OVERGROWTH

 Where does it all come from? We go away for a week to Scotland and when we come back it looks like the garden has exploded.

Camassias out, apple blossom, forget-me-nots going over, calendulas coming on . . . .

The aquilegias are everywhere despite thinning last year and the broccoli has gone to flower. Rather attractive though, perhaps we should grow it as a flowering plant?

Up in the wood the bluebells are done and the red campion and pignut are taking over. And we do have rhododendron ponticum from a previous owner but not on the scale of the hills on the way down to Lochbuie on Mull. Should they be removed?

We even have white campion as a wild variation. And we have rain and the lawn is too soggy to cut, now getting rather long. The asparagus has grown four feet tall in one week so cute it back and hope for a bit of a crop. ~I have just got some new crowns and these will need to go in with the hollyhocks I potted up. All in all we are rapidly becoming a woodland garden. No doubt R will soon be calling in the Tree surgeons to open things up.

Abundance is the word.

The glorious beauty bush, kolkowitzia, is flowering as is the elder.

And as I walk around the garden I see water lilies in flower, big orange oriental poppies and the blue comfrey.

One plant that loves the rain is the rhubarb and it is flourishing again.

There are one or two ash trees with dieback around but not our grand old tree. (Not yet).

So now after a holiday it is time for weeeeeeeeeeding.

BLUEBELLS (or not)

 

The bluebell battle is on. Our wild bluebells have become crossed with Spanish bluebells from elsewhere. It may be a losing fight but we will try.

Our first celery in a vase has been put out in the veg bed. Another is now in the vase and we await roots. I think if we can get enough going we can be self sufficient in celery by the end of summer.

No swallows nor martins, not surprising it is unusually cold. 

Down by the pond no spawn this year, no toads/newts/frogs.

We do have marsh marigolds and our first flower on the water lily.

We have had two days of warm sunshine but that is probably the lot, it is cool and raining again. However the euphorbia and the odd tulip do brighten up corners.

As does the one surviving calendula in amongst the forget-me-nots and an old wallflower.

The cherries in the garden are over though the wild and bird cherries are still flowering.

We have lots of chiffchaffs chiffing and so on but not a swallow. I have put in some cavolo nero and turnips and various perennials from Abi and Tom's.

The sweet peas look rather tired so we may have to do them again.

Its is now May 10th and temperatures in the twenties though not, I suspect, for very long.

So how is the wild area doing - well awe do have the odd ragged robin but swathes are now horsetails.

I do not usually give gardening tips but what to do with the leaves off the rhubarb? I know they can go on the compost heap but laid out they can suppress weeds effectively and be colourful.