Wednesday 19 June 2013

summer in the garden

Sorry for not posting for so long yet again, there's quite a bit going on at the moment and it's been hard to find the time to do a proper post. I'm trying desperately to get myself in order, I'm such a disorganised person and am trying to properly sort myself out. I'm trying to clear out things so the house is a tidier and more relaxing space to be in, I have far too much clutter and it was starting to feel oppressing, I have so far managed to tackle the bedroom so not doing bad on this front. Am also trying to figure out what direction I'd like my life to go in, this is not an easy task as you can imagine. I went to an Open Day at Sheffield University on Saturday though and I finally feel as if I may be going in the right direction. I can't tell you how nervous I was before I got there, Allsy kept having to tell me to calm down, I don't know what I imagined would happen. After attending the talk on the Landscape Architecture course and looking around the third years final projects though, I felt truly inspired and all my worries disappeared, am definitely going to apply to attend next year. Here's hoping that this will finally lead me into a career doing something I love. 

Yep I'm feeling so happy about the future. I'm afraid to say that with all this going on the garden has been rather neglected. It is apparently summer though, or so they say, and I'm well aware that I haven't posted any photos of the garden in a wee while so I thought I'd share some anyway. Actually, the strange thing is that without me messing with the garden, constantly weeding and pruning it, it looks in my opinion so much better for it. Yes there are lots of wild flowers and weeds within the borders, and it looks a bit rough around the edges, but it looks so much more relaxed and natural for it and I for one loves it.



Corydalis is looking especially lovely this year, speaking to my neighbour Mrs P. this weekend (who has lived here since she married her husband in the 40's) this plant has been here longer than she has. It flowers for ages and scatters itself around the border in a nice gentle way too, I couldn't recommend this cheerful little plant highly enough.











The Aquilegias are absolutely everywhere too! I do love them but wish I had a bit more variety within this border. Something to remember for next year when there most probably will be yet more of them. 





This little area next to the shed is one of my favourite parts of the garden at the moment, it's like a mini wildflower meadow with the self sown Foxgloves and Aquilegias with the buttercups and grasses. Mrs P. very kindly offered to get rid of it this weekend with this rather large scythe instrument she was wielding, at 92 years old she's only a tiny little thing but you should have seen her with this scythe, she was bloody lethal, she only had to look at a weed and it lay down before her, defeated. She laughed and shrugged when I told her that I actually liked this little area. 


Mr Woody seems to like it too.







The shady border is looking a bit better than it did last year too. There's still lots I want to do to it next year but it's looking a lot fuller and lusher, just could rather do with more flowers and more colour.






Most excitedly though, two of my most favouritest flowers are about to do their thang. 



Yes I know, your Roses and Peonies have probably been out ages and all that, and this is probably old news to you, but living across from a wood means that my garden is always well behind everyone else's, living up north probably doesn't help matters either.

So with the abundance of flowers in the garden I have been picking lots of little posies for the house, my only problem is that Bootsy Cat knocks down any vase with flowers in it, quite often breaking the vase, so they are only really safe from his royal naughtiness in the living room and bathroom where he can't get in. I had a major tidy up, clear out and move round of our bedroom though so couldn't resist sneaking some pretty little ones in. Saxifraga is one of my favourite plants, the flowers are so delicate and pretty. I'm afraid I don't know what the name of the larger flowers are but the smaller pink flowers are most commonly known as London pride, my granddad very kindly came me a section from his plant last year as I'd always admired it in his garden, it's now one my most treasured plants in my garden, such a pretty wee thing. 





Bootsy Cat hasn't knocked them over yet but with a face this cute I don't think I could be mad with him if he did. 




23 comments:

  1. oh my goodness...is it a downer to say I wanna cry! where the frig are my flowers! I am still so flowerless here and i have no woods or northern exposure to blame...i need to sort out planting for next year...thank you is perhaps what i should have started with you inspire me! The garden is wonderful and MR WOODY is a star! lol xxxx

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    1. Thanks Jane, if you plant Aquilegias you'll never be short of flowers but you'll find them cropping up absolutely everywhere! I have quite a few Geums too as they flower for a long time and are lovely colours, I do need a wider variety of plants than what I currently have though, could do with a bit more structure amongst the chaos too :)

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    2. oh thank you hon, that's fab, i have 1 single stem of aquilegias in the front garden that appeared from nowhere but didn't know what it was till now! I am so going to get more of both of these. i think its friggin amazing about your course xxx

