Garden art ......... and architecture

I felt a sudden compulsion to get all arty, so I took this photograph of the inside of a Nasturtium flower. The colours and pattern are amazing! It wasn't easy to get this because it's blowing a gale outside and the petals were waving around. I had to quickly click in between gusts of wind.

This is a lovely little silvery-green Sedum (sorry, not sure of its name) alongside Houseleeks that are growing in an old metal watering-can. The can is under a Rowan Tree and that's how the berry came to be there.

I think this is the first time I've taken a photograph of an insect and it didn't fly off! Okay, I know it's not a great close-up, but it shows how pretty the Sweet Pea 'Cupani' is.

I just had to show you this, although it's difficult to see from the photograph just how small this little nest is. I found it in the potting-shed while tidying up. Don't worry, it's not being used or I wouldn't have moved it. It's 4 1/2 inches wide and the shallow hollow in the centre is only 2 inches wide! It was on the floor in the corner, behind some plant pots. I'm not sure which bird built this..... anyone any ideas?

Dandelion days......

dandelion

My favourite part of the garden isn't where the roses grow, or the lilies and irises. It's not even the herb or vegetable patch. It's a small section set aside for wildflowers. There's ivy sprawling over a rotting tree trunk, bright blue speedwell, plantain and dandelions. It makes good groundcover for the creatures that live in the garden. Often, while strolling down the path in the Summer, I've caught sight of a frog sheltering from the sun under the ivy leaves.

This year I want to add more groundcover and introduce wildflowers into other sections of the garden, even under the roses, irises and lilies! Wildflowers are so pretty. I love to see patches of speedwell growing in a lawn and masses of golden dandelions. I have to admit to feeling deflated when the local council comes along with their mowers, leaving sqares of uniform green instead of the cheery yellow blooms.

Clover is another favourite. The scent of white clover is as intoxicating as a lily and red clover reminds me of my childhood, when my friends and I would search for what seemed like hours for the illusive four leaved plant.

red clover

I was delighted to come across an eBay seller who's offering wildflower seeds and sedum plug plants at bargain prices. Click here to see her items. I now have some fantastic plug plants nestling in the propagator and red clover, white clover, birds-foot-trefoil, dandelion and self-heal seeds to set away. Mind you, the dandelions aren't just for the wildlife...... they're also for our salads and I'm planning on making dandelion wine . Hubby doesn't drink but I like wine and if I make it from dandelions then I could possibly convince him it really is for my health.

Sedum cauticola

Sedum spurium

Sedum weihnstephaner gold

"Blessings on thy sunny face,

In my heart thou hast a place,

Humble Dandelion!"

Helen M. Johnson

Dream on!

Today the first seed catalogue of 2010 popped into our mailbox. It was lovely to browse through it with a nice cup of tea while outside the UK is still blanketed in snow. It set me off daydreaming about plants I'd like to grow this gardening season. Here are some of them.

(photograph courtesy of Unwin Seeds)

This is Sweet Pea 'Oxford Blue'. Last Summer we grew Sweet Peas, as we do most years, but there were no blue ones amongst them. They were all varying shades of pink. Hopefully this year I'll be able to enjoy the exquisite scent. My sense of smell was just returning at the end of last year after losing it because of a chest infection. Sweet Peas are remarkable flowers. For the cost of a packet of seeds they're easy to germinate and will produce fantastic flowers all Summer long. They look beautiful in the garden, are good cut flowers and most of them are scented. You can't get much better value than that!

(photograph courtesy of The Telegraph Newspaper)

I've been talking for a few years now about making a 'green roof' so maybe this is the year to go ahead. A green roof consists of sedums, small succulent plants that are able to grow in inhospitable conditions...... like on a roof! :O) There are all sorts of reasons why people want to grow this feature...... retaining heat, sound insulation, a habitat for wildlife and simply because it looks pretty and makes a good talking point. We have two old sheds at the bottom of the garden which would benefit from a sedum garden and, after having read this article, there are many other exciting and novelty ideas to consider.

(photo courtesy of Marketworks.com)

I've always enjoyed dried figs but tasted fresh ones for the first time last Summer when our local fruit & veg man got some in..... he's getting very adventurous, bless his little cotton socks! I loved the fresh ones and was very surprised to learn that they can be grown in the UK, in a sunny spot. So I'm going to get a couple of plants to grow on our patio which gets the full blast of the Sun throughout the Summer.

(photograph courtesy of Thompson & Morgan Seeds)

This is Runner Bean 'Painted Lady'. Last Summer we grew 'Scarlet Emperer'. They did well and produced a heavy harvest of beans right up until the first frosts. We've grown painted lady in the past and I'd like to grow them again because their two-tone flowers of orange and white are so pretty. I'd also like to try Runner Bean 'White Lady' whose flowers are......... erm, white.

(what.....edited? as if!)

Now this is one flower I would LOVE to be the first to grow. Unfortunately my knowledge of plant breeding is minimal, but if I could come up with a yellow fuchsia then there would be no need to buy my weekly lottery ticket ever again! Ah well, like I said...... I was only daydreaming. :)