Today’s opening – in the wildflower patch by the pond (and being pushed over into the pond by some rather aggressive grasses) is the Common Fleabane.
Now to persuade Chelsea-cat that here would be a good place to sunbathe – if we ever get any sun.
mixed border
I go for the cottage garden style – aka “a cheerful jumble of flowers”.
teazle
The first flowers have just started opening on the teazle in the wildflower patch. Teazles are unusual – the first flowers open as a belt round the middle of the flowerhead, and then progress both upward and downward as the first flowers die, giving a striped effect.
lilies
Opening today, the first of the Asiatic Lilies. These are in a pot on the patio, and have shot up to over five feet high. Sadly, the rest of the same batch, planted in a border, have struggled to reach one foot tall, and have a solitary flower-bud between three of them! It just goes to show the importance of the right conditions, I suppose.
Just after taking this photo, I removed the stamens – lily pollen is extremely toxic for cats, and this particular bloom is right next to the woodshed roof that several local moggies use as a highway, and for sunbathing on.
forerunners of autumn
The solstice is behind us, and the emphasis in the garden shifts from flowers to produce, fruits and seeds. As always, the Chinese Lanterns signal the change – the foliage is starting to die back and the delicate lanterns are beginning to colour up.
tomatoes
The untidy but very productive sprawl of early tomato “Urbikany”. Even the catalogues admit that it’s not really amenable to being controlled in any way! Still, first salad tomatoes are obviously not far away.
Actually, it isn’t supposed to be the first of my tomatoes – “Latah” is usually even earlier, but has not done well this year for some reason.
finally …
After several chilly and very windy days, this afternoon was very pleasant with blue skies and warmish breezes. I managed a decent walk, rather than a hurried pavement scamper! Down to the bridge at Merrimans Hill, where I ran into Matt Jenkins for a pleasant chat. Then up the towpath to bridge 14, and up the hill to home.
All told, just under two miles – the furthest I’ve been for a week.
Betony
Opening today: Betony, in the “wildflower bank” behind the pond. It’s a rather sorry specimen – betony prefers shorter grass, which of course is where cats prefer to lounge, so I’m a little surprised that it managed to flower at all! Still, it’s a perennial, and I wish it better luck next year …
Monthly update
Monthly update, after four months.
Well, I’m not losing weight as rapidly as in previous months – in fact, pretty much plateau’d for much of the time. I gather that’s to be expected. But overall I ended the month lower than the start of the month, so no cause for despair.
I’m kinda thinking it’s time for another blood test, to see if I’ve managed to move out of the “pre-diabetic” category, but (understandably) they aren’t really doing such things at the moment.
garden bits
After a short pause to gather strength following its first glorious flush of flowers, the rose arch is settling in to a steady flow of new blooms.
Also in red – the Large Red damselflies are out again this morning: this one is on a cosmos.
And continuing the red theme, the first flower is starting to open on the sweet peas (these are the ones from saved seed – the others are on the opposite side of the garden). And, as a contrast, the agapanthus is stirring into life.
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