Coming Along Nicely

Hello there, Welcome to my three word gardening post for this month. The flower yield of my year old borders is coming along nicely. I have had a vase on the kitchen table since March and it has not been empty. It is a great way of keeping track of what is flowering in the garden and if there are any gaps in the months of the year.

Lilac, pink pelargoniums (with lemon scented foliage), brunnera, aquilegia, chive flowers and the first of my sweet peas.

Next came the addition of cornflowers and an aquilegia called Nora Barlow Strawberries and cream.

Then I added my perennial Knautica which is a type of scabious. Long floaty stems with dark purple flowers ideal for cutting.

The first Sweet Williams start to make an appearance.

This week we have more colours of Sweet Pea with wild field foxgloves and the frothy stems of my big dark coloured Heuchera.

My flower farmer friend, Beth, told me to cut my sweet peas when they are tight and small and watch them open in the vase which has been a revelation. You get such a longer vase life and I really rather like the form of them all folded up.

In fact, the front garden has taken on a very purple hue with these wonderful delphiniums, structural allium balls, aquilegia and wild self seeded foxgloves.

My family and I have been visiting a few gardens lately which is always a good way of seeing what is in flower during particular times of the year. Andy and I went to Wollerton Old Hall gardens which had the most amazing Iris (put mine in perspective!) I was relaxing to walk around each tiny little garden.

 This week we went to a garden called Wildgoose in Shropshire which is a beautiful hidden secret. If you are from the Midlands it's definitely worth a trip out.

It is quite wild and informal but a great place for a sunny meander.

In my own vegetable and fruit garden things are coming along nicely too. There are going to be so many strawberries if I can keep the slugs off them and the Veg patch is all planted up and settling in.

Today is our village Jubilee afternoon tea and I made a very apt blouse to wear to the occasion...

Union Jack flags within little umbrellas - ho hum to the weather. 

Thanks for dropping in. Jo xxxx