Garden Update – June 2014

Good morning! I fear this could be an epic garden update today, as I have so many nice pics and we have done so much to the garden this last month, that I don’t know where to start! I must mention my awesome Mum again, as she has once more been the driving force behind the garden makeover. Mrs E has been great at advising me what plants would look good/fare well in certain spots, plus sharing her general garden know-how, and this has so far enabled us to keep the plants alive for longer than 3 weeks (not mentioning the Beckenham flat plant pot massacre of 2010, ahem…).

Without further adieu, this is what we’ve been up to in the garden this last month…

We decided to fill the gorgeous bright blue pots on the decking with beautiful, blooming Hydrangeas- lilac in the above pot…

…and rich pink in the other one! ^^^

^^^The redcurrant bush is now taking over the garden somewhat, but before we unleash the secateurs on it this Autumn, we have been blessed with an abundance of fruit. The children really enjoyed picking these the other weekend, and I have begun the yearly ritual of freezing some, and also making redcurrant crumbles in little foil trays to freeze, that can then be cooked straight from the oven. The two year old is like a magpie to this bush, and every now and again I catch her standing behind it, picking and eating the currants, with her little legs poking out at the bottom. Busted every time! I’m quite looking forward to cutting it back, it is a little ‘in the way’ now.

^^^The olive tree is flowering and looking SO much healthier since it was moved into the bigger pot. I’m not sure if we’ll get any olives or not, but it would be great if we did!

^^^The playhouse arrived, and actually doesn’t look too bad in the spot where the old shed used to be. Well, as good as a whole hunk of plastic can look!

^^^We arranged a few pots around the playhouse to add interest and to try and detract from the plastic, and in a pot either side of it we planted ‘Clematis Florida Sieboldii’, which will eventually grow up and around the house and the fence. I think this type of clematis flower is really beautiful, and I love the unusual purple and white colour.

^^^Moving around the garden, next to the playhouse, the tomato plants are really flourishing and starting to flower. Really hoping we get a great haul of toms this year! Last year we grew them in grobags, but I think I prefer the look of the pots, plus the plants seems to be bigger, healthier, and less prone to slugs and snails.

^^^The herbs are taking well to their pots, and we finally found a sage plant somewhere- huzzah!

^^^In the mini fruit and veg bed, the rocket has taken me by surprise and is really flourishing. We’ve picked loads now for salads and it has a great, peppery taste. We have also picked our first few raspberries, much to the delight of Freddie and Sasha (well, Sasha really- F likes to pick them, but not actually eat any!). The runner beans have shot up their canes, and we are awaiting the arrival of flowers, and then hopefully something tasty to pick and have with Sunday lunch!

The final and biggest change now has been to the bed on the right hand side of the garden, where the old Yukka stump has been hacked out (thanks, oh manly fiance of mine!), fresh soil bedded in and a plethora of aesthetically-pleasing plants have been added (this is where my Mum came into her own again). So now we have here…

^^^Lavender. One of my all-time faves. I can’t get enough of the smell!

^^^…Centaurea.

^^^…Hosoba.

^^^Cotinus.

^^^Lithodora.

^^^Primula (not the cheese spread, obvs…)

^^^Veronica. Every time I look at this, I think of the lady whose pony I used to ride as a child, and imagine the plant to be terribly posh!

^^^Escallonia. This will look SO good when it flowers.

^^^Hebe Heartbreaker.

^^^’Pony Tail’ grass.

^^^…and how it all look together in the bed!

So that’s that for June. Here is how it looked last month, if you want a comparison. I’m really enjoying keeping a garden diary- you can really see progression and the ebb and flow of the seasons. I can’t wait to show you what July’s will look like!

Teaming up with Manneskjur and ‘How Does Your Garden Grow’!

Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.