Green Girl Gardener

I have organised myself early this week to join in with the Propagator’s Six on Saturday. It’s actually Thursday as I’m writing this and I’ve just been inspired by a stroll around the garden.

My poor tomato plants were in a little bit of a sorry state from lack of water, but I don’t think they’re beyond redemption. Time will tell. (Edit to add: they’re fine!) I’m finding, that even though I’m at home all day (still working from home) I forget to go out into the garden to do my watering. When I was in the office it used to be a regular routine that I’d go straight out there when I got home to check what was going on. Must try harder.

So, on to this week’s Six. First up is my first sweetpea of the year – a lovely white number tinged with purple. I’m not sure what’s gone wrong this year, but they’re very slow to get going. On my Timehop today there is a photo from two years ago of an arrangement I’d made with loads of sweetpeas. I planted them in a different place this year that gets more sun, which I thought they’d bask in. I’m still hopeful of being able to make a pretty posy this year too.

My second point has surprised me. It’s a dahlia that I found on a sale table a few weeks ago, but it’s not the flouncy, show off kind of dahlia that I normally gravitate towards. If I’m completely honest, I only got it because it was reduced, but look how amazingly pretty it is.

The photo definitely doesn’t do it justice. I’ve deadheaded it today so hopefully I’ll get another couple of flowers by the time I actually publish this. It’s in a pot on our patio table and I see it every morning as I stumble into my home office at eight twenty nine and fifty nine seconds! Lesson learnt: understated beauty can be just as pleasing as the obvious flouncy kind.

However, I couldn’t resist the buy me, buy me and jumping up and down of the flouncy one so this one came home with me too. This is so cheerful with its sunshine petals. It practically glows when the sun shines on it.

Next up is my wheelbarrow. I’ve put apricot begonias in it again, but also had to supplement it with marigolds because Thomson and Morgan let me down and several of the begonias I ordered from them didn’t survive the post. I think you’ll agree though, the ones that did survive are making up for the loss. I just love them. I never seem to be able to find this colour in garden centres.

My hydrangea is finally getting going too. I love the flowers when they’re at this in between stage. They’re like floral rhubarb.

Finally, my buddleia has sprung to life this week. I’ll be on butterfly watch from now on. This purple colour is one of my favourites and when it appears in nature it’s just stunning.

Chris Packham was on the One Show this week talking about butterflies. They’re in decline due to climate change and we’re being asked to count butterflies to try to get an idea of the extent of the decline.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. It was 24° in my car this morning before 9am when I dropped hubby at work so I’m feeling that it may be too hot for any gardening (or much else for that matter) to get done, other than some necessary watering.