Digging and Thinking: How Does My Garden Grow?

Back Border

Having found time to do news from the allotment – and it is still raining (Hooray!!) I shall do an update on the garden too. Back in the late winter I put a lot of flower seeds in my lovely heated propagator, they were given the usual two chances 'join us or die' (Sons of Fenris Gardening School – that's from Robin of Sherwood – well the Sons of Fenris bit anyway) and most of them chose to join us, although some decided to die later. I had lots of Rudbeckia Cherokee sunset; Nigella Persian Jewels; Ostritch Plume Asters; Shasta Daisies; Oriental Poppies and Evening Primroses. I have planted a lot around the garden and put a lot into a friend's garden (with permission!). The Penstemon never appeared and the few Electric Daisies sadly died. Better luck next year!

One basket

I have planted up three hanging baskets – and this year two of them are splendid – far better than any I've ever done before. I have added some of that Westland 'Grow Sure' to all the pots, baskets etc this year and I think it has made a difference. All the herbs have been repotted as they were all looking rather sorry for themselves. The planters which some of them occupied have been replanted with flowers. I did have some potatoes in planters but they have been harvested and replaced with flowers too. A lot of the plants that I have used were heading for the compost bin at work as they were too poorly to be sold. All they needed was a bit of a tidy up, potting on and lots of food and water.

Harlequin Buddlea & Rudbeckia

Front Border

I have steadily been adding a border to the front garden to disguise the long fence which is there. Last year was so dry and the soil is so bad that most plants didn't survive, except of course the good old fuchsias! This year I've added some of the aforementioned flowers which I grew from seed as well as more fuchsias (you can never have too many!). To add height and structure I’ve planted out my little Olive tree and an Acer which had no home. I may also put in a Mountain Ash which has outgrown it's pot.

In the back garden the border is slowly filling out – but the soil is very poor so again only the toughest make it.Last years Canterbury Bells put on a marvellous display in the spring. Again I've filled in all the gaps with the flowers I've grown from seed – at some point I hope they will all burst into a mass of flowers!

Not so Difficult Corner

Round on the difficult bed, which is far less difficult since the edge was boarded, things are going quite well, new fuchsias have been added and last year's Lobelia is still flowering!

The coalshed bed is looking glorious with the naughty fuchsias (which hardly stopped flowering all winter) joined by two new Fuchsia Divas and Lady Boothby growing tall at the back. Rather than witter on any further I shall say the rest in pictures.