Was That It?!...

We're just a few hours away from September and I have to say I feel rather cheated out of a decent summer this year. Although there's been several butterflies, numbers are down on previous years, and bees have been almost completely invisible. Apparently snails are thriving - or so it seems by the destruction of the leaves on my cherry tree despite my best efforts at removing the little pests.

You can't go far wrong with geraniums, and mine are no exception. The begonias have done unexpectedly well too, but other plants have been well below par. The buddleia is a disappointment as is the red jasmine (both should've attracted the bees but both lacked significant blooms).

The mint was a good idea as it's now filled the wall planters after I replaced the lacklustre lobelias. It's also beginning to flower, which is good. The chives are putting on a great display as always.

There's rumours of an 'Indian Summer' but I won't be holding my breath...

Dragonfly Days...

I love hazy summer mornings lazing around in the garden. At the moment, the butterflies are still enjoying the buddleia, although bees remain conspicuous by their absence this year. I've just started to see a few Southern Hawker dragonflies making an appearance.

The begonias are now almost all in flower and although the majority of those which survived the winter in the shed are red, at least 1 white and 1 yellow are now in flower.

I was lucky enough to be given a fuchsia (Tom Thumb) as a birthday gift and it's now in bud for the second time, which is fantastic as I've never owned one before. The pink geraniums are also flowering and looking lovely.

The chives have begun to bud and a few are about to flower, so very soon there will be pretty white flowers along an otherwise bland wall. The mint in the wall planters (which replaced the failing lobelias) are thriving. Long may it last...

Hot & Sweaty...

The humidity seems to have drained all the energy from the garden, as well as me. Sweat seems to pour from my skin simply by sitting still and the plants look quite sorry for themselves, despite copious amounts of expensive tap water applied daily.

I'd used a fair amount of Miracle Gro on the buddlias but even though there's more blooms than last summer they're still not attracting the quantity of butterflies and bees of previous years. While I've seen lots of peacocks, red admirals and tortoiseshells, as well as a few gatekeepers, I've only spotted one comma and one painted lady so far. Even whites are few and far between!

The chives are beginning to bud, and the mint I used to replace the dying lobelias in my wall planters seem to have taken ok, but my three bee hotels remain worryingly devoid of any guests this year. At least the new pink geraniums in the planters look reasonably healthy and the begonias are mostly starting to flower...

Hot, Hot, Hot...

It seems that today is scheduled to be the hottest day of the year so far, which is welcome news indeed after all the damp, grey days we’ve encountered so far. Disappointed with my planters, I threw the remains of the marigolds and Californian poppies into the compost bin and replaced them with dark & light pink geraniums. Much nicer.

The lobelias were an epic fail too, so the planters on the wall are now filled with mint, and three of my terracotta tubs have also been re-planted with herbs (1 mint and 2 rosemary). The begonias have been surprisingly successful.

Despite the fabulous buddleias there’s a distinct lack of butterflies so far. I’ve seen a few peacocks, a couple of tortoiseshells and a large white. Bees are thin on the ground also. Only time will tell whether they turn up or not…

Summer Sunshine...

After several weeks of warm but wet weather, the past two days have been utterly gorgeous - long may it last! The damp conditions haven't been good for the marigolds, which now look a little 'mouldy', and the lobelias don't appear to have enjoyed it much either and despite slug pellets the snails have munched their way through about a quarter of them. The ones in planters on the wall seem to have done better than those in the borders.

However, the buddleias are on the verge of blooming which should bring the butterflies into the garden again with any luck. Haven't actually seen that many so far this year. The geraniums which managed to survive the winter are in flower, and add a splash of red to the garden. The Californian Poppies have been the start this summer, and will provide plenty of seeds to ensure a good display next summer.

The parsley has now gone to seed, the jasmine is no longer flowering and the birds have eaten all of my wild cherries, but the begonias which I was almost sure hadn't survived the winter are all looking very promising. Predictably, the ornamental poppies didn't last long.

