July Garden Update

It is certainly a challenging year weatherwise.  Non the less we have continued to work on the landscaping.  Most days Mr S is out there.....

First the edging has to be positioned...then when we are happy, the weed suppressing membrane laid

Large bulk bags of gravel are deposited over the fence...and with buckets etc, the gravel moved

Finally its time for a drink....

The cardboard is in place..this area will become the gravel garden.  It will have finer gravel through which some of my little plants can soften what is in essence the area for the washing line...

I'm leaving this entry about Crepis Incaca..HOWEVER AFTER FLOWERING BEAUTIFULLY THE PLANT DIED BACK AND BY 18/8/2018 IT HAS GIVEN UP THE GHOST...JUST HOPE SOME SEEDLINGS APPEAR..OTHERWISE I AM GIVING UP ON THIS ONE.

One little plant which is new to me and to the garden this year is Crepis Incana, the Pink Greek dandelion.  I bought it earlier this year from one of my favourite 'pop up' plant stalls in Wells.

It really loves this hot sunshine and I love its pink blooms.  It has stiff stems which  bear several blooms.

Close up it is particularly attractive, as are its matt grey green leaves.

I read that it hates disturbance and that it is not that easy to get the seeds to germinate.  I shall try of course with any seed, and look out for another plant or two.

Another plant which is close to the new round seating area, and is guaranteed to be humming with many types of flying insects is the Eryngium...cultivar name lost...

 Here is a large hover fly probably Volucella zonaria

And what could this one be?  Not a bee for sure,

Straight into the border soil I plant a few seeds of Cerinthe which we sent to me nearly three years ago, by Cathy  To my delight they germinated.  

Once they were up I placed three or four seedling in whatever gaps seemed suitable, and around the garden there are now dotted thick fleshy leaved plants with pendulous flowers which also are being visited regularly by all manner of flying insects.

The foliage seems to add a cooling element to the garden, and hopefully it will self seed and be in the garden for several years.