In the Garden

Hello everyone. 

I have been outside in my garden this week. Everything is growing quickly in the garden after all the rain and sunshine we have had recently. Bees are buzzing, birds are singing, and it is a real joy to work and sit in the garden.

The area along our back fence has long been a problem space; we couldn't think of anything to grow there until a few months ago. I scattered some wildflower seeds and a few other old packets of seeds, and let nature take its course. While we have not had any flowers yet, there have been plenty of leaf varieties, and I'm sure the wildlife will enjoy the area regardless.

Some plants will undoubtedly turn out to be weeds, but I'm happy for them to survive in that part of the garden. In the photo, they look a little wilted with the heat, but they will be fine with some watering. 

A little further up the garden, we have the pond, and growth is exuberant with lots of plants. I think the bark mulch we put down last year has really helped keep weeds down and reduce the amount of watering we need.

Elsewhere in the garden, I have plenty of both veg and flowers growing.

And speaking of growing, this year, I have been trying to grow a few new things for the garden. So far, they all seem to be doing well with plenty of leaves emerging; I'm just waiting for the flowers to bloom. The lily is called ' Star Gazer' - pink, the begonias are 'Sunray'- peach/lemon and the dahlias, 'Banana Latte' - cream, and 'Pretty Woman'- pink.

Another new project has been the jute string and bamboo cane trellis to grow my peas and sweet peas along. I shall make a few adjustments for next year, but I like the idea of my veg and flowers growing up together. I will let you all know how that works out later in the summer.

Inside the house, my patience has finally been rewarded with the orchids starting to flower again. It has been over twelve months since this last happened, and I had almost given up hope. However, over the last few weeks, I noticed new growth on two of them, and this morning the first bud has opened. I am hoping for more flowers in the coming weeks. 

Here in the UK, many areas are going to be very hot next week. Stay safe in the heat if that applies to you. If you are getting a cooler week, may it still be a good week for you, whatever your plans.