Too Warm Thursday

It has been ridiculously warm here today given this is NE England by the coast - 31C in the Magic Garden at one point today. Its also of course still very dry. I wasn’t at work so largely was pottering around. As a post-physiotherapy treat, I bought some not quite dead plants including a buddleia lochinch and a Baby Barnsley lavetera. I have trimmed back the plants, generating cuttings. The buddleia looked much better afterwards. I had already taken one from the buddleia Buzz Hot Raspberry that I planted out in the front garden today.

The buddleia fits in well into the top end of the front garden colour-wise. I soaked it so it should hopefully be ok despite the weather.

Warm working Wednesday

Its warm and sunny here again. I’ve been at work, where it was nice and cool, but came home to a balmy evening, a cat who was enjoying his catnip and a garden that is just beginning to show signs of drought & heat.

The overall catnip patch is doing well but the white version is struggling to get established. I’ve decided to investigate taking cuttings from it. I’m loving the brighter colours in the Magic Garden even if they’re not always in the right places! The gazanias in the tubs were closing by the time I came in from work.

Tuesday

I had a lovely day off today with my friend dragging her down the quayside and viewing the bridges. Its hot again and I needed to water selected plants and stole a moment to photograph some bees

Monday

Busy day today as besides work I was being a patient this morning and I have a friend staying tonight.so tonight’s photos are from the 8th August 2016

Sunny Sunday too

Beautiful day here again today so was a little disappointed to have rather a lot to do which kept me out of my garden. I have been enjoying my bird visitors and they have just started on the rowan berries but are mainly interested in the feeders still

Ben slept nearly all day in the sun!

Sunny Saturday

Its been a lovely sunny if windy Saturday and pleasantly warm. I haven’t watered anything other than the tomatoes and cucumbers today but am expecting to do a full watering again tomorrow. I am enjoying the amount of flowers that are around and enjoying finding the blooms hidden away like the pretty star-like flowers of the isotoma. I’m also taking pleasure from the crocosmia that I have spread around the garden - I think it is Crocosmia x crocosmilflora Emily McKenzie

Ben is fully recovered now from his operation although he is still tending not to stray that far from me during the day and I suspect lurks where he is in easy reach of the house.

Next to the isotoma, there is a hotspur diascia. Its redness sticks out a bit but as I am not expecting it to survive more than one season it can stay where it is under the rowan tree.

Friday

I was very late home from work today so relieved there has been at least a shower of rain today so need to go out and water the garden again.

This year only one of the new perennial sweetpeas seems to have survived. It is very floriferous and growing rapidly up its support - I will put a taller support in for it next year as I expect it will gain vigour in future seasons. It is a slightly surprising shade of pink. My annual sweetpeas are going over now as I didn’t keep up with deadheading them but I will collect seeds from them and see if I can grow as many next year again.

Thursday

I got stung by bees twice today - I have more than one nest in the garden and will have to remember to be more careful when I put my hands into the flower borders, I am really happy with how the garden is looking at the moment and the mist-mash works very well. More new blooms out - I think the new favourites are the bergamot but the achillea ‘lilac beauty’ might become a favourite with the bees once they leave the flowering garlic alone.

Wednesday

Another day at work & late home again! Ben joined me as I walked round the Magic Garden and inspected the bees. I should really do some watering but it will have to wait until tomorrow now. The blackberries are coming on well now so I’m beginning to imagine blackberry & apple crumble!

Tuesday

I had a lovely long snooze in the garden today - totally unintentionally - and also a bit of a fail with the ‘proper’ camera so will have to re-take photos tomorrow!

Monday

Another long working day, but although a bit on the cool grey side it was dry when I got home so I spent a few minutes sitting in the Magic Garden, watching Ben, the bees and my family of long-tailed tits.

Saturday

I’ve been busy in the garden today planting into both back and front gardens. In the front garden I added in an Agastache Poquito Orange, an Astilbe Delft Lace and a penstemon Summertime Pink

In the back garden I’ve added in an Agastache Morello and a Salvia Salvatore Blue into the Magic North quadrant and coreopsis into the back corner

Tuesday

I’ve been quite busy today away from the Magic Garden and poor Ben has been back to the vets. He was distinctly less than impressed but continues to be quite clingy so I don’t think he’s feeling all that fabulous

I’m really pleased with my Campanula pyramidal, chimney bellflowers especially the ones in the ‘west’ segment. They are taking over from the blue aconites & the Chinese foxglove for bee interest although the real interest for them seems to be the centaurea ‘silver feather’

Working Monday

It decided to tip it down with rain when I came home -which at least meant I didn’t need to get the watering can out! The front garden in particular will have appreciated a good watering as I had added in some more perennials to the border.

I planted two coreopsis ‘early sunrise’; divided up some Salvia ‘Deep Blue’ and an Achillea Apricot Delight.

Sunday

I had another good session in the Magic Garden today both cutting back, deadheading & gap filling. At the back I placed a heuchera ‘silver scrolls’ and another nepeta. I am really pleased with how this wee border is filling itself out.