ju1i3's blog

The yucca was here in the front garden when I moved in. The leaves are incredibly spiky so I guess it's good for security in front of the window but it's never been my favourite. In recent years, the hot summers seem to have brought on flowering (I don't recall it flowering in the first years I was here). This year the flowers are earlier and there are two rather than the usual one spike. When photographing them today I noticed bees which I hadn't realized were visiting it. Suddenly I like it a lot more!

close-up of that bee in the photo above

Purple loosestrife I bought at a garden centre as my pond was a bit depleted. Only 1 plant of something like this is required - it's amazing.  Looks like some veronica beccabunga is growing. I had it in the past but thought it was gone. It had spread so much I pulled the runners out and I seemed to have done it too much but it survived. On the right, just visible is a water avens I bought at the garden centre at the same time as the purple loosestrife. I look forward to flowers next spring. The pond is a preformed plastic one with a leak so some serious repair / replacement it required. Other plants that haven't survived are a yellow flag and cat tails but now I see the beccabunga I will look for shoots and maybe they're there since the overwhelming calla lily has been removed.

I didn't plant any chicory seeds this year but maybe this enormous "dandelion" is a chicory seedling? I'm not sure. Comparing to previous years' chicory seedlings, it doesn't have any upright growth but maybe it's early yet. It would be nice as I didn't even think about planting chicory seeds. I'm going to wait and see. If it's just a dandelion - the bees will have and early (or late) dandelion.

photobombed by a cat - as usual, this has self-seeded in a pot, possibly autumn hawkbit?? one of my naughty squirrel visitors has disturbed the pot, like the foxes, which can be so destructive, they are so cute and I put nuts out for them - and this is how they repay me by burying them in my pots!

In spite of savage weeding and spraying weedkiller my neighbour has not succeeded in totally obliterating the soapwort - thank goodness. Why he ripped everything out of that flower bed - but left a broom, a bucket and other rubbish, I don't understand. The cherry laurel stump is also growing and will be out of control in no time. I pruned it earlier this year but despite him banishing me from the garden, he is not pruning it himself. 

close-up view or the closest my camera can get anyway

another flush of greater knapweed flowers

the Chinese lanterns are turning orange (the greater knapweed is just to the left of the front path just out of shot)

the flowers are so unnoticeable (green lantern underneath which will turn orange in coming weeks)

I have the final few plants I grew from seed. Salvia sclarea var. turkestanica, obviously aren't going to bloom this year. I finally planted them in larger pots.

the slugs had been eating them before so not sure how they'll do in the pots (3 round, 1 square), in the pots I can put them more in the sun when I've cleared some spent plants

These meadow clary (Salvia pratensis) are surprisingly small, also in smaller pots,

thought I'd try them all together in the this very large pot. I can always divide them next year. Anything in small the pots the foxes are playing with, taking next door, etc. so needed to get things planted, even if into pots rather than in the ground. In the ground I worry about slugs.

Rudbeckia Green Wizard which I bought a few years ago (previous attempts growing from seed were unsuccessful but maybe because of my aggressive slugs), I hadn't planted it out but still the slugs got to it, I moved it off the ground / out of the way and it grew back but the slugs got to it again, the cycle was repeated a few times. At some point I managed to put it on some shelves away from the slugs and it grew back the last time and I planted it in this larger pot. I still can't put it in the ground and not sure where to put the pot long term but it is now on some tall shelves. Can it bloom in a pot? I don't know but I'll see next year I guess.

This is my last delphinium small plant (of 4 ) that I grew from seed earlier this year, the slugs got the others; also in the pot is my last melancholy thistle. The slugs loved them! This pot is also on the tall shelves. I have another packet of melancholy thistle seeds to try again.

I came back from holiday (on Hayling Island - lots of plants seen, will post photos in coming days) and see the rain had encouraged some new flowers.

the chicory has a new flush of flowers - which a bee is enjoying

the bought sea holly plants on the right, mostly brown but a few newer flowers, my seed-sown sea holly on the left, mostly green still but ones in front of the ladder turning blue and some fresh nepeta faassenii flowers and ox-eye daisy

some completely new echium Blue Bedder plants - in bloom

a new knautia macedonica

and snapdragon

before I went away, the globe thistles were in full bloom and attracting bees

I guess the bees eventually go to the veronica longifolia but it's not their first choice but I love the purple flowers

before I went away I had a new water lily in bloom

I grew these hyssop from seed last year, finally in bloom this year - but white instead of purple flowers I was expecting

speaking of bees, I had them on the musk mallow

the scabiosa Perfection Blue

lesser knapweed

and looking back I see bumblebees were on the globe thistles end of July

first flowers of the marsh mallow I grew some seed

Thank goodness it has cooled down and we've had some rain. The bees have been enjoying the flowers blooming in this hot weather.

lavender

nepeta cataria / catnip / catmint

Japanese anemone

globe thistles

passionflower

More flowers for bees at Flowers for Bees page.

