I decided not to grow spuds this year

but I slung some peelings of this and that in the bottom of the pea trench (which was going to be the bean trench before I decided to grow peas).

This was what I found after a bit of shoogling today ......




moral of the story, don't worry about blight and it won't worry about you.

:-)

p.s. hope things are going to get back to normal this week and hope to get some lottying and blogging done. Another guest left tonight about 7pm shortly after her upstairs flooded through our kitchen and bathroom ceilings. . Peace at last .........................

A little drop of Muscadet

Fuchsias everywhere

Been a bit of a slow week on both the plot and the lottie. Can't seem to get back into the swing of things so am just doing what's needed.

I'm growing a fabulous selection of tiny weeds that came free with the home grown compost atm. I'm looking for the silver lining lol. Guess it will just be a matter of disturbing their tiny feet until they can't be bothered any longer.

Just sown a tray of Perpetual Spinach that came free with KG mag. Hope it tastes better than when I was a kid.

Here's some more ballerinas to get me in the mood .............

Alice Hoffman

(a much improved) Snow White

Annabel & Rose of Denmark (still my faves)

Empress of Prussia

Jack Shahan

Son of Thumb





My guru says take cuttings in September, so I definitely will be. I just love these delicate little things.

Off to scour the locality for pallets today, as soon as this hangover clears. :-)

Harry Potter stops play

It used to be rain that I had to contend with, but now I've got my mitts on the latest HP and nothing else is getting touched until it's done.

Well, not strictly true, pulled the last of the Parmex carrits the night before last and then had some out of the bath last night. Think they were red cored Chantenay but of course all labels have gone white even if I could see them under the foliage.

Just moved some pots of fuchsias where I can see them from the office window. Need to ask about taking cuttings soon as next year fuchsias will be the new petunias !

Muscadet lilies have finally put in an appearance and smelling gorgeous. Candytufts are in bloom as are some more Morning Glories.

Hopefully will have HP finished tonight and can get back to the important business.

Cheerybye.

xx

More flower pics - poppy explosion

First up we've got Evening Primrose. I grew these from seed a couple of years ago but this is the first year I've actually had any blooms. I like the way the bud starts out pale peach and then turns lemon.








Then we've got Acanthus Mollis (Bear's Breeches), seed supplied by Mum. I swear only three germinated and one didn't survive, but now a third one has grown larger than the initial two. I think it's the same plant but obviously it could be a weed !




Another one of Mum's seed sets - Love in the Mist which was sown right where the guttering overflows when it rains hard. I'm surprised anything has survived at all there. Can't wait for the buds to burst.




And now for the poppies. I've rather over crowded the bed but the only weeds that seem to be surviving is the Mare's Tale. Now there's a shock. That's Alstroemeria in the background in next door's border.





Think the yellow is the first of the Californian Poppies kind supplied by Mama and Brian. Will get out there with the camera today hopefully to find it's opened up.





I love the way the blooms fight their way out of the pod a bit like chicks hatching. No doubt there will be loads more piccies to follow unless the forecast heavy rain smashes everything to a pulp. Fingers crossed.


We're being overrun by magpies atm. Must be babies I think and they show no fear. They keep scrabbling around the base of the feeder. Monsters they may be but at least the flying rats seems to be keeping away. Swap one pest for another eh ?

I'm going to try and increase my lavender stock today, I transplanted two cuttings in the front successfully a few weeks ago and have decided to try and fill the border, easy peasy gardening. One of the mini-greenhouses is filling up with new sowings and cuttings already. Just when you think you've got clear shelves it all starts again.

The monbretia spears are just forming out the front. With that and sunrise getting later each morning, says to me that winter's on it's way lol.

Must get up to the lottie today too. This week has been a bit of a right off where hard work is concerned. I've managed to pot up a few of the Passiflora (variety unknown) but immediately I'd done so, I was told that they are thugs and need a bit of space. I shall repot today lol.

The clematis durandii buds are getting bigger and the Morning Glordy Purple Haze are blooming nicely but the Knowlians Black and Star of Yelta (SoY supplied by Georgie) have yet to arrive.

The white Muscadet Lilies are just popping but very much smaller than the first year when they were dinner plate size.

Very grim and overcast so far today but don't want to get struck by lightning so will leave the brolly at home.

cheers m'dears.

What I woke up to this morning

Of course within seconds the heavens opened but now we are very wet but I can see sun reflecting off the church wall at the bottom of the garden. Promising.

When I looked out the front window I saw this monster beauty so dashed out with the camera before the rain flattened it. I'm expecting the men in white coats to come and take me away some time very soon.










I just love poppies (if you can catch them while they're in bloom and before they get flattened). Got a whole bed full of various different varieties out the side of the house. I'll be keep my camera handy over the next few days as there's more than a couple just ready to pop.

I've had a request for pics

Rain early on meant that it was the plot rather than the lottie that got my attention today. Got loads done, tidied, consolidated, watered (where necessary) and have tried to put some names to some of the flowers. So here goes.


Chillis and Peppers

The aubs & a wee helper .... I hope

THE BUCKET RAINBOW TRIAL CARRITS !

The strawbs looked as if they could do with a haircut so I gave them one and found all these hiding !

Hestia dwarf runners

Courgettes are in abundance. They're doing much better this year mainly I think cos they're in the ground. I've only got one in a pot and even that's doing better than last year.

The tomatoes:


A Supersprout Pineapple

Gardeners Delight

Legend

A few Marmande





One of the tomatoes that got thrown in the ground late through lack of pots. Looking pretty healthy even if it is a bit behind the others.



One of the squash's not sure which one, could be an Ahmed's Bosnian.






Supersprout's JA's are reaching for the sky !





Marigolds:



The calendulas just keep on coming

This came from the last year's Naughty Marietta

batch, don't know if it's a mutant or what ?

Jolly Jester

Naughty Marietta, reliable as always

Think these are Red Marietta, please feel free to put me right if it's not.

Pelargolium leaf. Obviously not how it should look but thought it was interesting nevertheless

Absolute wall of sweet peas

One of the last lilies

Diascia Flying Colors - Appleblossom

(3rd summer plant and has really grown this year)

Passion flower, bottle brush and Spanish palm all from seed




Fuchsias:

Deep Purple

Needs a name - help please

Annabel
(my current favourite)

Rose of Denmark

The two of these together look really pretty together.

Snow White (bit disappointed with this one, but I'll give it a feed and see if it improves).

Currently called "Gavin" but need the real name.

Empress of Prussia Son of Thumb

Jack Shahan Delta's Sarah

A dwarf sunflower struggling with the weather







So there we are. There's a few things that got left out, the front border for instance. The beetroot are coming on fine and the fruit bushes never got their pics taken either but are doing ok. Some red currants have ripened nicely but only about 6 in total, so if the birds get them then good luck to them.

I put the gooseberries in the ground where the onions and garlic came out of and they've put on new growth already. Doubt very much if I'll get anything this year but you never know do you ?

I transplanted the rosemary bush into another bed vacated by the garlic and that can be it's new permanent home. I'm a bit sick of tripping over pots all over the place so am trying to fill beds with permanent residents.


Thought this bee with his nose in the nasturtiums was quite cute. Doing his job like a good boy.

Hope things are going well where you are. Clear blue sky again tonight, so I hope it stays like that for tomorrow as it's the lottie's turn.

NN peeps.

xx