The garden has been doing its own thing as usual although some annuals have gone over far quicker than normal because of the continual downpours. Whilst all this has been challenging it has again made me realise that failure to prepare means prepare for failure, as I constantly tell my children!
There will be more staking required for the next growing season, more successional planting so that if the worst happens, I will always have substitutes waiting in the wings. A combination of rain and wind caused the cornflowers to tie themselves in a knot and then collapse but I had already sown some outside in June, about the only crop that does well being sown directly, so all was not lost.
Its so easy to overlook this crucial planning stage when every available space is full with seed trays and most of the plants are so in need of planting out they are hitching up their skirts and walking off the bench themselves, so I forgive myself for forgetting the 2nd sowing, let alone the 3rd one.
Biennial seed sowing also comes around far too soon, June to be precise. Foxgloves, sweet william, honesty, sweet rocket and wallflowers should all have been sown to start off spring with a riot of colour. I will admit that the June sowing date slipped a bit, I was full of good intentions of course but I just forgot about it. However, all is looking good, there are trays and trays waiting to be planted out in September when I start clearing the beds.
Here are some photographs of the cutting garden and paddock and some of the beautiful flowers I grow. I should say at this point that most of the photographs were taken by my daughter who has a much better eye than me.
So my jobs this week include clearing some beds in the polytunnel, deadheading to keep those wonderful blooms blooming, weeding of course, and making space in the diary for the orders already being booked for 2018.
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| Calendula |
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| Nigella |
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| Cosmos |
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| Strawflower |
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| Clary Sage |
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| Cutting garden with raised beds |
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Paddock with cutting beds
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