167. Out in the garden

Veg garden recovery

The courgettes, rhubarb and beetroot are springing back to form after the heavy storms. It always amazes me that really delicate things like dill and asparagus ferns are totally unharmed by bad weather, while the big ole brutes look (temporarily) very sorry for themselves.

Getting back to normal.

So many tomatoes in the wonky polytunnel.

Courgettes have righted themselves, and even the dreaded powdery mildew
(which we get every year) looks a little better.

Beetroots back to normal.

We left a few leeks to flower and don't they look pretty among the dill heads?

Lettuce watch: I'm still managing to keep a few alive. Victory will be mine!

Project Mad Old Lady Cottage Garden 

The flowers have greedily guzzled up all the rain we've been having (we're very stingy waterers), so most things in the cottage garden look better than usual! Saying that, we've had hardly anything in flower for the last few weeks, after the aquilegias, irises, carnations, foxgloves and snapdragons went over. I need more plants for that awkward in-between period, straddling the spring flowers and the main summer glory. But things are starting to burst into life. 

The newest bed is filling up nicely. Lots of gladioli and sea hollies in here.
Btw, sea hollies smell horrific in hot weather. Like donkey.

Echinacea, (smelly) sea hollies, gladioli and alliums. 

A new place to perch and enjoy the smell of hot donkey.

Gladioli starting to pop.

We got a few cannas for silly cheap last year and can't wait to see how
they flower. I reckon this one's going to be a beaut.

Bees enjoying the alliums.

LA living
Most of our garden is pretty, er, rustic (read: unruly), and we were desperate for a small area that felt really crisp and smart, whatever the season. Somewhere calming to sit without looking at weeds/mud/building projects in progress/Rob's tool shack (we still don't have a proper shed). So we're in the process of giving the back terrace a modern-ish makeover. It's looking really cool. Quite 'LA Instagram wanker', but in a good way. I think. Pictures to follow next time...