Gardening

[Stanley]

Very Tidy Cathy and you put me to shame. My front garden looks abandoned never mind wild!

[Stanley]

The wild garden.....

[Sue]

I agree, a very neat looking garden. At home I go for the country cottage style with lots of different plants mingling together. Here in France I go for the more formal look . Both my Mum and Dad in me. Mum loved the informal and Dad the formal which you can imagine caused a few problems at times with Dads tendency to prune and neaten shrubs just BEFORE they flowered

[Stanley]

Thank you for being so kind Sue! The insects are loving it and the plants are all growing strongly.

[Tizer]

Thanks for supporting nature!

[Stanley]

[Tripps]

I though the Acanthus bed was worth a snap this afternoon. It's no trouble and has been here since I moved in.

Acanthus July 24.jpg

[Stanley]

I like that David.... Minimum maintenance and a far better result than mine. I have stopped pretending it is a wild garden, it is simply an abandoned one!

[Wendyf]

I'm not sure whether I should post this here or in the weather topic as I was sat in the garden enjoying the weather.

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[Tizer]

Lovely photos! Our garden plants have been supercharged by the frequent heavy rains alternating with sunshine and it's a full-time job keeping them in check, but it's good exercise and it means plenty of flowers and greenery. We've had to take down our bird feeder because squirrels wrecked it. It was on a metal pole, away from any squirrel jump-off points and slathered with axle grease but still they managed to climb it. The chewed plastic feeder apart so all the seed fell out. We've tried lots of defence tactics but decided that the birds can do without it and live on all the plants in our garden that provide seeds and berries. Removing the feeder has also got rid of the pigeons that came down on the ground to gorge on the seeds spilt by messy eating birds (goldfinches were the messiest eaters!). Unfortunately Taunton has a problem with too many pigeons and seagulls.

[Stanley]

But that weather didn't last long Wendy.....
Peter, I was struck last night how warm and humid it was after the rain stopped. I'll bet everything green was growing flat out!

[Cathy]

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My first Anemone with more to come, and the Daff’s won’t be long now.
Lovely way to brighten up Winter.

[Stanley]

I agree but Gardening is beyond me now Cathy. My front garden is wilderness but the insects and wild life love it!

[Sue]

But that weather didn't last long Wendy.....
Peter, I was struck last night how warm and humid it was after the rain stopped. I'll bet everything green was growing flat out!

All the trees, shrubs and perennials here in France has grown at least 3 times as much as usual and as fast we cut it back it grows again. This is not normal for August when we can normally take a complete break from gardening

[Tizer]

I agree but Gardening is beyond me now Cathy.

No it isn't, Stanley. You don't have to do lots of digging or pruning or whatever. Just a add a few small plants that the bees find irresistible and then let them spread. Bees love Marjoram flowers and you can easily get a small pot, make a small hole with a trowel, take the plant out of the pot, pop it into the hole, pack the soil back around it, water it...and wait! Marjoram plants are often sold in grocery stores and supermarkets. And you can use the leaves to flavour your meals! If you don't want to get your hands dirty ask one of your young relatives to do it next time they visit - tell them to bring you presents of bee-attracting herb plants!

[Wendyf]

I've just had a lovely day out at the York Gate Garden in Adel near Leeds. It's a beautiful 1 acre garden with cafe and nursery where you can buy some home grown plants. Lots of gardening inspiration!

https://perennial.org.uk/gardens/garden ... york-gate/

[Stanley]

Glad you had a good day Wendy. You deserve it after dealing with the rat pack on here....

[Tripps]

We've had a lot of rain this year. . . . Pruning shrubs for beginners.

January 2024.

front garden Jan 24.jpg

August 2024

Front garden Aug24.jpg

[Stanley]

Impressive recovery David.....

[Tizer]

Stanley, I've sent you a letter containing a packet of tiny black seeds of Bird's Foot Trefoil (Latin: Lotus corniculata). They come from plants growing in our garden and it's a native plant to Britain. The Bird's Foot name comes from the long seed pods which are held in threes, resembling a bird's foot. It's also known as Eggs & Bacon because the flowers start off yellow and then begin to show red around the edges. It's a nitrogen fixing plant (pea family) and can grow in most soil types but especially likes sandy or gritty places.

You can sow the seed at any time of year and I'd recommend doing it now, direct onto your garden rather than in trays etc. Open the packet over a saucer or similar so the tiny seeds don't get lost. Clear a square foot of garden soil, wet the soil then sprinkle the seeds over it. Cover with a thin layer of soil, preferably mixed with sand or fine grit if you have it. Lay some twigs, stems etc over it to deter birds.

It's attractive and low-growing in tufts, and will spread its seeds to give more tufts. It's not invasive and if you want to control it the tufts are shallow rooted and easily pulled out of the ground. It's recommended not to eat the plant because it has small amounts of hydrogen cyanide but but the levels are extremely low so it's not regarded as dangerous. (Many of the plants we eat regularly have small amounts of cyanide.)

Don't be surprised if none of it appears this year but I hope you'll see some next spring/summer.

[Stanley]

"A bit of help is worth a lot of pity!"
Thanks Peter, I shall do as you suggest when they arrive.
As I have said before, despite my garden looking such a mess it is full of insects and I am sure there are many that I can't see. some of the grasses and plants are six feet high!

[Stanley]

The seeds have a new home in the front garden.
Thanks Peter!