July 2019

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