Gardening: May and June

It's time for a garden up-date for May and June.  There have been days when it's been possible to enjoy sitting or working there in the sunshine, but these have been few and far between.  However, there has been some new planting in the flower beds and the vegetables (beans, carrots, leeks, onions, parsnips, peas, sweet corn, etc.) in the new plot are progressing well.

I had planned that this corner of the garden would take on a more Mediterranean-style appearance so one or two Roman-style terracotta pots would look good and with a wedding anniversary coming up it might be an idea to buy something special - a frost-proof garden pot instead of a rose bush, which has been the tradition in recent years.  In the meantime, the garden continues to look rather 'cottagey', especially now that the foxgloves are shooting up.  I'm quite content as many seasonal flowers are appearing and the bees are happy too!

Back in May I bought some more lavender plants with silvery grey/green foliage and some white and pink saxifrage to plant in the small border by the seating area.  They go well with the white pelargoniums that have also replaced the tulips in the big tub and more pelargoniums have been planted in other borders.

At the same time some seeds were sown in pots to be planted out.  Unfortunately the Morning Glory seedlings got eaten by slugs as soon as they were put outside and only one was saved which is now being nurtured in a pot high up on a wall in the covered yard. The wild flowers were sown straight into the ground and it will be interesting to see if any survive.

Fortunately we have lovely seasonal flowers that bring colour and scent to the garden every year. Some are over the back hedge in our neighbour's uncultivated garden where there's lilac, laburnum, white May bushes, rambling clematis and at the moment, dog roses.  The birds have set up permanent homes there in the dense bushes, mostly sparrows and blackbirds, and will continue to enjoy the rose hips in the Autumn.

The peonies took a battering during the heavy rain storms, but the violet-coloured clematis with dark red centre (Parisienne) that we bought last year and kept in a pot until we planted under the back garden fig tree is doing well.  The wisteria (Amethyst Falls) is not thriving even though it on a south facing wall. I think it may be pot bound?

We're waiting for the white oriental poppy buds to burst open.  The plant was also looking really bashed about after the storms, but has now revived and will replace the peony flowers that are now over.

Parisienne

At one time we had clumps of white foxgloves, but seem to have less this year.  They are dotted around the borders, but these ones are in that south facing corner by the garage wall.

Arthur Bell

A mix of antirrhinums, fuchsias and roses are in the raised bed in the front garden at the moment.

We don't have many varieties of rose - Arthur Bell (yellow), Brother Cadfael (pink), Joie de Vivre (pale pink/peach which turns to a pale cream) and some other patio roses (unknown varieties) in shades of pink and orange. Arthur Bell was the first to flower in May.  DH has successfully grown some Arthur Bell cuttings that are still in pots, but will soon be ready to plant out as bushes.

patio rose (unknown variety)

Joie de Vivre

The peach tree was grown from a seed inside a peach stone is now outside and seems healthy.There's another and a plum grown in the same way. Some tomato and peppers are also outside, but the majority of these and the herbs are in the covered yard and conveniently placed near the kitchen door.

Bradfield Dale in the rain

Last week was a mostly 'stay-at-home' one due to a need to wait in for some deliveries so the plan was to go out today and this is what we did.   However, there had to be a change of direction as the distant hills we were travelling towards looked very misty, the skies looked black and we realised we would be heading into a heavy rain storm. We decided it wasn't the right weather to spend time in the countryside and turned back home through Bradfield Dale. Despite the rain I managed to take some photos - most of them through the car side window when we stopped to look at the scenery.  The wild rhododendrons add some colour to the rather hazy images, but I'm also reminded this is often the kind of weather that we get in the hills and dales.

The rhododendrons seem to have been planted as hedges around the Sugworth Hall estate many years ago to give shelter against the wind and rain.  They do look impressive although my cousin when we brought her and her husband along this way commented that in Wales where my aunt lives they are becoming  too invasive.

Sugworth Hall and Boot's Folly. The building was constructed in 1927 by the owner of Sugworth Hall, Charles Boot, probably to give locals some employment during the economic depression using local stone.

There are always horse riders, walkers and cyclists about and the rain doesn't deter them.

This is the farm that I sometimes feature as a header with Agden Reservoir in the distance.

Edgefield Monument built in the mid 19th century over a natural spring water source

From the Heights there's a good view of the village of Low Bradfield and the steep, winding lane leading up to High Bradfield which will be one of the challenges for the cyclists competing in Le Tour Yorkshire- Grand Depart 2014 to be held next month.

 Damflask Reservoir, (our local reservoir), the reservoir keeper's lodge house and a corner of the garden.