A woman in her garden – May/June

They call it faint May – because of the changing of the seasons and the heady blossom that prevails but I believe it’s because there is just so much that needs doing in the garden during May that your head’s in a spin!! Well mine was anyway and it’s only now that I can see a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.
Everything grew just like topsy, except of course those things I really wanted to grow such as the mange tout seeds planted in haste back in April. Of approx 25 sown only 4 germinated and one of those is struggling still!! Don’t expect a good crop of those for our tea!! Still the parsnip seeds which I just scattered germinated really well as did the carrots .

The runner beans were so so and then I went and planted them out too soon and we had a couple of cold and windy nights so their growth is a little stunted. I spied a first flower on one though so fingers crossed they will pull through. The potatoes look good too but am thinking I should cut down on carbs!! All in all a fair result for just planting left over seeds – some over 2 years old. And luckily for me a gardener friend has bought me some young plants to fill in the gaps – 3 sweetcorn, an outdoor cucumber, a courgette and a squash plant – gardeners are generous souls.

The veggie plants I bought are all producing now – broadbeans. (not my favourite but fill a gap) and spring cabbages (yummy with mint sauce and as I did last weekend, shredded, patted dry and fried with palma ham until crispy!)

Now it’s June and the roses are out and smell gorgeous,

the sweet peas are just starting to bloom and smell equally gorgeous, the alliums are mostly over, flopping about and distributing their seeds, foxgloves are majestic but tend to be battered by those sharp thundery showers, perennial geraniums are blooming and here and there are numerous gaps that need filling either with annuals or a new perennial or two. Love hebes and heucheras so will get a few more of them I think.

Countless shrubs need trimming back into shape before they take over the borders and a decision needs to be made on the two conifers at the back of the house which are going skywards. Let alone all the other trees which surround my garden – where shall we start – my head’s in a spin again. Thank goodness for the lovely Mark who helps with the garden – am sure he will advise me or bully me into submission!

And it seems that a lot of you have been busy in the garden too with sales up on last year and the Garden Divas team being kept busy. – two of our most popular products this last few weeks are the ultra glamorous Foxgloves Garden Gloves and our extremely comfy backdoorshoes

 

 

 

 

Looks like you are all getting kitted out for a summer in the garden – lets just hope we can enjoy the fruits of our labours after these busy weeks!

Happy Gardening

 

The Wild Garden!

Oh dear where has the time gone?  I started this blog with the good intentions of doing regular updates about my garden but now it is nearly the end of July and I haven’t written anything since May!!  I find June one of the busiest months in the garden as things start to really take off and plants need planting and seeds need thinning out.  Speaking of which I sowed loads of wildflower and cutting flowers in a specially selected bed near the veg plot, hoping that they would give me a lovely display and attract loads of bees and butterflies – well they are doing that alright and it is wonderful to watch but unfortunately a holiday at the end of  June left me with no time for thinning out and transplanting and consequently everything is rather leggy.

Not that the bees or butterflies seem to mind and nor do I really.  I have Sweet Peas to pick alongside cheery Calendulas in orange and yellow and the tall cornflowers look rather elegant blowing in the wind with the various pollinators trying to keep their balance.  There are a few red poppies poking through here and there and a dainty little flower I do not recognise.

It’s not perfect by a long way but that’s gardening for you – you can only do as much as your life allows and a scattering of a few seed packets hap-hazardly in the spring has given me colour and attracted wildlife in thier droves – which can only be a good thing.

The Importance of Colour

This time last week I was at Chelsea Flower Show and as I sit here on another grey drizzly afternoon I just thought I would share these images with you My favourite alliums

Colourful stand from Harkness Roses – our local rose grower.

Beautiful ceiling

And my favourite gardens (well those I could get close too!)

Now don’t you just feel better gazing at the colour in these photos!!  Bring on some sunshine so we can all enjoy our gardens.

Little and Often

Last Sunday, I reckon, was the first day of Spring-like weather and perfect for getting on with all those garden jobs.  Where was I – at a lunch with my outlaws celebrating an elderly relative’s birthday, looking longingly outside!!!

Never mind, even tho we didn’t get back until late afternoon there was still time for a little bit of gardening and in about 2 hours I managed to:-

Hoe between the spring cabbage plants and plant some broccoli,

Plant some first early seed potatoes – Premiere – still kept the ground covered with fleece to warm it up but feel I may be bold and take it off this weekend!!

Then I sowed tagetes, tomato and some old sweet pea seeds I found  ( gave them a good soaking first as they looked a bit shrivelled up) in the greenhouse and a packet of foxglove seeds in a seed bed in the garden, watered well and covered them with a cloche.

Am so glad I sorted out my greenhouse when the weather was bad as I had everything to hand for a quick bit of gardening!!

I use the Camouflage Company Caddy to keep all my tools and plant feeds together

and the lovely Seed Packet Organiser from Burgon & Ball – it even has dividers so you can keep your seeds in monthly order of sowing.

Don’t forget to label everything you sow , keep them watered and warm and hopefully you will get results.  My tagetes are through already!!

So if you are limited on time as all we working women are, don’t worry, little and often in the garden is good – it’s surprising how much you can achieve in a couple of hours and you will be reaping the benefits of all that fresh air and getting exercise too!!

Happy Gardening this weekend – let me know what you are planting.

January Blues

Feeling blue, stuck in because of the snow or even nursing an injury if like me you have taken a tumble in the icy conditions!!  Then light the fire, make a hot drink and browse the gardening catalogues to your heart’s delight!

Today, apparently is classed as Blue Monday – when it has been calculated (not sure who by) that we are at our lowest ebb so what better reason could there be to take time out, put your feet up and dream of bright spring days in the garden when we will all be once again sowing and growing.
At Garden Divas HQ we are busy finding new products for our  website and scouring umpteen catalogues in preparation for our annual trip – weather permitting – to Spring Fair trade show at the NEC in Birmingham.

Already tho we have deliveries arriving with new products – a brand new design Backdoorshoe called Stir Fry. gift packs of Twool – a very British and eco-friendly alternative to twine and  Gardener’s Therapies Outdoor Tapwash and No Gel Hand wash – essential for the greenhouse and allotment.

We have also sourced some stylish seed packs from the London Seed Company which should be arriving soon and are looking forward to ordering more of the new  Sophie Conran range for female gardeners, including a pretty garden kneeler, garden stationery, mugs and flasks – well we all like a cuppa even when we are not snowed in!

So sit back, let us do the hard work and keep an eye on our website for all the new products and some of your old favourites too.