It was comfortably warm in the Magic Garden this afternoon. I’m pleased with the wildflower components that I’ve introduced particularly around the pond.
Monday
It’s warm but windy here and not really an afternoon for working in the Magic Garden. I cleared a bit of ivy from the arbour seat and ‘repaired’ part of the roof with duck tape. This evening I planted out an agastache & a white lavender into gaps. The first of the annual sweet peas are blooming and the cornflowers. It’s lovely to see so many butterflies, hoverflies and bees in the garden. Ben has moved his way from snooze point to snooze point during the day.
Agastache Morello
Lavandula augustifolia Vintro White
Sunday
The butterflies and bees have been busy in the Magic Garden today in the sun. Ben cat has also been busy.
Roses
I have a five roses in the garden - 2 in the front garden, 1 against the back fence, 1 against the side fence and my “Hedgewatch” rose that is in a big tub so I can take it with me when / if I move. They are all blooming but only the wee rose in the pot has undamaged blooms after all the wind and the heavy showers.
Saturday
A few small tasks done in the Magic Garden today between very heavy showers. The fruit is coming on well and the rain will have helped.
Friday
The sun came out this afternoon & out of the wind I spent a happy spell of time just sitting enjoying the Magic Garden with my cat.
Thursday
It’s been a busy bee day today. I visited Stanton Hall Gardens to buy some plants for the front garden. I took the opportunity to treat myself to a new ginger rosemary as well as some dwarf French beans as I didn’t get round to sowing mine. I was quite proud of myself as I didn’t buy anything else extra today except for some snapdragons! Quite a lot of the plants in the Magic Garden came from there originally including the snapdragons going into their second year. Ben-cat’s collection of nips are blooming really well now & the bees are enjoying them almost as much as he does.
Wednesday
I’ve gradually been planting out a mix of plants into the front garden - more heuchera including a new favourite for me ‘Purple Crinkle’ which as its name suggests has ruffled edges & a silver overlay; two rhodanthemum; 2 fuchsia Mrs Popple & a pink Dianthus. I also rehomed some strays from the back garden.
Tea break in the Magic Garden
I didn’t have time to do any gardening today despite having some plants to get into the front garden in the next day or two, but I did have time for a cup of tea and a check in on the bees as well as Ben.
Busy Sunday
I had little time to spare for the Magic Garden today beyond planting out some lettuces, which hopefully won’t become slug fodder, and some sunflowers.Its extremely windy so the garden is getting a bit of a battering. I had hoped we would have some rain today but the showers seem to have passed us by. I’ve used boiled water for my new carnivorous plants but the rest of the garden is largely having to take its chances beyond ensuring the pond stays topped up and there is water for the birds..
Sunny Saturday
I’ve done some work on the front garden & added in some new plants along the edge of the border and some foxgloves under the rowan tree.
Heuchera Silver Gum Drop
Heuchera Victoria
Tiarella ‘Oregon Trall’
Hardy geranium
Heuchera Alfie
In the back garden, the vegetables and fruit are coming on well. I have planted out the courgettes and rehomed a rhubarb crown. I look forward to the gooseberries and raspberries. The earliest pickings of kale are possible now. My container garden works well for the vegetables.
New Additions
We had a lovely sunny afternoon and warm too despite still being windy. I’ve invested in four new carnivorous plants to replenish the ones I bought some time back and spent some time refreshing my trough and pot that contained the originals.
Darlingtonia californica
Drosera intermedia
Drosera anglica
Sarracenia alata Purple Throat
Alliums
This year’s stars so far for me in the Magic Garden have been my alliums. According to my records I have 10 white Allium Ping Pong, 3 White Giants & 2 Mount Everest and 8 Allium Cristophii & 2 Allium Gladiator. I’m not convinced they have all come out but am already making plans as to where more of these tall alliums need to go in - in particular I think I will add some more purple giants into the front border part for next year. The Cristophii with their open stars are I think my favourites but they are not very robust in the wind we currently have.
Tuesday
I didn’t have much time in the Magic Garden today because it decided to rain inconveniently this afternoon. Ben & I sat for a short time this evening enjoying the peace and quiet as the sun disappeared again. The last few blooms of the Granny bonnets were looking attractive - I will collect the seedbeds to start off the next batch as they are slowly disappearing again from the garden. I noticed I have a red hot poker coming into bloom. It appears to be the solo survivor of a group of three.
Late May Bank Holiday Monday
Not much sunshine today although Ben chased an early sun puddle & it remains windy. I planted out a couple of ‘rescued’ Pulmonaria Trevi Fountains at the back in front of the Winter border’s dogwoods. They join my gradually increasing collection there, with Pulmonaria opal blooming the best. I love the leaves of these plants, said to resemble lung tissue.
I planted out some foxgloves yesterday under the rowan tree and also under the black elder, hoping they will cope with the shade and dryness of both positions. Some of the ones at the back from last autumn’s planting are just coming into flower while the masses of geranium phaeum is going over. The bees are still enjoying it but I think I will chop it back at the end of the week to see if it will bloom again. The magnolia bloom is beautiful still in the back corner & there are scattered roses at the back too. The foxgloves I’ve planted are next to some blue irises that are just coming into bloom catching up with the white ones at the front of the Magic Garden.
Warm & windy
As predicted we had some rain overnight and the wind has increased too but the air feels warm. I spent a chunk of this morning working in the front garden and then this afternoon in the Magic Garden taking time to appreciate the bees and just how good the Magic Garden is looking at the moment. Ben spent most of the afternoon on the cold frame shading its contents.
Friday afternoon
The sun was still with us this afternoon but it is noticeably chillier and rain is predicted for overnight. In the meantime I’ve planted out the last of the sweetpeas needing to move around some of the obelisk supports & wind spinners to make room. I’ve done a bit more pulling up of weeds & filled up my neighbour’s garden bin as well as mine as well as adding to the hotbin composter. Ben checked out all areas of the Magic Garden before snoozing.
Enjoying the Sun
It’s been lovely this afternoon to sit with a cuppa and enjoy the sunshine & watch the bees while Ben snoozed. The irises & alliums are so proving their worth.
Another sunny afternoon
I spent the afternoon in the Magic Garden and have planted out some bedding plants and done some maintenance work in the main Magic portion. I think I have identified a new problem visitor - a narcissis bee fly. The true bees are also active around the Magic Garden while Ben was noticeably inactive!
Sunshine
Last autumns bulb planting spree is paying off with the irises joining the allium party. The white ones have come out first but there are buds across the Magic Garden. Ben and I spent chunks of day outside enjoying the sun