The cloudier weather has made it easier to take some photos; it had been difficult to photograph this white hyssop flower in the bright sun.

I grew this hyssop from seeds I bought in Seoul, sown last summer, eaten voraceously by slugs but 3 plants survived because I've kept them off the ground away from the slugs, and now the first flowers. I wasn't expecting white flowers - thought they'd be purple. The photo on the seed packet had purple flowers but maybe there's something in the text that says "white". I'm learning Korean but not up to reading the seed packet yet but I'll look for the word "white". The pot on the right kept getting knocked over and peanuts buried in it by squirrels so it doesn't look so good and no buds.

Two plants that didn't bloom at all last year because of the drought and heatwave: crocosima and agapanthus, but thankfully blooming this year.

agapanthus

crocosima

the bees (bumble and honey) - and hoverflies - are loving the artichokes

goat's-rue by the canal with a bee

My greater knapweed seem to be struggling a bit, I guess the environment isn't great, a shallow flowerbed that isn't watered enough (I can't water the garden except for pots) but at least a bee is there.

Two of the meadow cranesbill I grew from seed are finally blooming. I've had intermittent flowering from the few resulting plants.

The Chinese lanterns turned out to be easy to grow from seed. A few in that trough, which ideally I'd put next door for my downstairs neighbour but the upstairs neighbour is so horrible and refused me access to the garden (even though it's shared with the downstairs neighbour). I can't carry it through her flat.

One of my teasels in the back garden is blooming. Some self-seeded next door but that neighbour cut them down (and everything else, he even sprayed weedkiller - I am so upset).

close-up of the flower

view of the entire plant

at least in the front next door he hasn't started cutting anything down but maybe it's only a matter of time, teasels and artichokes

another view of them, not sure which is better

water collected in the teasel leaves

hollyhocks used to be the star of the garden next door but the hollyhock weevil seriously reduced numbers, I am trying to grow some replacements from seed but the slugs are seriously damaging the seedlings, I am going to try keeping them in pots until they are larger and maybe able to survive? mugwort to the left

field scabious I grew from seed

After this garden was completely destroyed with building work, I sowed some green manure seeds  onto the bare earth. These seed pods must be from the few surviving plants of the tare / vetch. I'm going to try sowing some of the seeds.

the verbascum thapsis appeared on its own

this poppy also found its way on its own

best buys from the garden centre - out of the skip, santolina and pelargonium

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I have some Chinese lanterns. After the drought and heatwave last year affecting them badly I wasn't sure they'd survive. Thank goodness this year has been wetter and cooler.

I gave in and bought sea holly plants as the slugs have attacked mine and the bees are all over them.

my one large sunflower, echium Blue Bedder behind to the right still going strong but the Lauren's Grape poppies behind are finished now pretty much

a pleasing basket of violas, Chicky Chicks originally I think, although they've self-seeded and renewed themselves a few times, I don't really have anywhere to put a hanging basket which I'd planted for someone else who couldn't use it so it's just on a rung of that little table

self-heal (Prunella vulgaris) I grew from seed

I didn't think my first sowing of self-heal seeds had survived the slugs (but they had) so sowed more seeds so I have 3 pots of self-heal altogether although those two at the front seem to have much darker leaves, I don't know why

one Beaconsfield pansy grown from seed above and below along with another pot of it, a nice number of flowers right now but think it's only 3 or 3 plants - all I got from the packet of seeds

the artichokes are starting to bloom

some artichokes next door to the right, just visible in the photo above, also some hollyhocks although a lot fewer this year after they were badly affected by the drought, heatwave and hollyhock weevil, I am attempting to grow some more from seed but the slugs are attacking them and I just don't have enough room to keep them off the ground and away from them

nepeta faassenii, garden catnip / catmint

nepeta cataria, catnip / catmint

Lauren's Grape poppy in bloom and attracting bees

the scabiosa Perfection Blue has finally attracted bees

speaking of bees, I saw these catsear locally with bees a few weeks ago, I just came across the photos and realised I'd never uploaded them

birdsfoot trefoil top left

I had one sunflower last year from seed seeds that came with something and this year I had one self-seeding, presumably from last year's.

this is what happens in my garden, hydrangea (good buy from Sainsbury's, happen to be there when they'd put these out) surrounded by self-seeders, clockwise from top right: lesser knapweed, goat willow (just top visible), forget-me-not, ivy-leaved toadflax, dog violet and not self-seeded but prevalent in my garden, bergenia and Chinese lanterns in pots after my successful experiment growing them from seed

this also happens in my garden, sadly

I tried growing melancholy thistle from seed and although I had reasonble seedlings the slugs were fierce and I lost every one, this one appeared with some hollyhock seedlings but it too got attacked

this also happens in my garden, I bought this rudbeckia Green Wizard as attempts from seed failed, before I could plant it out, the slugs got it, it grew back, slugs got it again, it's grown back again so I am reluctant to plant it out until it gets larger and I figure out where to put it away from the slugs, meanwhile lots of self-seeders! tiny poppy (which assumes adjusts its size to fit its environment), dog violet, snapdragons, deadnettle and verbena bonariensis

I am having a very difficult week (so far been stung by a bee (excruciatingly painful), been aggressively confronted by a neighbour who says he doesn't want my cats in "his" garden (it's a shared garden) and having migraine auras everyday) so want to focus on my flowers for a welcome distraction.

