The garden's gone out of control this week, & I'm loving its enthusiasm.
1. To its own devices.
This bed hasn't been touched since last autumn & it's doing fine without me. Keep in mind, this was lawn when I started last spring, which shows what plants'll do if left to it.
There's self seeded forget-me-nots in the back, a swath of yellow calendula to the left, self seeded from a few starters last year. The foliage in front of them is allium getting ready to open, with the spirea to their right. Along the bottom, a coupla dark orange calendula, again self seeded, & one red tulip photobomb. That dot of pink among the bamboo sticks is the beginnings of the sweet stock. Lastly, an achillea in front of the sweet stock & some type of iris below that.
Not garden show quality, but very nice to work next to while I'm . . .
2. Fire pit bed.
. . . edging the fire pit bed.
Amazing how much the brickwork grows over in one season when you don't trim after each mow.
3. Bargain basement acers.
The acers've been similarly low maintenance, beyond getting fed. Here's the red one . . .
. . . and here's the whatever colour you might call this. Neon fire, perhaps.
These were the 2 for £5 some of us got last autumn. Really pleased with them.
4. Pellies.
P. Aztec has begun its bloom cycle.
When re-potting the pellies a coupla weeks ago, I decided to put Aztec in with Lord Bute, as they bloomed at the same time last year.
Lord B's buds are just opening, so I do expect some dueling blooming.
5. Queen of the mattress spring trellis.
The most exciting thing about getting a new mattress is being able to dissect the old one for the springs. It stymied me slightly to learn that 10 years ago, mattress springs were individually packaged.
Un-pocketing them is nice mindless work that ultimately keeps the mattress out of the landfill AND provides trellis material for the berry wands.
I wasn't quite sure how to connect them, so made it a project to do between other more pressing things, trying out this idea, that idea. Then the wands shot up & quick action was needed, so I've been trellising like mad. The best trellis making method is as yet undiscovered.
6. Doodle Pool plants.
Mlle DoodleFace's pool has always sported a bamboo rescue ramp for critturs that might fall in. Last year, I planted Creeping Jenny & London Pride in it . . .
. . . both of which are looking healthy & colourful at the moment. The basket is filled with miniature bullrushes.
Here's a close up of the little fuzzy cat tails, about the size of my pinky finger nail.
And that's my Six.
Hope this finds everyone well & able to source compost.
Thanks for stopping by!
Love the mattress dissection, you have a wonderful imagination. The "new" border is a beauty and of course I adore the pellies.
ReplyDeleteLast time I harvested a mattress spring trellis, they were connected, so this has been a challenge. The border could be well improved upon, but the thought I had was, with all the garden flowers that are thugs when left to their own devices, it's a wonder more folk don't scatter a few seeds & let the garden grow.
DeleteHow innovative to use those springs in the way you have. I like the way you've let your plants grow into a border the way you have. Did you poison the grass or just allow it to be elbowed out? Thinking of doing a similar thing here, but we have kikuyu which grows rampantly given half a chance.
ReplyDeleteWe had a surplus of packing boxes when we moved in last year, so used them to suppress the grass which I then covered w/used compost from the previous year's tomato planters. This year, I've used fleece sheets that come in our weekly food box. Anything made of natural materials, even an old quilt would work. Charles Dowd, advocate of no dig gardening, says grass will eventually be smothered, but he lives in the UK, so not sure how that works w/your grass.
DeleteA bit of edging or tidying up...appeals to gardeners as a few minutes leaves your mark...which may of course only last a short time....a bit like a fresh hair cut!
ReplyDeleteAgreed! Or a well cooked meal demolished in minutes. But for that short bit of time, however long it lasts, very satisfying.
DeleteThat is a lovely full garden bed featured in your #1. Lots of colour in there. I read with interest about you recycling the mattress. What a really great idea! Love the rescue ramp in the pond too! I've been going through bags and bags of potting mix, which we are lucky enough to have a few km away at a farm stall (on the way to grocery shopping, usually done a fortnight), potting up cuttings, using to build up garden beds etc. Not much in the way of compost at the moment unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteNow I have farm stall envy!
DeleteThat garden bed that's done its own thing is a show. I've sown a lot of calendula this year and I hope it ends up looking as good as yours. You must have a lot of patience dissecting the mattress but it sounds like a great idea!
ReplyDeleteI've always had luck w/the calendula self seeding. In this case, I was pleased that everyone seems to be sharing the bed, rather than swamping someone else - even the forget-me-not. Wait 'til next year, tho. The mattress is on the way to the cat feeding station, so I zip open a row on the way in, another on the way out, done twice daily, soon it'll be done.
DeleteNice reuse of the mattress... and what a patience...
ReplyDeleteWhat are you going to grow there now? Cucamelons like the past years?
Pretty pellies in your Six
I'd already put up chicken wire for the cucamelons, which, btw, failed me, so I've been looking for plants. The spring trellis will be fore the berry wands which aren't failing me, but getting rather wild.
DeleteThat is what I didn't understand... what are " berry wands" please? berry ok but wands??
DeleteThe long stalks of blackberry, raspberry, loganberry, etc.
DeleteAh OK ! Thank you 😁
DeleteYes yes yes! I love your mattress spring supports. Was is you that used some metal reinforcing mesh as a plant support once. I'm using some for my sweet peas this year.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago, I took a single bed mattress apart & that spring was in one piece. I cut it in 2 like you would a sandwich, so now have 2 single bed sized wire trellises. They feature on here a lot, so perhaps I'm the one you're thinking of. They're great because, rather than having to tie plants, they slip into the coil & stay put.
DeleteAren’t the gardens wonderful at the moment! Thank god for gardens during these strange times. Loving your P. Aztec only because it is named after a piece of software my company writes. Also lot to be said for areas of garden that you just leave to get on with it.
ReplyDeleteThe 'only' reason you like Aztec? O, Paul, that can't be so. I looked up Aztec software & sounds like a very good program indeed.
DeleteOf course it was no the only reason I liked it. I might start growing Peles again next year if Incan free up a spare cold frame.
ReplyDeleteKnew that had to be true. Over the years, you've let it slip how much you love a beautiful flower, even if there's no room in the cold frame.
DeleteLaughed at your comment about the photo bombing tulip. I have single red tulips in a few of the borders here, where they must have lurked for years waiting for me to cut something back and give them enough light. Then they shoot up and shout hello!
ReplyDeleteLoving the pellies and looking forward to seeing Lord Bute again. I've realised that I've left it too late to order one.
I ordered some bulk compost a few years ago in order to fill pots. There must've been small tulip bulbs in it because the next year or so, tulips popped up in the pots & continue to do so. Big, fat, red tulips. Great bonus gift.
Deleteloving that new bed, it has settled in pretty well from unpromising beginning as lawn. talking of beds, also think your spring trellis is a great idea. could you secure the ends with nails and stretch them out? or maybe just make a chain of springs. look forward to seeing what you do with them.
ReplyDeleteYes, the flowerbed pleasantly surprised me, as I'd ignored it all year. The last time I salvaged bed springs, they were in 1 piece. W/these, I tried making various designs to see which worked best, but the wands took off, so I simply nailed several to the middle fence board (strut?) then made a chain to the berry plant. A lot simpler, to be honest.
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