Bags, buckets and pots

 I like to use different things in our garden, this container was purchased for a flower pot, but it works better as a water bowl, the birds love to land on the pebbles for a drink, I have other places they use for bathing.

This is another lovely spot, I'm using a square washing up bowl for my water plant, the old sink is my grass bed and the birdbath is now an alpine garden, with a couple metal chickens, it's a lovely view. The triple acers behind and the red and white flowers of the azalea make it colourful.

Hosta's when in the ground are decimated by slugs and snails, these live happily in the bucket and an old brass coal bucket, I have the extra copper ring around the plant, whilst these are in leaf they need to be away from walls as snails do try every trick to get to them.

In the greenhouse I have two buckets with carrots growing, they will be popped outside soon, two compost bags full ready for tomatoes, I know one has a cucumber pot resting on top for now, To the left is a BBQ bucket, re-purposed for my Aloe Vera, and on the right two huge plant saucers for my sphagnum moss.  

This year I am trying harder with veg, my new raised beds are great, but as always I want to grow more, so here on the path by the greenhouse and tucked behind the raised bed is a compost bag with some sweetpeas, the grey tub has a mock orange in, both of these should fill this back corner with colour. Two bags with second early potatoes and a big pot with some peas in, which is on an old water-but stand. 

The green square bowl has a cranberry plant in it, I got it last year, not sure what I am doing, along with trying to grow peanuts (Monkey nuts), I do like to try new things. 

The weather for most of the week has been dry, just one wet day on Monday, we have seen sunshine, but a rather cold northern wind has kept me inside, alongside another horrible dry cough, so another boring post. 

I've always used different containers for growing in and decoration around the flower section of the garden, now I have my veg section my containers don't need to be pretty, just practical, I am filling any space I have, luckily hubby does not come up around the greenhouse much, he hates having to step over pots and other things. I need to leave space for my tomato plants, I have grown them before in the greenhouse, they do get far to big for the space. 

Most can be tucked away in the cooler months and give me back my space for other items, it's the best of both worlds, allowing me more growing room whilst I need it. 

Summer garden

Our garden is full of colour, so many plants are doing well this year, our summer has been wet, which as you can see does have it's benefits. These are some of the blooms in our side bed, I try to mix and match colours and size, giving interest to this space. These photo's were taken before the heavy rain set in, 4 rainy days together, so it must be summer. 

I do love Begonia's, in every form and colour, their flowers are stunning, but their leaves match each bloom for their beauty. All are grown in different pots and chimneys, even my bedding plants. The top circular bloom is a surprise, I purchased yellow single blooms, but this white double appeared. 

It's also good to have busy Lizzies back in the garden, these are brilliant for pots as they bloom forever, I have just 4 plants, and they fill their space. For a couple of years they were not available due to disease.

English lavender, the white was a bit broken off (no I didn't break it) daughters plant last spring, it's filling out well, the blue has been planted a few years, it will need a trim soon, it's getting a bit big for this space. Lovely to see the bees all over them this summer. 

My acer tree, which we planted in the ground earlier this year has loads of new growth, it's always a worry when you move plants, the trio in the bigger pot is loving it's new location, the smaller acer in the small pot has grown loads this summer. 

Coleus, I try and grow some each year as hubby loves them, plus just one red salvia,  there were 4 of them in this planter, but with the heavy rain, I lost 3, The tub is a cheap soft square washing up bowl with handles, perfect, I can move it to any part of the garden. 

I moved this sink, which was very heavy, so I had to dig out the 4 plants, but they have settled again, I am excited to see new growth in the back right corner, this is my blood grass, the plant came very small and has grown slowly, it looking really healthy. 

 In the raised bed at the back of the garden, I have planted poppies, they are dark red when they open and fade to pink, I still have a few daisies, but the cornflowers have finished. I am hoping they set seed and more grow next year, together these are blooms I love, they always remind me of the seaside.

I am really happy with the look of our garden this summer, I have finally found the balance of what grows in our heavy clay soil, the side bed is the best area, when we lifted the paving stones to create this bed, we added loads of manure and top soil, I add compost or manure each year to keep the bed healthy. The back bed in front of the greenhouse, is the worse bed, I have dug in loads but it disappears in the heavy clay, so I have changed how I plant it. Using so many pots allows me to grow many different plants, I can give them the soil conditions they require.

