulson’s book A Sting in the Tale that insects or particularly bees never seem to take up home in them. Maybe bees don’t, why would they when they can make such beauties of their own? but I did see a hoverfly crawling in to one of the holes. I just hope it doesn’t fill up with such creepy crawlies as earwigs or forkytails as they are known in some parts of Scotland. I had in mind a whole colony of ladybirds moving in when I bought it.
I’ll get around to taking more photos of the inside of the summer house/shed soon, particularly the books. It has been inundated by midges which must have crawled through every teeny gap, probably trying to get shelter from our incredibly bad weather this so-called summer – then they promptly died, so I’ve been sweeping them up. It does get very hot in there, even on a dullish day – honest!
It’s looking so lovely! I’m envious! The insect house is gorgeous as an ornament even if no insects live in. Wish I could sit out there with you and Jack and have a coffee and a chat. Next year!
Peggy,
Definitely, if we get half decent weather!
Your garden looks charming – I’m especially admiring the lovely wee cut-leaf maple tree.
How many hours a week/month might be spent on tending to your garden?
Valerie,
I have a few maples, they’re really my favourites. I have no idea how much time I spend gardening but due to the bad weather this summer I’ve not spent much time in it at all. The worst job is cutting into the grass and digging it up, I have a large mound of turf behind the shed, hopefully it’ll turn into nice loam to spread on the garden. I’ll be glad when I only have to concentrate on weeding and pruning, and finding space for more plants of course.
Looking good – so much colour! Mine’s a bit on the wildside and more weeds than yours, so I’m envious and wondering, like Valerie, how long you spend gardening? I expect it’s daily, like my friend across the road whose garden is also beautiful.
Margaret,
Thanks. I do have a walk around the garden every day, to see if anything new is coming up or flowering and I often pull out some of the biggest weeds then, but have to be careful otherwise I end up being out there for ages, time goes so quickly when you’re weeding. I have wild raspberries, thistles and all sorts coming up, but I hope it’ll not be so weedy after a while. I plan to have it thickly planted hoping there won’t be space left for the weeds. Mind you I prefer a semi-wild garden to a manicured garden.
Looking wonderful. Especially since it was just a patch of grass when you moved in.
Jo,
Thanks. I can hardly believe it has only been just over a year since I started cutting in to all that grass.
Your garden looks great! I like the fence and the summer house and the bug house, too. I hadn’t seen that dark-leaved hydrangea before. That’s nice. I agree that a living plant is nicer than cut flowers. Everything in your garden is doing so well.
Joan,
I have problems with blackspot on some of the roses but I’m not that bothered about it as the flowers are fine. I noticed that some leaf cutter bees have been at the healthy rose leaves, I enjoy seeing their lovely semi-circles so neatly cut into them.
Lovely!
Pearl,
Thanks.