The Summer Garden.

My last garden post was about three weeks ago. In that time I’ve taken a few pictures and I’m sharing them here today. I’m also  linking to last July from the archives. It’s all of July’s posts because I seem to have added garden pictures to nearly all them. You think you’re a consistent blogger…. Apparently I’ve changed (not necessarily all that much, but most posts are now, at least themed).

This lemon verbena smells amazing. I don’t know what to do with it, other that pinch bits off for whiffing every now and then.

There’s been a lot of samey samey over the last six years. I am extraordinarily tempted to have a big overhaul and rip out the tatty, overgrown stuff to start all over again. I’m getting lost with planting and there is no real garden design. I’m not sure if normal gardeners do any real design; maybe they just hope for the best with the stuff they like. I know I like the cottage garden style and I know I like having my own vegetable patch and that’s about it. I also know it needs is muck. Lots and lots of nutritious muck. Would half a tonne be enough for everywhere?

There is something in the photograph above that has become my mortal enemy. I didn’t get a good picture of it that day but it was there.

Here it is. Little blighter. Under the net as well! Most days, I’ve gone out into the veg patch with the explict task of squishing butterfly babies. I started off squeaminshly using tools but the more angry I got, the more vicious I became. Now I just use my fingers to smoosh any bright clusters of orange eggs or any newly hatched caterpillars. I’m still grossed out my the big fat juicy ones so I flick those ones across the garden or drown them with jets of water. Between this and the frog from a few weeks ago I feel like a proper murderer. I really like purple sprouting though, so they must die.

This is a leek flower (a leftover from last year). I was wondering what it would look like (quite pretty, as it turns out). I’m glad that it’s as pretty as its ornamental cousins.

Morning Glory. I want more.

Crocosmia. Spreading like wild fire.

Japanese anemone. The white ones don’t work as well as these.

I know I showed lobelia last time but I like this picture.

What I haven’t done in years is suck the nectar from honeysuckle. It was always something we did when we were little. That and red clover.

And it works with buddleia too!

It could have been any butterfly, maybe a peacock or red admiral. What about one of those little blue jobs? Nope… thanks cabbage white.

It was definitely laughing at me whilst it probed its teasing tongue into my verbena bonariensis. Cheeky.

These bees are far more welcome. Hello bees!