Wednesday 30 June 2010

End of Month View - June 2010

Summer really is racing by… Hot, steamy days in the UK at the moment… It seems to have lasted for weeks. We had our first rain in what must be at least 14 days on Monday night.

Left border near the house:


Still soil showing, but some of that is a path through the plants so I can get in to weed, and get to the fence to train the clematis and Jasmine.


Grass flowers…


Right border by the house:


The monster Campanula… I think it plans to take over the world.


I am looking forward to this yarrow flowering at last.



Black elder in flower… This shrub still isn't doing anything. I bought it knowing it would grow huge amounts in one season - as you expect from Elder. But no. I might give it one last chance to do something next year.


Blackcurrants…. Mmmm


Allium



Wild poppy.




Sea Holly.


New border:

Some of the Californian Poppies are opening, and the larger Poppies are looking very much like they will flower soon.




The Tier:

Pea Pod!


Peas, Tomatoes and Carrots.



And the Front garden:







Some plants from down the side of the house:

The roses around the garden seem to be having an exceptional year - perhaps it's because I've actually been trimming them as they should, who knows…

This yellow rose starts out this canary yellow…


And becomes pink flushed as the flower ages.


A pot which originally housed Passionflower, this Campanula self seeded itself here and the Passionflower was killed off by the harsh winter…


It looks quite pretty… Just needs tidying and the Passionflower removed.


Tuesday 29 June 2010

Mystery Bee Is Not So Mysterious Any more.

A few blogs ago I mentioned a tiny Bee on the Clover flowers which seemed to be Blue… Photos I got were always poor because it never got close enough for me to snap away.

A few days later I was sat near my black Hollyhocks and the little Bee landed on one of the leaves. It promptly began eating/cutting the leaf and I assumed it was some sort of Leaf Cutting Bee.

It’s actually a Blue Mason Bee, it’s tiny and apparently they collect the leaves for their grubs…




Collecting the cut leaf into a ball against its abdomen…

And now about to set off with the ball in its mouth…

One ball abandoned as I scared one away by accident.

2 on a leaf, sometimes there were up to 4…



And here I was assuming weevils or slugs/snails were turning the leaves into rather fetching lace…

Friday 25 June 2010

Feel Good Friday

Today the garden has been making me feel good...

I love the fact I have a vase in the kitchen filled with flowers from the garden, 2 types of Rose, Astrantia, Salvia and Campanula.

Amazing.

Jasmine is opening… Plenty more buds to come, I’ve waited three years for a good show…

Fantastically coloured Fly

Comfrey will soon go in the compost bin (and an Aphid tags along).

How much longer will the new border keep me waiting… I can see poppy and Californian poppy buds




The Meadow Clary I thought I’d lost suddenly sprouted and the next thing I know, we have flowers! It is a fraction of the size it was last year, but at least there's something!

The Herb pot I bought very cheap last winter has mostly survived. Sage at the back seems dead… It had survived and put on new growth until a slug ate it!

Clematis ‘blue eyes’ brightens a very shady area… Needs more sun if I’m honest.

And you’re going to have to get used to seeing plenty of photos of this:

Campanula

I’ll move it next year, it’s crowding the Aquilegia and Veronica too much.


Stunning flowers…


I think I’ll be able to forgive it for taking over…