According to good gardening wisdom, one should wait a full year in a new garden before doing anything to it. I am not sure that this advice extends to avoiding weeding, but so far my erratic health and the dreary weather have created a sense of inertia that has meant the poor garden has had to thrive in spite of my neglect thus far. I am glad to report though, that it has mostly managed to do so, and is putting on a rather lovely summer showing just now.
This is a favourite vista from near the chicken yard, by the pond rockery.
The bees are ALL over this lovely little pink shrub. I have no idea what it is (such a gardening novice…guess I will learn eventually) but it is right outside the end window in the lounge – which enhances the view no end.
I don’t think I had ever seen Honesty at this stage of it’s growth, having only ever encountered it in hideous 80’s dried flower arrangements. I rather love the greeny-purple nature of this incarnation.
This is apparently (forgive me if I am wrong) Orange Hawkweed – which is noxious in some places, as it is an amazing alpine self-seeder. It has rather taken over the rockery, but I think I kinda like it – though I do think that perhaps a little more thought to colour scheme could have gone into this garden, it has been a rather haphazard lurching from one shade of the spectrum to another – which does not appeal to the minialmist in me.
There is a certain wildness to the garden – which is not entirely due to my leaving it to it’s own devices. Little yellow poppies have appeared everwhere, not always to the Doctor’s liking, but I have been cheered by their sturdy delicacy. I suppose I should probably nip them in the bud at this stage to limit their spread for next year.
Another alpine that is doing remarkably well is the Alpine Strawberry which I discovered quite by accident this past weekend. Kaz was very keen to munch them all up, they made a tiny little treat for his afternoon tea.
Whilst we made a bit of a slow start in planting our vege garden this year (and thus may have missed out with some things), there is some evidence of growth – especially with the Elephant Garlic we planted at the outset of our gardening endeavours.
We discovered last year that many things we might have grown well in other places we have lived, will not survive the cool damp climate of Fife. But the ever-reliable poatato does extremely well here. We tried no-dig potatoes this year and they did not eventuate, but we love the lusciousness of our potato grow bags by the shed and are looking forward to harvesting them next month.
50 things for 50 