Sweet Peas, Dahlias and Cosmos oh my!

Well, I didn't want to overload the last post with pictures.  I've also been sat thinking that I don't want to appear all self indulgent and look at what I can grow with my blog.  I am no expert and love sharing gardening tips with folk, and learning from others too. Part of the condition I was diagnosed with does affect my mood and all of a sudden I can be really hyper - hence two posts in one day! But I think I just wanted to share some of what I have been up to - especially as many of my friends are all over the place, and gardening friends likewise!

Sweet peas are coming into their own, I find with sweet peas they seem to sit there for ages, resenting you planting them out - and all of a sudden get over it and shoot away.....With such lovely scent and flowers I don't blame them for being a bit diva 'ish'.  They don't like root disturbance, and I grow them in longer pots to give them a long root run....they still sulked, but look what I picked today. Keep cutting your sweet peas for more flowers, feed and weed around them and you will get blooms all summer.  They can get mildew, so keep them watered and in good health to avoid.

 

 

Like a lot of things in life trends come and go. I remember in the 1990's when life was supposed to mirror a Calvin Klein Advert dahlias were relegated to the compost bin - literally.  Now they have had a resurgence, and why not!  Hell indeed why not.  They are easy to grow, come in a wide range of forms and colours, single ones provide great nectar for pollinators and I love them.  Now you may recall a few posts ago I listed what I had ordered, not all are doing so great, and a massive slug/snail attack has meant a few are sadly behind....but I'm really pleased with what has come out so far, and sure they will perform well into early autumn.

 

 

 

 

Peonies & Poppies

Not blogged for a bit, I am afraid 2015 hasn't been the most productive gardening year....BUT we are making progress.

Broad beans are filling out, runner beans in and even a courgette and squash are in!  The tulips are just coming to the end, so once these go over dahlias and cosmos will replace them.  Taking advantage of the early evening sunshine I have been planting out some more sweet peas...I am a sucker for sweet peas.

So you might recall that our back garden was a sea of concrete...one skip later and we are making some progress.  We have taken out a fair bit, put lawn seed down, just to give us more green and time to plan the next stages.....

The greenhouse as much as I love it, really isn't used to its full, so we have decided to downsize and move the location of one, and create a seating area surrounded by plants. This will be a 2016 project I think!

 

 

Ooops, I seem to have been distracted and not edited this post or published it...bit out of date now.  So poppies and peonies are amongst my favourite flowers, due to a lack of borders we have created a mixed square plot near the back of the garden, which started life out as a nursery bed for divided perennials, it has now become a little jumble of cottage garden plants.

 

The broad beans, remember the variety was The Sutton are doing really well and we had a great crop the other night, black fly seems to be a real problem this year.  I have self seeded nasturtium around which is claimed draws the black fly away from plants, plus I have garlic planted near the broad beans too.  Lot's of ladybird larvae about doing their job, and when watering I blast the plants to shift the black fly. Andrew said black fly are like fleas, and I have to agree, they suck the life sap from the plant, sapping its health making it vulnerable to disease....urrrgh enough about them.

 



I think this shows the difference - you can see the new lawn has taken, grass seed worked a treat, even though the wood pigeons loved it!  I'm not fussed about a perfect lawn, daisies, buttercups all welcome! 

 

First crop of broad beans ready to be podded, steamed and devoured! It was my turn to cook, I cheated with a M&S  £10 meal for two! But I accompanied the Sea Bass with broad beans, peas and courgettes.  Yum! Yes Sea Bass, new potatoes, two raspberry panna cottas and two bottles of  sparkling elderflower presse - check me out and check that deal out!  

 



The nursery bed has become a riot of colour!  The Elderflower at the back is lovely, think I've missed the boat for elderflower syrup, but the berries are much loved by the birds....I could always make some elderberry syrup....which is great for warding off colds!

 

 

 A peony, old fashioned double, just sublime....