Swarming with Life
Nature has taken hold in our spring borders this month and I don’t mind a bit because the cow parsley, Jack-in-the-hedge and honesty look so pretty. But by the end of the month it will start to look a mess, at which point I will wade in and dig up armfuls of vegetation to go on the compost heap. For the rest of the year this area takes a back seat, although it does provide a cool, shady spot to sit in on a hot day. Meanwhile I have been busy in the flowerbeds in the rest of the garden. I have planted a few more perennials from a nursery bed into the front garden. Centaurea ‘Jordy’, which has deep purple blooms, is flowering well here at the moment and I have planted up a container with some sempervivums, which is now enjoying a sunny spot. In the back garden we have a long border that we dug out about four years ago. We decided to plant a yew hedge at the back of this border to provide more shelter for the garden. This plan seems to be working because the yew is growing well and the border is filling out. There is a beautiful blue iris in flower called ‘Bedtime Story’ and the alliums are just on the point of flowering. We grow many different hostas around the garden, both in the soil and in containers. There will inevitably be slug damage by the end of the summer, but interestingly, those grown in fibre clay pots seem to be less affected. I have been busy with our honey bees. Many times over the past couple of weeks gardening has had to be abandoned in order to catch a swarm before it flies off. the first swarm of the season was the biggest we have ever seen and luckily was easily accessible in a hazel bush. These bees are now happy in a new hive. Now though I really must get on with some vegetable gardening, otherwise all we will be eating is honey!
Tales from a Country Garden 