Category: Garden

My apples that I normally pick in late October are going rotton on the tree. A friend of the other side of the village said her trees were the same. It is a shame as my labels were working a treat. My backgarden is too small to attract the birds and animals that may enjoy the windfalls. No windfalls here as they are rotten before they hit the ground.

Di Redfern who writes for the Mendip Times, liked the article I sent her on Nature, and the need for less tidiness to provide shelter and homes for insects through the winter, she had planned a similar article for a future edition

I think I need to explain! Starting at the front 2 raised beds with logs Martin provided. The right hand one has sage, rosemary and thyme and a little oregano and a fennel. The sage had a wobbly and 50% died off but it seems to have recovered. I have put in a couple of rosemary plants beteween it and the road. Various bulbs have been planted withlimited success. The other raised bed is bit of a ‘mess’! But I love the surprises it throws up – it has a nice clump of oregano, a lovage that tries to take over, chickory and evening primrose, escaped mint! Californian poppies and wallflowers occasionally get a look in over the buttercups. There is lavender on the corner with ??

Behind these beds there is a thriving ‘hot lips’, a lavender, 3 mulberry trees which have not produced but are 6 years old! various other plants have been put in with little success – but I keep trying. Then there are 3 rose bushes, one of which is thriving magnificently, 2 others are less brilliant but are maybe bidding their time. i have a few other plants that are doing ok and a cranberry which loves thje wet weather this year! Also some others which were here when I arrived but do not know the names. Oh and a summer jasmine that needs a trellis, and the bluebells that are long gone.

In the back garden there is the apple tree – looks good this year despite my attack last year!, a new apricot, raspberries that are spreading. A vine which has survived my neglect, a mini kiwi which battles with the blackberries, the wisteria and honeysuckle need cutting back, and I am in a quandary about the stinging nettles and thistles – I think I ought to treasure them.the black elder needs constant cutting back and the rose that protects the back gate is also rampant. The fuchsia is ok after a major cut back!

Hanging baskets are lovely this year – I am not sure what I bought – but they have been brilliant.

Then the pots – 20+ mints have done ok – Corsican mint good this year, but thymes have struggled – camomile has been ok, should I plant it out?

60 plants indoors are all doing ok!

I have been much criticised for the front garden – they should see the back one! Whilst raspberries have made a bid to take over, I have left some stinging nettles and thistles and buddleja for the butterflies and tiday saw a small tortishell on the buddleja flowers. The grape vine looks rather dead – i forgot to water it during a dry spell – I will have another go! the honeysuckle and wisteria are doing their best to take over having done their bit with flowers and scents. The apple tree looks good and the new apricot is ok I think? The olive tree had mites but is outside and seems ok, the surprise is te avocado which had outgrown the conservatory window sill – I put it outside and it seems ok with. new leaves. The jury is out on the lemon which I put out for the same reason. The table is full of plants hardening up – Hungarian Echinops, Chinese Meadow Rue, Sweet Coneflower, Pale-Purple Cone flower and Mexican Feather Grass. I think these will. go in pots when putting out – which means more bags of soil/grow stuff! But hopefully they will thrive and set seeds for next year, and along the street! Chickory and fennel have already escaped! I have not noticed any Evening Primrose yet this year? But hopefully it will magically appear. Mist of mints and thymes have survived and I think I only lost one lavender due to my awful neglect. Roses are looking different! A bush yellow one is 1.5m high and proliferate, whilst the 2 others bought and planted at gthe same time are 50cm with only te occasional flower – maybe they will get going later. Tje Shropsire Boy rose is also looking a bit sad! I will feed it tomorrow with chicken shit – that should do the trick!. Inside mother-on-laws tongue and aloe vera are doing great, others less so! Most are OK but not on steroids!

Chillies looking okay but i might need to spread them out. The tomatoes are looking good with. the bush ones (small cherry?) covered in flowers and the others all having tomatoes growing, but nothing ripe yet. hanging baskets are fantastic.