The buddleja is blooming, haven't seen any bees so far but it's been raining on and off for a week. I did have a  (expensive) star jasmine at the front but passing people pulled off every woody flowering stem and it died so thought a free self-seeded buddleja was a great alternative.

there's also jasmine which was here when I moved in and the fragrance is wonderful

this senecio (yes I know it's brachyglottis now but it still is senecio to me) was also here when I moved in and although it's not my favourite, it makes a nice barrier to block the unsightly wheelie bins

the meadow cranesbill is blooming and there is still green alkanet

moving to the back garden, the self-seeded poppy I assumed was a Black Swan which I grew last year, is not, not sure what variety it is, a fox-and-cubs is just visible to the right of it at the bottom

the small part of the salvia black and blue that has survived is blooming

a nasturtium self-seeded in a little dirt that accumulated at the edge of the patio

That echium I first thought was vulgare then Blue Bedder, I think is indeed vulgare. It looks different from the Blue Bedder now. The patio is crowded with plants so a bit difficult to see but it's in the terracotta-coloured pot, in front is a foxglove and a sea holly. I thought the sea hollies hadn't survived but some smaller ones in that grey trough (just visible) have buds.

That echium vulgare is now easier to compare with the just starting to bloom echium Blue Bedder whose leaves are larger and more rounded.

a larger pot of the Blue Bedder with buds just starting to open

I happened to be standing in the right place at the right time this morning to get a shot of a bee on one of my knautia macedonia Melton Pastels - one of my most successful flowers grown from seed, lots of flowers over the last few years, self-seeding and beloved by bees.

the bees are loving this allium christophii

I love seeing the bees go into the foxgloves

I thought this self-seeded echium was vulgare, ie viper's bugloss but as it's developed it seems to be echium Blue Bedder.

some of this year's echium Blue Bedder

Chinese lanterns I grew from seed for a friend but not sure they even have a balcony now so will plant them in my garden. My Chinese lanterns suffered vey badly in the drought and heatwave last summer so they could do with some replenishment. They have pretty insignificant white flowers.

this salvia Black and Blue has been badly damaged by slugs but there is a little left of it and it even has some buds

the fox-and-cubs have surprised me by blooming after I potted up some of the runners and then planted them, for a while I despaired of having any fox-and-cubs flowers again

this meadow cranesbill is finally blooming after I grew some from seed a few years ago, only got a few plants and they've been slow to flower but I finally this one is flowering

to the right of the cranesbill, a foxglove and to the right of that, snapdragons, lesser knapweed to the right and behind and a white flower in the back I have no idea what it is - will check it out later

more lesser knapweed buds

close-up of the lupin flowers - and a bee

a couple of bees on the nepeta flowers

fox-and-cubs in buds

tangerine sage buds

monkshood buds

delphinium in bloom

meadow cranesbill in bloom in back garden

the lupins had multiple flower spikes but seem to be coming to an end

then I noticed some fresh flower spikes: one left, one centre and one right with buds half open

the fox-and-cubs is in bloom

bees are back on the green alkanet, after the rain, I guess they will eventually go to the fox-and-cubs

and after the rain stopped and the bees could fly again, a bee on a knautia maceonia Melton Pastels

and one in bud

Now here is a flower that attracts bees!

I saw this tulip tree while walking through Regent's Park (Avenue Gardens) and looking into a flower, totally unexpectedly saw lots of bees. I had no idea bees were so attracted to tulip tree flowers.

There is a whole row of tulip trees on the west side of Avenue Gardens. I'm not sure if there's a corresponding row on the other side. Next time I'll walk down that side.

I am so happy to have some bees in my garden - and a few flowers they are visiting. These red / corn /field poppies have self-sown from original "wildflower" plants from the garden centre after seeds were a great failure. Some wildflowers work from seeds and some don't.

the bees are loving the lupins, my photo ended up showing the bee hovering there, I wasn't fast enough to get the photo with it on the flower, I also saw it go up into a foxglove but couldn't get a photo sadly

the lupins are doing well, surprisingly; a couple of others are destroyed by slugs

I am heartbroken the slugs / snails have destroyed my sea holly. They love sea holly, that's why the plants are in pots. The slugs / snails have eaten the flowering stem which I've circled. That's it for this year. I grew those sea holly from seed two years ago. I give in - I am buying 2 replacements from the garden centre!

The slugs / snails have also aggressively eaten the borage, a plant not usually suffering from slug damage.

blackcurrant sage with bee

it's challenging to capture the bees in focus, although this is out of focus it looks like there's a pollen basket on this one

The knautia macedonica have just started to bloom and the bees are all over them. I should be able to get one photo today - that will be my challenge.