beginning of May 2020

It has finally rained. What a relief. I hope we continue to get regular rain.

My water avens (Geum rivale) is blooming. I have a new-found love of geums. When things get back to normal I hope to get a geum Totally Tangerine for the garden and a marsh marigold ( Caltha palustris) for the pond.

Here is a wider view, there is a pond in there, small and shallow but some water for the water avens, yellow flag iris and purple loosestrife.

first flower on this scabious and buds, I have lots of scabious as it's one of my favourite plants

I've been working hard trying to tidy up my pots and planting out what I can but I have to accept that this spot in the flowerbed is not available.

I'm getting annoyed about slugs and snails again. I'd had a good clear-out in March and I initially seemed to have fewer but my hosta is being eaten and I am not willing to accept that. I have moved the hostas close to the path so it's easier to remove the snails. I went out last night but didn't fnd any. I need to go out a bit later I think. It wasn't full dark. I need to try to do it every night. Good news though. I found that two-colour hosta under the ivy and it's only a little slug-eaten. I didn't even realize it survived.

two other pots I had hostas in I have replanted with hellebores as the hostas had not survived

just to the right of those 2 pots above, I have fringecups - with buds! I am so glad this survived the winter, it had been looking quite poorly but I repotted it and it's perked up and has buds so I'm really pleased