Broad Beans

The broad beans are coming along nicely. There are a couple of plants missing which haven't obviously grown for whatever reason but overall I am very pleased that those that have grown have! I am still not sure whether I am meant to put up canes for them to climb up or not. I have got a feeling that they support themselves and will grow without the need for canes. Anyone out there know? I will have a surf around for some tips... 

Vegetable Patch

I spent an afternoon in the garden last week tidying everything up and planting out the plants I had grown in the greenhouse. I have planted out the sweetcorn and butternut squash as shown in the picture here. At least I think it is a butternut squash! I cannot really tell the difference between them now and wish that I had labelled them when setting the seeds! It doesn't really matter, mind you, as I have got other plants growing in the greenhouse still which I could also plant out. 

Slugs and Bindweed!

Have this afternoon planted out the sweetcorn, courgette and butternut squash plants into the vegetable patch. The slugs are eating their way through everything at the moment and some of the sunflowers, which are still in pots, are nothing but stems now!

I also planted out the sweet peas to see how they will do in the "bindweed" border at the bottom of the garden. I have a feeling that they will get out competed by the bindweed which continues to keep on popping up.

Due to this I have not planted the clematis in its original position and have planted it half way down the shady border with some poles for it to climb. Photos will follow soon...

Acer update

The buds on the Acer are definitely growing larger I am pleased to say. I am so pleased as I thought I had lost it and it had died. I have only planted it temporarily in the spot it is in now until I get the garden more established and sorted.

I have found the label that came with it in the post which has it's full name on:
Acer palmatum Atropurpureum.

Favourite Flower Pictures contd.

A gorgeous white pansy that has grown in one of the hanging baskets.

A close up of the tulips mentioned here before.

Close up of the Daffodils which I have found out are called 'Minnow' Daffodils.

Favourite Flower Pictures

I thought I would include some of my favourite flower photographs here. These are photographs that I have taken of plants from my garden and elsewhere.

First of all you can see some lovely purple and yellow Iris flowers that were taken this time last year in my parents garden.


The Hebe photograph was also taken in my parents garden as were the photographs of the pink rose and red poppy.

I love the water droplets that have been caught in the photos and the contrast between the red and green of the poppy.

Sunflower Names

I have planted three types of sunflower seed this year with the hope of growing them just beyond the fence at the bottom of the garden where the bindweed used to be. These are the varieties I have planted:

Harlequin F1 hybrid
Velvet Queen
Earth Walker

I am looking forward to seeing these in flower early in the summer. The seedlings are already doing well in the compost pots on the patio. I have two worries about where I am planting them... one being that the bindweed may get it's clutches on them and kill them and the other being that the school children who frequently 'hang' around outside the garden may pick them! We will see.

Keep checking back for some lovely pictures of sunflowers in the future..

Herbs Names

Here is a list of the types of herbs that grow in the pots near the back door:
Variegated Applemint
Mint
Oregano
Lemon Thyme
Parsley
Chives

Alpine names

I have started to make a note of the plant names in the garden. I am not very good at remembering the names so it will serve a good use in the future for reference. Here are the names of some of the plants in the Alpine sink:
Sedum spathulifolium 'Cape blanco'
Rosularia sedoides var. alba
Campula garganica 'Erinus Major'
Sempervivum 'Laura Lee'
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Ellwood's Gold'

Tulip

This tulip has grown very well in the shady border on the left of the garden. The colours of it are amazing. I have no idea what kind of tulip it is as I bought it from the Conwy Seed Fair along with the tomato plant and cucumber plant. Any help with identification would be greatly appreciated.

I looked up the Conwy Seed Fair the other day on the internet to find that it has been taking place on a yearly basis for over 700 years! 

Vegetable Patch

This shows the vegetable patch where I have sowed some seeds ready for the summer. I have planted lettuce, carrots, leeks, onions, and broad beans. I hope the lettuce and carrots are more succesful than last year. Only a couple of lettuce plants grew for some reason. I think there are a lot of slugs in the garden which ate the seedlings.
I have left space to plant out sweetcorn and courgettes to the left. 

Acer

I am not sure if you can see this plant very well but it is an acer that I got free from an offer in Gardeners' World. It arrived in a little bit of soil in a bag in a cardboard box and quite honestly looked dead. We were away at the time so the nieghbours took it in and kept it for us. I then planted it out as soon as I could but didn't hold much hope for it as it looked very dry and twiggy.

That was in February... there are now buds appearing on the plant and I am over the moon as it looks like it has survived! Will continue to update you on its progress throughout the year.