Out in the garden

I've finally made it the Summerhouse border is at last planted up, it's taken a very long time to get there and get this post written, it's been sitting in my drafts folder since the 6th June, and I've gradually been adding photo's over the month as we've got different bits planted up.  Oh the joy of pacing, being a sickly gardener is hard work, only being able to do a few minutes at a time then rests for a few days, and maybe plant a bit more another day if I've felt well enough.

This kind of dribs and drabs gardening is hard work and very frustrating, with so much to do and little if no energy. I was starting to feel very sorry for the plants, any road that's my little pity party over with.

I started off quite well with the window boxes, planting a box up every few days, with 'P's' help so the window boxes have been planted for a while now.

Here's one when it was just planted, this year I've gone for Geraniums with some trailing Lobelia at the end, I'm not sure what colours they will be yet, as I bought a mixed tray, so I may have to do some swapping around when they flower. 

The only way I can garden these day is from sitting, 'P' sets up a table for me and does all the lifting and carrying, while I sit and plant.  I'm so grateful for this help which enables me to do little bit, as gardening is something I've always loved.  Over the years my illness has limited what I am able to manage.  At one time, I now find it hard to believe I actually had a allotment patch, growing organic veggies, so I do miss gardening but maybe one day I'll be well enough again, but for now at least with some help on a good day I can manage a little bit of planting.

After a couple of really bad summers we decided not to grow any tomatoes this year, so we have planted up two pots to go in there stead at the base of the wall by the Summerhouse.  Marguerite daisy and Allyssum with some lobelia, I love these happy little daisies.

There are also Petunia, Verbena, Geranium and  Nicotina to go in the Summerhouse border and hanging basket.

Here's the hanging basket freshly planted up a couple of weeks ago, with a trailing petunia ( a lovely hot pink) trailing geranium, lobelia a couple of trailing verbena (one that survived from last year !!) and a few other trailing plants.  A Petunia and a normal geranium, another from the mixed tray so who knows what colour it will be, the basket is planted up in pinks and purples, so if it doesn't tie in I may have to swap the Geranium later.

Here's a picture of the hanging basket I took today, it's come on a lot in the last couple of weeks, yippee.

This rather unattractive tatty looking shot is of our wild flower strip, that is starting to come up, not a flower to be seen yet but I'm ever hopeful.  I think it so important to try and help the wildlife, the bee's are really struggling here in the UK at the moment so I think it really important to plant these wildlife habitats. I'm looking forward to seeing what wild flowers come up, there are already a couple in bud.

A few days ago we finally finished planting up the last of the flowers, here's the window box three weeks on from planting, the plants have grown but still not a flower to be had. I long to see some flowers, some colour.

So the Summerhouse border is finally planted up with some bedding plants with a lot of help from 'P' it's still all very green like the window boxes, with just the pink geranium and the jasmine in flower, but I'm hopeful for some colour very soon, from the sweet peas, orange blossom, rose and scabious who are all in bud. maybe next week, patient is required, that is all.

Clare xx