My bee hotels remain devoid of guests, which is a concern as by now the tubes should be home to baby bees which will hatch out next spring. Hmm.... 

Red and Yellow and Pink and Green...

I really love this time of year, when the garden is beginning to fill with colourful blooms. I have a couple of ornamental poppies in the border which are always a pleasure to see. The tescos lobelias are doing remarkably well and really do look nice in the tubs. Two of last years red geraniums have survived outdoors last winter, proving how mild it actually was.

The jasmine has started going off a bit but the planters are stunning with marigolds, californian poppies, alyssum and lobelias. I'm still hugely impressed at quite how much self-seeded from last summer, saving me a small fortune on bedding plants.

The begonias that I over-wintered in my shed  are starting to show promise, although it'll be a while yet before I find out what colours they'll be. Nine of the original twelve appear to have survived, which is more than I ever imagined. I'd like to see the orange and yellow ones but I suspect I'll end up with reds and whites. We shall see...

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...

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...

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...

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...!

Easter Bank Holiday Monday...

After a damp and dismal Easter Sunday, the sun has come out and along with it are my baby bees! I've never actually seem them emerging from my bee hotel before so it was quite a thrill to watch them taking their first tentative steps outside my old baked bean tin this morning.

Although we did have rain yesterday the ground remains parched, so I reluctantly used the watering can to freshen things up a bit. The white jasmine has never, ever had so many buds and I look forward to seeing it in full bloom soon.

The wildflower mix that I waxed lyrical about last year has self-seeded and already there's alyssum and Californian Poppies growing in the troughs. Hopefully my small suburban garden will now begin to flourish...

No April Fool...

It really has been gorgeous weather today. The white jasmine looks like it'll blossom within a week or so and the smallest of my two magnolia has finally flowered. The red jasmine remains stubbornly without buds. I hope it's just a late starter this year as the bees go mad for it.

The wild cherry blossom is all but gone, however, for the first time I've actually got blossom on my newest cherry tree (bought two years ago from Tesco). I even have several plants growing from where I planted my Wild Flower mix last spring. Clearly some of the plants self-seeded which is excellent news.

The bees show no signs of emerging from their hotel, which is slightly worrying as I felt certain this lovely sunshine would be ideal for them to hatch out. I expect they'll do it in their own time.

I've harvested my parsley and chives and they were delicious with my salad at lunchtime. Hopefully that was the first of many home grown meals...

Hello Spring...

I always look forward to seeing the cherry blossom on my tree, and now, despite the cloudy sky and forecast of wind and rain for later, it’s finally bloomed and I can say without fear of contradiction that spring has officially arrived in my small suburban garden.

The buddleia are in leaf, the magnolia has been out for a couple of weeks and the white jasmine looks on the verge of flowering. The red jasmine is lagging somewhat behind and I hope that it soon bucks up it’s ideas as the bees adore it.

Talking of bees, mine are still safely tucked up in their bee hotel by the water butt, however, I guess it won’t be long before they start breaking free through their little mud front doors.

My gorgeous daughters gave me some seeds at xmas (nemophila, lobelia, sweet peas, morning glory, buzy lizzie and gazania) so I’ve sprinkled these around the borders and tubs. I know that these are meant to be lovingly cultivated into seedlings and then carefully placed outdoors but I simply don’t have the time or the patience.

I’ve also now planted out the begonia tubers which I dug up in the autumn, although they felt a bit soggy and the newspaper I’d hoped would keep them dry was quite damp. I suspect that none of them will grow, but time will tell…

MARCH 22, 2014 

Boing, Boing, Boing...

That’s the sound of spring! Well, it is in my head anyway.

It’s the warmest day of 2014 so far and it’s fabulous. The magnolia is in bloom, which always gladdens the heart, and I’ve seen more ladybirds in the space of ten minutes than I did in the whole of 2013.