I am loving the balance of flowers and form, for years I only grew bedding plants and small shrubs, everything was about the summer flower, in this garden where we sit and look out at it all year, the focus has changed. now whilst still having bare spots in the winter months, there is still enough to keep it interesting. Stems and leaves can be as beautiful as flowers, I do love the bare limbs on our trees, we watch the birds around our feeders dance from each branch. 

I do not dig my beds, I have not used my spade in years, other than to dig a big hole for the Acer, when I add to the top of the soil, everything is pulled down and disintegrates, the plants have loads of food. I don't suffer with many weeds, the ground cover and close planting seems to keep them at bay, luckily for me the wind generally blows into our neighbours wild garden, which blows any seed away from us.  

It does feel strange not to have any projects in planning, I do miss my note book and pencil, where I sketch plan and then redesign. I am now looking for different seeds and pips to play with, I do love to see the results. I have been reading up on how to care for cranberries, has anyone grow any and got a crop?

Out the back

My fruit bushes are all doing well after so much rain, loads of blooms, Will checks these on most visit's, I tell him the cycle, of bud/bloom/fruit/ripen/eat, he can't wait for the eat part. 

The moved acer is really happy here, I was a bit worried about the wind, this spot is not as sheltered as it's old position, but it looking good, I have a chocolate cosmos in the blue pot, I love the flowers, the pot under cover is a daisy, there are no holes in the unusual container, shown in last photo of this post. At the back is a bucket with mint in, hopefully the mint will grow and cover the bucket.

I have changed this area again, and moved the metal shelves away, it gives more room for my bigger pots allowing me to have a few more flowers, there is so much colour to come here. 

This is the 3rd lot of shoots on our Magnolia tree, the weather has held this tree back so much, it's good to finally see so many buds, we did miss the flowers this spring, but the tree does look better smaller. 

Down by my shed, tucked behind the garage is the spot where my 2 Hosta's do well, the front one is in a copper coal bucket, the back one is in metal bucket, both have holes drilled in them, and both help with the slugs, which I know is a losing battle, so I enjoy these while I can. 

I moved and changed some of these grasses in my sink, there is loads of new life here, should look good this summer. 

I love pots on my outside tables, the metal table always has the Begonia in the blue pot, which is still inside the greenhouse, the other plants move around the garden to ensure the wooden table always has a colourful display. 

As much as I am fed up with the rain, the garden is looking good, it's a perfect start to the growing season, the water table should be a good height. I have asked my lovely neighbour to stop her son building her sun house, it's been non stop rain since he started. 

I had a brilliant day with Will and George on Wednesday, whilst mummy looked at cars, I think they have found their next car, Will told me loads of information about cactus and the desert, he had watched a programme and took in loads of information, George was so cute and very active, pulling himself up and loving a small shuttlebug bike we have, how quickly they are growing up. I slept well, we stayed in all day and I still managed over 10,000 steps, but was disappointed when Will said Grancha makes a better lunch, can't win them all. 

Today we have friends popping over for coffee, we can sit inside if it's wet, tomorrow my brother is driving down for a visit, his eldest daughter lives local to us, it's been over a year, so loads of family time coming up, we have had both jabs, his daughter and partner have both had their 1st, so family time.

Bottom view

The back of our garden is my working area, the raised section was already done, hubby offered to dig it out when we moved in, but I decided to leave it as it was, the extra height makes it perfect for my greenhouse. All the planting I have added as I have said before the previous owners did not like gardening, the Magnolia tree was the only thing in the garden when we moved in. 

The garage door has always been blocked off, so I have this flat section by the steps, I have popped my succulent glass jar here for now, it's in part shade in the day, so not too hot. I do love my tall old chimney pot here and the baskets of pebbles.

I did some work in this area, adding more grit to the top of the big Acer pot, I love the look here, I have a few pebbles and a black iron candle holder, which looks like a tea room. It's not something many people notice, but I know it's there and it finishes the Oriental look. 

