My Small Suburban Garden

My Small Suburban Garden

Sunday 25 May 2014

Drink Up Me Hearties, Yo Ho...



This Bank Holiday weekend has so far seen a fair amount of the wet stuff, with more forecast for the coming days. Despite this, I've still had to water a few of my planters as the wind has a tendency to dry things out almost instantly.



The lobelias appear to enjoy a good drink (don't we all!!) and a few of them are starting to flower. Both the white and the red jasmine are playing host to hundreds of bees, which is always good to see, and the plants that self-seeded from the wild-flower mix I bought last spring are coming along nicely.



The bright orange Californian Poppies are the current starts of the show and there's also some white alyssum in the tubs for a bit of contrast. Two of the 4 geraniums that survived the winter are doing well (the remaining two are looking very unwell at this point) and the begonias are getting stronger by the day.



Although the rain is good for the garden, and saves me having to use expensive tap water, it'd be nice to think that June will bring forth a bit more sunshine. I guess that time will tell...

Tuesday 13 May 2014

Make Your Mind Up...!

I thought that April was the month for showers, not May! One minute there's blue sky and sunshine, the next the sky is black and either rain or hail (or both) fall out of the clouds.



On a positive note, all this rain has done wonders for my Small Suburban Garden. The white jasmine looks astonishing with so many blooms and even the red jasmine has decided to flower - which the bees are thoroughly enjoying.



The cheap lobelias I bought from Tescos last week are looking relatively healthy in the tubs and borders, and the parsley has almost doubled in size over the past 2 weeks. I appear to have 4 geraniums and 3 begonias that have survived from last summer, which is good, and the magnolia has surprised me by starting to flower again.



The wildflower mix in the back garden continues to thrive, and with any luck I shall see a few flowers within the next week or so...

Sunday 4 May 2014

Bee Babies...

It seems that the Bank Holiday weekend sunshine has encouraged the last of my baby bees out from their nests, which is a huge relief. I never know for certain how they've fared over the winter until I can see the holes in the muddy entrances to the tubes.



I have to say, I have never, ever seen so many flowers on my white jasmine. It's quite astonishing (and smells divine). The red jasmine is lagging behind somewhat but should be in flower by June (fingers crossed).



The Miracle-Gro wild flower mix that is so impressive in the front garden right now is also lagging behind, although I'm extremely pleased to see that most of last years flowers have self-seeded. I'm also thrilled that a few of the 11 begonias I believed had failed to make it through the winter in my shed. There's shoots appearing for 4 of them, however, only time will tell what the final figure will be...

Saturday 3 May 2014

The Gift That Keeps On Giving...




Last spring / summer I waxed lyrical about Miracle Gro Wildflower Mix, and it really was something special. However, I have now discovered that due to self-seeding, many of the beautiful flowers I enjoyed last year are growing once again, with absolutely no help from me!


Although the planters in the South-facing back garden have only just started to sprout foliage, with the promise of flowers to follow, my North-facing front garden (especially my window boxes) have been in bloom for the past few weeks. I am very much enjoying the view from my kitchen window as I spot alyssum, stocks and wallflowers along with Californian poppies.



The tiny patch of 'waste-land' by my front door was glorious a year ago, and that too is filling up nicely with all manner of wild flowers. Long may it continue...!