Mum's The Word

Up until a week ago, the front garden was a riot of colour. The foxgloves and aquilegia have gone over, and the giant daisies won't be far behind them.

I had been thinking about cutting them back to allow new flowers to be planted, and new colour to be added. Unfortunately, when coming home of Friday I saw at least ten sparrows fly out of the stems and greenery. They were having a feast on the seeds from the plants. A garden shouldn't just be for the pollinators, but also to feed as much of the ecosystem as possible.

However, the plant in one of the big pots has died. It was definitely time for it to go. The Beloved pruned it right back, and I have planted chrysanthemums, lavender, and a cutting of some fruit bush.

The rain last week has caused a number of weeds to sprout, and these need to be cleared. The second big pot can be cleared and planted with something interesting. And then, hopefully, I can attack the central bed, and add summer/autumn bedding.

Daisies, Aquilegia and Foxglove

My front garden is a riot of pinks, purples, and blue, with the occasional tall white daisies too. Last year I sowed the seeds of wildflowers, and there was very little to see. The aquilegia seemed to dominate.

However, this year as well as the aquilegia there is foxgloves, and large daisies. Unfortunately, there's also some nettles. And this is where I am swithering. Nettles are not a good plant for a traditional garden, but they help the wildlife so much, and are great soil improvers.

In pots, there's ceanothus and lavender. It's a beautiful wash of soft colours. 

Once the summer is over, we'll put in some autumn pansies and also some spring bulbs. I'm going for whites and yellows - snowdrops, tulips and daffodils.  

The garden this year seeded itself, and I'm hoping it will continue to do so. The bulbs should come up time and time again. There should just be a little spring and autumn tidy required.