Busy Bee

I can't believe the summer's almost over, I've been so busy that the blog has been neglected. They say you shouldn't mention that you've been a poor blogger but how can you not?

Very busy month and rather stressful - we're knocking three rooms into one at home, 3 weeks in and still like a building site...will keep you posted on progress - windows and new kitchen going in end of September so has to be finished by then.

On the flower front, been busy with weddings, workshops and orders.

On the garden side of things, my cut flower perennial beds need a major overhaul - there are too many plants not pulling their weight and taking up too much room - globe artichokes, anchusa, sidalcea bianca, achillea ptarmica The Pearl (it produces a tonne of flowers but as soon as they fully open, they look dirty as the centre of the button is a sort of beige colour. This means that there is a very short window for cutting).

I'm sticking to the stalwarts - toadflax, catmint, centranthus, phlox, veronicas, feverfew. I've had four good years now to try things out and am going to completely re-organise my beds. Watch this space!

Sometimes the simplest things are the prettiest.

Prairie Makeover

Last Autumn I had decided to make a new border along the lane, somewhere to move all of the hot coloured flowers that weren't in demand in bouquets. Heleniums, crocosmia etc.

We started planting up the border in March - you can check out the earlier post from March here.

The weather was so horribly cold that we thought that the plants would never grow but, since the mini heatwave in July, the border has suddenly filled out and although we ran out of plants towards the top, the first half looks pretty good (even if I do say so myself!) 

The heleniums are amazing - the plants were all purchased within the last 2 years and were divided in the spring - they clump up so quickly. The grasses will be slower but will give us something to look forward to next year. I have also bought achillea seeds - we are sticking to the hot colours within the red, orange, yellow, bronze colour palette.

The annual rudbeckias and calendulas make great fillers at the front of the border and we have also added some red geums to the mix.

I will post more pics within the next few weeks as the crocosmia are only starting to flower.

Last Autumn before we started.

We strimmed the area and laid cardboard.

Then we added grit to lighten the soil.

Grass clippings to add bulk.

Then lots of garden compost.

Spring planting.

In May, slow growth with the cold weather.

In July after a few weeks of heat and drought!

This week, above and below.

Will post more pics next week!