mid-June 2024

the latest speckled petunia

speckled petunia

I am loving this Verbascaum Arctic Summer I bought at the garden centre, a bargain as 1 of 5 perennials for £20

verbascaum arctic summer

not sure which side is a better view, some of my seedlings in the background - growing from seed is slow! especially this year when it's been so cold, so it's great to buy some small plants at the garden centre (I can recommend Plants Direct (Roundbush Lane, Aldenham), I've tried different garden centres since moving and this is the only I've been to more than once)

verbascum arctic summer

self-seeded Lauren's Grape poppy

Lauren's Grape poppy

self-seeders at the base of the poppy: spotted persicaria (love those leaves), teasel seedling, red poppy in bud, forget-me-not and others

latest hardy geranium blooms

hardy geranium

hardy geranium

I do love self-seeders. Left, an iris I found in a pot I bought from a garden centre, hoping it's a reasonable iris. Right, Iris foetidissima I found in a pot I brought with me from my old garden where I had lots and lots of Iris foetidissima. Surprised I've only found 1 seedling in the pots I brought as I used to have lots of seedlings. I'll have to have a closer look, maybe there are others.

iris seedlings

red poppies, purple loosestrife and other water plants behind, awaiting a pond I'm planning to dig - just a shallow one

red / field / common / corn poppy

my first verbascum blattaria in bloom a week ago

verbascum blattaria

another in bud yesterday

verbascum blattaria

An update on the M+S Flower Shop Pollinator Flowers Bee Attracting Selection started end of March: mostly white tunic flower (Petrorhagia saxifraga) and something similar in pink (still researching, no details of species given on packaging) and I see the odd corncockle and cornflower in bud. Nothing like the photo! I am a sucker for this type of product - they saw me coming. Always hopeful but ultimately disappointing. And haven't seen a bee on anything in this pot but the weather has been terrible and I don't have many bees in my garden to be fair.
 
M+S Flower Shop Pollinator Flowers Bee Attracting Mix
 
 

M+S Flower Shop Pollinator Flowers Bee Attracting Selection

 
M+S Flower Shop Pollinator Flowers Bee Attracting Mix
 
The cornflower pot is in bud and does what it says on the tin - cornflowers! Also started end of March.
 
M+S Flower Shop Cornflower Bee Attracing Mix
 
M+S Flower Shop Cornflower Bee Attracting Mix
 
centaurea montana amethyst
 
slug-eaten lupin
 
green alkanet - my garden is getting to be the kind of garden I like - lots of green alkanet - I love it! the bees love it!
 
green alkanet Pentaglottis sempevirens
 
green alkanet pentaglottis sempevirens
 
sawwort
 
sawwort Serratula tinctoria
 
navelwort
 
navelwort Umbilicus rupestris
 
3rd navelwort is partly under the fox-and-cubs leaves
 
Umbilicus rupestris navelwort
 
fox-and-cubs, flowering stem with buds, one red spreading stem bottom left, that navelwort middle left
 
fox-and-cubs Pilosella aurantiaca
 
ladybird larva
 
ladybird larva on giant scabious cephalaria gigantea