July garden

The flower beds are looking good, this side bed has looked good most of the summer, there are a couple of empty spots, normally I show this bed looking towards the garage, today it's the opposite view, towards our seating area. The lily leaves are looking good no flower head, I am looking for something different to fill this gap, for now I can't decide, will have to pop to a garden centre.

This square bed looks better in the front section, the plants along the back have not done so well, the moved shrub in the middle has settled in and will fill the space and add height. I have a forsythia I want to move to one back corner, and I think I will move my Chinese witch hazel plant still in its pot to the other corner, I love foxgloves and poppies and hope some return next year.

This back section, has been a joy, better than I hoped, my astilbe has new leaves growing, so I think it will be OK after moving it, maybe not so big this year. The gladiolas look pretty, I planted 20 bulbs, hopefully in coming years they will flower. I have 2 more smaller snowberry plants once they go in the back, I will let them grow higher to form and low hedge.

My blooms around the garden have so many different colours, for years I tried to have colour controlled beds, these days I just mix it all up. The zinnias and begonias are the stars along with my 2 yellow lupins, I try to grow open flowers for the pollinators, our beds have been buzzing for weeks now, we are also seeing more butterflies. My style has changed, I still like neat edges around the beds, but I am enjoying a cottage style of planting, mixing it up does create a nicer feel. 

I'm hoping by moving a couple of plants I won't need to purchase many, I don't often move plants unless they are having issues, my forsythia is too big for the section behind the pond, I think it will look good next to the red Acer. I will need a plant for the space behind my pond maybe a tall grass and a huge stone. 

I want to clean my pond, it was full of green slimy duck weed, I've got most out, I have purchased a pond oxygenator, which will give the water a gentle movement and help slow down the growth of duck weed. I did not want a fountain, preferring a natural look.

My veg is doing well, I'm picking runner beans every few days, I cooked beetroot for our salad, the few tomatoes I have are turning red, the 3 plants in greenhouse have not done well, just too hot, the plant in raised bed is good, we have been eating salad bits for weeks. My butternut squash plant is full of flowers, I've not grown one before, so I'm hopeful of a few. I'm getting a handful of raspberries most days, we had our blackberry and apple crumble with fresh clotted cream, which was yummy. I am still sowing and I have leeks to go in a raised bed. I also want to try for new potatoes at Christmas, alongside more winter veg.