COLOUR AND COMPULSION

Two examples of a colour blast, zinnia and a crocosmia. There is nothing subtle about these flowers. As there is nothing subtle about the Black-eyed Susan or rudbeckia growing in the cutting bed.

It was with colour in mind the waste bit of ground was sown with poppies and so on.

And flowers are not the only hit of colour in the garden. The rose hips are with us - early because of the hot summer (now gone)(it is raining again) much like other fruit - there are ripe blackberries in the hedgerows, not as sweet as they might be but certainly edible. The Victoria plum is having a year off so only half a dozen which we will eat straight off the tree.

The cutting garden is full of gladioli and the red alstroemerias go on and on. The white phlox is just coming out. Ignore the buddleia seedling in the foreground - it will have to be shifted.

The courgette plants are bursting out of their bed and most of the veg is thriving - with the aid of some dilute Maxicrop - a seaweed concentrate.

One problem I have is with suckers put up by the big damson tree - they are all over the place. I dig them up, cut them off but they keep coming. On the other hand this tree is loaded with damsons so I can forgive (a bit).

In the distance you can see how well the rhubarb and asparagus is doing.

I have still not extracted the water lily from the pond - the one in the foreground above. It is our version of a Kraken - keeps on waking and will not go to sleep - well it will in the autumn when the leaves die back.
One day the teeth will have to be gritted and I shall step into the hidden depths (less than a metre).


 Two views up the path in front of the house from by the new rose bed. One plant that struggled before has loved its move - this sedum is a revitalised plant now. I think it is Sedum telphinium atropurpureum - I think.

The rain is raining,
The grass is growing,
I can't cut the lawn,
What do I care 
I've got my love to keep me  . . . .
er, well with her cold feet the answer cannot be warm.

Of course I have the answer - wilding - just let everything go but a small bed by the house. The trouble is I have an inbuilt tendency to like a cut lawn, a weed free bed and so on.

Answers on how to rid myself of this tendency please (without using drugs)(and that includes alcohol).