Well actually it was last Friday but full of good intentions…

No time for constructing erudite essays but just some photos of what’s going on now in the garden

view from the crab apple trees

Sweet Cicely looking at it’s best on the far bank of the stream- I will soon want to ‘Chelsea chop’ it and certainly before it sets seed – made that mistake too many times in the past.

new planting by the pond

Finally got around to ripping out the variegated sedge which was romping away swamping everything and several (too many) pendulous sedge.  I need to be vigilant now to ensure hostas a) don’t  get eaten by slugs and b) don’t get swamped too, in due course.  The trick of course is to find plants that are equally vigorous and can fight it out – Lysimachia Firecracker and ground elder seem to be an ok combination elsewhere in the garden  i.e. equally thuggish.

More (established) pond planting.

Rodgersia seems particularly happy in this spot.

ferns un-furling

This is the best time of year to enjoy the many ferns we have in the garden – most of which arrived without invitation.  Serendipity.

hosta and bistort

Bistort is really happy on this dry bank next to the pond.

hostas in pots

Hostas in pots too – with a couple of late tulips and euphorbia oblongata in the foreground which this winter over-wintered outside.

euphorbia

…and another euphorbia next to the stream – forgotten the name of this one.

white daisy things

Another ‘had so long here I’ve forgotten the name of it’ plant looking lovely on the dry stone wall with greater stitchwort – another ‘arrived uninvited’ welcome visitor.

apple blossom

Our Tom Putts are smothered in blossom but the Howgate Wonder ( a wonderful all-purpose huge apple planted as pollinators for the Tom Putts) didn’t enjoy the wet, wet winter and are suffering with canker as a consequence.  Shame because it’s a lovely apple.  However, the red crab apple further up the hill is also flowering well so will probably do the job of ‘pollinator’.  Note to gardeners who know about apple-growing – we are 1200 feet above sea level here and are limited in the varieties that will cope with the altitude and the rain.

butterflies on alkanet

Obviously the butterflies moved faster than me – but there were lots of small whites – maybe having alkanet growing in the flower beds distracts them away from the cabbages in the veg garden?

orange tip butterfly on honesty

Worth having honesty dotted about just for the butterflies.  This bed was buzzing with butterfly activity.

smudge

Not much activity here…too hot to do anything.  That was last Friday.  This afternoon it’s chucking it down which is why I’m in here and not out there.