I have what always feels like a tiny garden compared to what I see on the numerous gardening programmes and books I sometimes binge on. But in my part of Malvern, it’s fairly typical – a patio outside the backdoor and growing space beyond that.
Sowing for summer
Forget-me-nots by Anne Williams
Anne is sowing the seeds for a blooming summer garden...
Foxglove patch by Anne Williams
At the moment, I have an invasion of foxgloves and while I love them, they are taking over the space that was cleared this time last year. Seeds really do stay in the soil, don’t they? I want to make room for some new plants that will extend the rather short flowering season I currently have. I also want to have flowers that I can cut and bring into the house. I do have some flowers in the garden, forget-me-nots and violets, that are both beautiful but small and not in great numbers. My Aquilegia are coming through and will start to flower soon.
But before the foxgloves are dug out (and passed on once lockdown is over) I need something that will replace them. So, seeds at the ready, here’s what I’m planting...
Sowing seeds by Anne Williams
To start with it’ll be Calendula or common marigold simply because they make me smile. They’re also perennials and insects love them so what’s not to like? Next will be Nigella, which have lovely flowers as well as seed-heads - a double bonus. Then I’ve got some cosmos, gorgeous flowers that are good for bees as well as for cutting and bringing into the house. Then, a bit of a departure for me, I’ve got corncockle, which I’ve not tried to grow before so we’ll see. I’ll do some Nicotania for evening scent - apparently moths love them so that's great as I love moths! I’ll also be sowing some sweet peas (I know it’s a bit late but, hey!) and climbing nasturtiums. I think that little lot will keep me busy.
I’ll be using peat-free compost to sow and use in pots. It’s vital that we gardeners try to protect as much as we enhance. Peat bogs are amazing places, rare and wonderful habitats as well as brilliant at storing carbon so anything we can do to minimise the impact we have on these amazing places has got to be a good thing.