I have redone this sink, I have moved 2 Heuchera plants elsewhere in the garden, planted in the front they had become too huge for this spot. the variegated grass was lost at the back, again it was a case of wrongly planted spot for a small grass. I last planted this sink back in June 2019, seen here, I split my Japanese blood red grass from kirt, and the black grass from in front of my greenhouse. I have used the last of the mixed stones from my old raised bed. I also split the bright green grass, another plant for my sister. 

2 tomato plants, always place them in front of the greenhouse, they catch loads of sun to ripening them, we already have harvest loads. . 

My shed is tucked behind the garage, before this was a wasted space, I love having my gardening storage space so close to my greenhouse. I have trained my cultivated blackberries on an arch, I keep loads of pots in this area, my hosta's love the shade. 

This corner for a while was scruffy, now I have a few pots and it looks better, the back fence has a jasmine growing up it for extra colour.  My Acers are new this year, I have them here, I can see them from the garden, I just need to decide if I will keep them all together or separate them into 2 pots, but until I decide here is a good spot. 

The greenhouse is in a perfect spot, in full sun most of the day, higher than the rest of the garden, and full of lovely plants, cutting and seedlings. I have had my tower pots here outside the greenhouse for years and the Ivy beside it.

I have planted a small white daisy in this pot, I had loads of ideas, even thinking I could make a small water feature, but in the end planting won out, this daisy was in my side bed and not doing to well, so I hope, soon this pot will be full of flowers.

Every garden needs a working area, and I have slowly over the years changed mine to look nicer, I am making full use of every bit of space. Whilst the tomato plants are growing, the garden waste bag sits in front of my shed door, it can't be seen from the seating area, I would like a composter, there is just one spot but it would mean digging out the raised bed, twisting it around, cutting it smaller and refilling, but the top of the composer would be seen from the garden and it would be next to the fence and I already have issues with weeds coming through from next door. 

This year has been a perfect year for gardens, we all have had more time at home, and our summer has flipped from hot and sunny to wet, allowing all the plants to have great growing conditions. We have enjoyed a lovely few days mostly out of the sunshine, my cold is much better, I do love long relaxing days like these. 

I hope you enjoyed the close views from my working area. 

New beds

My new raised bed is looking good, the Coleus are a bit small, but everything else is doing well. The back left hand corner was dug out last week, but no real damage done. The bugs have been added for Will, he loves them, hubby cut down the metal frame, I think it looks better.

 My sink, which sits next to my Acer, with 3 different grasses and 2 Heuchera, Palace Purple, all new plants for me, this year I am trying different styles. I am hoping the colours will sing out next to my Acer. 

 This plant grows along the fence infront of my greenhouse, the bee's love it, every time I come down this end of the garden I hear them, it's very pleasing. 

 I buy loads of bulbs and seeds, plant them and then forget what I have, I don't know what this is growing here, but it looks interesting. I have added 4 packs of seeds this week, they are a bit late, but fingers crossed some will come up. 

  Cucumbers and tomatoes growing, I also have cut leaf salad, spring onions and radishes.

I purchased another chimney, this one is about three foot high, and I won't plant it, I do like it here infront of my Acer, it cost £20, which was a bargain, I have seen the same ones as much as £80. 

We spent Sunday in the garden, we did not have much to do, hubby sorted a couple small jobs and helped me move a couple of pots, all through the year pots get moved in my garden, ensuring I see the best display as possible. I have decided to purchase another Acer for the back area, it will live in a pot, I'm looking for a acid green one, which will add to the area.
My bonsai acer is doing well, I have added to the soil and purchased a feed for it, I had read loads and know it's all about keeping the roots tiny, which keeps the tree tiny, a balance in staying small and being healthy, I do have the bug and would like another bonsai as well as trying to start one myself from cuttings.
Today is Will's day, we had planned to take him to town on the bus, he loves bus and train journeys, but we already have had heavy (lovely) rain and the sky is dark again, so the trip might not happen.  We have nothing to do today, so it's a play day all day.
I am still crafting, I will do a post soon on all my finishes, and hopefully a new start. I am reading alot, getting through the pile of books I was given, there are a couple I have decided not to read, but I still have 10 books in my pile.