The mini daffs are looking very pretty, as are the pale yellow primulas. I even saw a couple of butterflies fluttering overhead. Unfortunately they were gone too quickly for me to identify them but it’s a very good sign to see them about.

There’s much to do in the next month or so; the shed door needs sanding and painting with preserver, the fence needs another coat of preserver and there’s decisions to be made regarding this years bedding plants.

But for now, the sun is shining, the sky is blue and I couldn’t be happier. Long may it last…

MARCH 9, 2014 

Has Spring Sprung?...

Despite yesterday’s cold, wet, windy weather, today it’s positively spring-like, with blue skies and sunshine. The primulas are beginning to flower and the jasmine and magnolia are in bud.

The parsley, chives, rosemary and thyme have all managed to survive the winter and are providing some greenery. Crocuses are beginning to show the promise of flowering and the tete-a-tete daffodils I planted, which had already flowered on my kitchen windowsill, appear to be attempting to flower a second time.

The buddleia is as strong as ever and I’m hopeful for a decent show of blooms this summer. The baby bees remain safe in their house by the water butt.

There’s still a nip in the air, and there’s dull and wet weather forecast for the week ahead, but for now I shall begin to enjoy what appears to be the changing of the season…

MARCH 3, 2014  

Wet and Warm...

Well, maybe not warm but I’m reliably informed that it has been mild ‘for the time of year‘, and this does appear to be the case.

After numerous grey days the sun has finally shone, so I popped outside to inspect my small suburban garden. Predictably, there were piles of soggy leaves in the corners to sweep up, and a decidedly un-spring like nip in the air. However, the small shoots of the crocuses have broken through the soil and there are a few ragged but colourful primulas in flower.

Two weeks ago I chopped back the parsley so I could enjoy it in my cheese & onion sandwiches, and regrowth has been swift. The buddleias have optimistic shoots and both the rosemary and thyme have so far managed to survive (famous last words).

The magnolia has its furry little shoots and the bee house seems to be holding up – keeping it’s precious contents safe until spring. Fingers crossed…

JANUARY 28, 2014

Wot, No Snow...

It’s 20th December and despite the doom and gloom predicted by the forecasters it’s remarkably sunny outdoors today. Of course, it’s far from sun-bathing weather but nonetheless it’s actually jolly nice.

I have a few hardy geraniums still hanging on in there, and the buddleia (as ever) seem to think it’s springtime, along with a few primulas flowers to add colour to an otherwise brown theme. I chopped back the lobelias, chives and wild-flower mix last week and swept up the inevitable leaves, but apart from that I’ve done very little to my Small Suburban Garden in recent weeks.

The bird boxes remain stubbornly empty, but hopefully they’ll be used next year.

The red jasmine has a few remaining glossy black berries for passing birds and the magnolia is sporting it’s furry buds now.

The garden table is now covered over for the winter and the BBQ remains unused in it’s spot by the shed. Oh well, that’s it for another year…

DECEMBER 20, 2013

Autumn Sunshine...

After several decidedly damp days it was a treat to be outdoors in the sunshine today – long may it last! Blue skies and a bit of warmth on your face can do wonders to lift the spirits at this time of year.

The buddleias had been past their ‘best before’ dates for some time, so I figured now was the time to chop them back for the winter. There hasn’t been a single butterfly in the garden for the past couple of weeks now, and only the occasional bee.

Other than the wonderful wild-flower mix, the real starts of the show have been the begonias, which are still offering plenty of colour to an otherwise brown and soggy scene.

Sweeping wet leaves has been a chore, but needs must. The chives have now gone to seed, which I shall sprinkle in various corners of the borders in the hope of a few extra flowers next summer. The jasmine is sporting some juicy black berries, which I hope the birds will enjoy. Despite the fabulous sunshine there is the familiar nip in the air and I suspect it won’t be too much longer before the bad weather arrives…

OCTOBER 24, 2013 

After The Rains...

Yesterday was a total washout. Not only did the temperature drop dramatically but it poured for hours and hours. There were also strong winds, so when I stepped, with some trepidation, into my small suburban garden this morning I wasn’t entirely sure what I might find.

