Welcoming back an old friend!
A small garden in Merseyside packed with a variety of different features.
In the back garden a froth of self-sown forget-menots looks terrific with the flowers of our old rhododendron in the background catching the eye. The rhodo was a cutting taken from the very first plant we put in the garden nearly 40 years ago. So it’s great to welcome it back, looking as it did all those years ago.
Looking just as good is a wellestablished dwarf rhododendron and looking across the garden with it in the foreground and the light and shade making patterns, lifted my spirits.
The mature Mexican orange blossom ( Choisya ternata) on the fence behind the pond is filling the garden with perfume just as the flowers of Skimmia japonica ‘Fragrant Cloud’ have finished.
In the front garden, the laburnum, in flower together with self-sown honesty, produced such an attractive display I had the perfect excuse not disturb it to paint the gates!
Meanwhile, the violas, planted last autumn in the small border next to the lawn, continue to flower profusely. They can stay for a few more weeks as tender plants harden off.
The first real pests have surfaced, with an explosion of lily beetles partying on the fritillaries and emerging lily growth. Needless to say they’ve been made aware of the error of their ways and escorted from the premises!
In the greenhouse, the summer edibles are well on the way. The salad leaves are growing well and the tomatoes and cucumber are revelling in the warmer conditions. Seed potatoes planted in a large pot have made impressive top growth – hopefully it will be converted into a good crop.
The first few strawberries will be picked in the next few days and with the tender plants going outside I’ll have more space on the staging for seed sowing and cutting taking.
I must confess, working in the greenhouse at this time of year is quite addictive!