And all of a sudden, here we are in Mid June, and my Dahlias are starting to come into bud.

Last year , I decided to plant out perennials amongst the long grass in our orchard, I chose Achillea , Valeriana officinalis and hollyhocks. They have settled in well, and so it is time for some more trial planting.

I work at Wildegoose nursery two days a week ( http://www.wildegoosenursery.co.uk) and have very kindly been provided with the following plants to enable the continuation of this project, to see which perennials can compete, and thrive amongst the grass ( which only gets cut twice a year ) Helianthus giganteus ‘Sheila’s Sunshine’ with its pastel yellow daisy like flowers and Thalictrum rochbruneanun, which will reach about a metre in height with lavender pink flowers in summer have been planted. Thalictrum prefers dappled shade, and they are under the fruit trees. It is going to be a fascinating project, and one that I will refer back to throughout the coming years.

  • Achillea doing well from 2020
  • New for 2021
  • New for 2021

Progation, is one of my favourite horticultural activities ( pruning comes in at a very close second !)

I was recently given this glass lightshade, and promptly turned it into a mini propagation unit. Tip and basal cuttings have been taken, and have all rooted. I actually don’t know where they will be planted, as it was more of a case of just giving it a go – maybe they will end up as trial plants in the orchard ?

  • Diascia personata and Salvia confertiflora

I am thoroughly enjoying my new side line. Being one of life’s permanent optimists , if they don’t sell, at least I will have some gorgeous cut flowers for home on a Saturday.

  • As much as I love big bunches of flowers, this is my favourite flower brick, with my favourite Violas, it is on a slightly smaller scale.

Last year, I started to garden using the no dig method, it really was a resounding success, No Dig . So 2021 finds me no digging again. This area was pure nettles last year. I used plastic sheeting, to cover the nettles, and then squashed the nettles flat by walking over them , and then cut through the plastic to plant the squash plants.

This year, I have removed the plastic, and as you can see, the nettles are no longer in existence, due to lack of light. Cardboard has gone down to keep any weeds at bay, and as and when time allows I will cover the entire planting bed with well rotted manure.

My garden is slowly starting to fill with colour. I am quite content with various shades of green, and the occasional pop of orange and purple at the moment. Believe me, in a couple of weeks time, it will be full on summer blasts of orange, lime green, burgundy, so I am quite content for it to be quite gentle at the moment.

I hope you have enjoyed your read, and that you too have had a few good new gardening ideas this year.