Thankfully, the fence remains upright and plant damage appears minimal, if a tad wet. Predictably there’s red geranium petals everywhere and several of the begonias have been de-flowered, but all-in-all I’m quite relieved. There’s a soggy mass of wet leaves in various corners which will need to be swept up but that’s about it.

Some of the water droplets actually look very pretty, especially on the begonias. The chives have started to lose their white flowers in favour of seed heads and they look structurally fascinating. Unfortunately, there are very few flowers left on the buddleias so it won’t be long before I have to cut them back for the winter…

OCTOBER 12, 2013 

Thunderbolt and Lightning, Very Very Frightening...

Wow! What a storm we had last night! The begonias took a battering and there were quite a few flower heads to pick up off the floor when I went outside this afternoon. There’s leaves everywhere from various trees and bushes and everything’s now looking windswept.

However, the lobelias have decided to finally buck their ideas up and are making a last-ditch attempt to impress. The torrential rain has also seen the wild-flower mix perk up, with some new California poppies and more alyssum.

I figured we’d be in for some ‘interesting’ weather when I saw that the sky went orange about 6.30pm yesterday evening. There were a couple of rainbows beforehand which were very pretty but were a sure sign of the schizophrenic conditions that were to follow…

OCTOBER 4, 2013 

Dull, Dull, Dull...

I’m not entirely sure what the weather forecasters meant by ‘Indian Summer’ but I suspect it involved rather bluer skies and substantially more sunshine that we have at the moment.

There’s only been one or two butterflies on the buddleia for the past couple of weeks now, although there have been more bees. The lobelias are hanging on in there, as are the geraniums, but they looking past their ‘best before’ date.

The chives are in full flower though, and standing tall and proud. The wildflower mix has a few remaining California poppies, cosmos and alyssum but there’s nothing to get excited about on the honeysuckle or jasmine.

I’m highly impressed with the begonias. Having never grown them before I wasn’t expecting great things, but they have thrived. That’s something that will definitely go on the shopping list for 2014…

SEPTEMBER 23, 2013 

And Now, The End is Near...

The weather forecasters kept telling us that Thursday 5th September would be a scorchingly hot and sunny day…. but on Friday we would see a drop of 10 degrees or more and rain! They’re using the ‘A’ word (autumn) and that’s NOT what I want to hear, obviously. I accept that the daily ritual of watering isn’t my favourite chore (especially as we have a water meter) but I still have two geraniums which have yet to flower and the buddleia has (in my opinion) not yet reached it’s full butterfly capacity. It seem so unfair. There’s plenty of life left in the begonias and the wild-flower mix has even got it’s second wind.

I decided to spend every moment physically possible in my small suburban garden on the off-chance that the weathermen, and women, got it right for once, and I’m glad that I did. Friday has indeed, brought a marked drop in temperatures, a boringly grey sky and some of the wet stuff.

Whether this really is the end of the summer or if there are a few more fabulously sunny days left of 2013 only time will tell….

SEPTEMBER 6, 2013 

Giant Chives...

Despite the fact that the nights seem to be drawing in quite fast now, daytimes have seen several gloriously sunny weather recently, which is very much appreciated.

The small tortoiseshell butterflies are all over the buddleia, with the odd peacock, painted lady, white and comma occasionally visiting. However, the lack of red admirals is quite unusual and very disappointing.

The wild-flower mix is now looking quite straggly and I suspect it won’t be long before I have to remove it to the compost bin, but it’s definitely something I shall grow next year.

The red geraniums are finally putting in a good show, as are the multi-coloured begonias, but the lobelias really haven’t been up to scratch this year, despite my best efforts.

Neither the red or white jasmine flowered as much as I’d hoped, although the honeysuckle bloomed well. Both the thyme and rosemary have so far survived but the current stars of the show are the chives – they’re enormous!

AUGUST 29, 2013