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  2. I REALLY like those little pink/white flowers, pwetty! Cute cat xx

    The Young Bridget Jones

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    1. I know they're so pretty and delicate looking and yet they're such hardy little plants, I loves them. x

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  3. I'm glad you went to the university open day!! :) and that you've found something inspiring, I believe in trusting our gut instinct, one of the things that I also think is important when people go to university is the fact of meeting like minded people that can help you learn and grow. I wish you the best and go for it girl! xx

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    1. Thank you! I couldn't agree more, you have to trust your gut instinct, it's nearly always right. I have such a good feeling about the course, it feels like it could lead to something really good, so fingers crossed it will. I hadn't thought about the meeting like minded people part if I'm honest, I've been so focused on the learning part but it'll be great to meet people with the same passion for landscaping as myself and who will no doubt have lots of different ideas to me that I can learn from. I really can't wait!! x

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  4. Gorgeous photos, your garden is packed full of plants, flowers, colour and pretty things. I think you can overtend a garden, sometimes you need to lets things just go a little for it to look a bit more natural - you've got it spot on there - it's neat and comfy.
    I love your vases, especially the jubblies!

    Thanks for joining in again - have a lovely weekend x

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    1. Haha thanks, I love my little booby vase too!

      I love wild flowers and always prefer a garden a bit on the wild side, plants are living things and it's been nice to just let them get on with things. The bees seem to be enjoying all the wild flowers too so will definitely be more relaxed with the weeding in future years as I have been this year. It's also been nice to just sit out and enjoy the garden rather than constantly weeding and pruning it, have felt much happier for it :)

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  5. Congrats on the university course - I'm sure you'll love it. And the garden looks great too. Even the rain makes things nice and lush (although the evil slugs love a good shower!)

    Your neighbour sounds ace. My old neighbour Alf (deaf as a post) grew the most amazing rhubarb and used to lend me his garden tools, bless him :)

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    1. Thank you, I'm hoping I will. We have a ridiculous amount of slugs in our garden, it's terrible I love all animals and insects but slugs for some reason give me the proper heebie jeebies, it doesn't help when they munch great big holes out of my favourite plants. Oh well, I don't believe in using anything like slug pellets so we just have to get along happily and put up with each other.

      Aww Alf sounds extremely sweet and kind. My neighbour Mrs P. is super ace, she's 92 and she's one of the most beautiful people I've ever met. I feel very luck to have a neighbour like her! :)

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  6. Oh my word what a beautiful garden! I will buy some Corydalis, Ive never grown them before, they are so pretty x

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    1. I love them, be warned though they do scatter themselves about quite a bit but they're really easy to pull up and I've given quite a few of these self sown plants away to family who have also loved its cheerful little yellow flowers. I hope you enjoy the plant as much as I do :)

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  7. Love love love your garden! My peony hasn't even got any flower buds so yours are doing much better than mine!
    Mr Woody is brilliant :)

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    1. Thank you, ours didn't last year but I have my fingers crossed that this year it will flower. Oh and Mr Woody say's thank you too :)

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  8. sounds like you're starting to sort your head and space out, there's no rush though. i don't think there's a fast way to happiness, it's going to take time. but it will be worth it.

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    1. Am trying to sort myself out, you're right though it's not easy and certainly takes time. The course I'm hoping to do is 3 years and to properly qualify as a Landscape Architect takes 5 years, I know its going to be hard work going to university and studying and working but it'll hopefully be so worth it to be doing something I love. I agree too about there being no fast way to happiness, I'm very lucky that in my personal life I am incredibly happy, it'd be nice to have a job I loved that made me happy too. Perhaps that's asking too much but I suppose I can but try :)

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  9. Your garden is beautiful and if you can harness and develop those skills with the course it sounds just perfect.

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  10. Lovely photos, what a beautiful place you live in. My Aquilegias are quite prolific too, love them though, collecting colours now, some have mutated from purple to pink to cream.

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    1. I know they're frisky little things aren't they, my Aquilegias seem to change colour every year, just part of their charm I suppose.

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  11. Yay! You have London Pride too - they are so cute aren't they? I love your cottage garden - the picture of your front door with beautiful flower borders up to it, just lovely. I'd like that for my house x

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  12. ohhhh you're garden is so great! I wish on everything I had a green thumb :(. Also I have to say those watercolors in the post above, toooo die for! I love the sketch on top of it :)

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