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New toy. #rakesden 
All snake's head fritillaries and snowdrops are now planted around the garden. I didn't manage to get that many into the lawns because there was gie few spaces I could even get down to any depth even *with* the bulb planter, but there's enough to test if they survive at least.
Moved a heuchera also, cause it was getting lost behind the crocosmia, and because the lavender in Langshaw also gave up the ghost and I figured it may as well just come out.
Today in #Rakesden...
The mix of sunny days and torrential days has been warmly welcomed by the saikei, which are looking lush. The moss has just about swallowed up the rock in the last one.
Chuffed to see the nasturtiums in Birchby doing exactly what I wanted them to, trailing along the edge of the border to fill in a bit where spring bulbs leave it all a bit bare after dying back.
Today in #Rakesden...
Langshaw looking ever richer, and the achillea are still to flower. Not sure we'll get anything from the bergamot this year though, as they're not showing much activity. The rich soil is making the nasturtiums just fricking huge, heh.
Laburnumley is also having a rich wee jewel garden phase after the froth of the feverfew and foxgloves. Definitely glad I put the crocosmia in last year. It works great with the Saint John's wort in flower and berry, and if and when the acer is big, it should look lit af.
Today in #Rakesden...
With steel rods courtesy of @SDennett, two flat bits of wood from the tool cupboard, and the cunning instructions of @TheMontyDon, I am make some plant supports.
Rod bent round the tree, set between the two bits of wood, with a foot or two to keep it in place, bend it upwards and bob's yer uncle.
Today in #Rakesden...
Salvia flowering modestly, obviously being found tasty by something.
Echinacea also getting munched and not doing much. I wasn't sure what to expect this year though for any of the summer perennials, whether they'll really need a year to establish the root system to perform properly over a full season.
The big one seems to be a pepper of some kind and the internets say it wants a big pot, so it is now in a biiiiiiig pot.
The lavender got drookit. #Rakesden
The lupins new flower spike also got hammered down by the rain, nearly snapped off.
Oooh! Turns out the campanula left down in the nursery were a present for *me* to put in! Noice! Can't find the variety on the label, just a name "Nostalgie" there's nothing online about, but I *think* they might be Campanula portenschlagiana, an alpine perennial. #Rakesden
I'm off to the shops now, but on my return it shall be time to have a think about where to put them. Many thanks to @cyrillepradal for the new plants! Excited to find a nice home for them!
First thoughts on placement of the campanula.
New plants! Bergamot "Balmy Rose" to be precise.
Trying out some positioning for the bergamot. Two over on one side of the hydrangea, I think, with space for a third of a different cultivar, or a wild bergamot, to mix it up.
Tried out a couple of different spots for the third on the other side of the hydrangea. One place for this kid, one for the Cambridge scarlet or a wild bergamot, depending what I decide.
Today in #Rakesden...
The clematis is loving the iron frame.
The salad burnet is coming back a treat, even putting up flowers to work nicely with the hydrangea and the heuchera.
Odd thing where a clump of crocosmia (I think) suddenly died off here but the foxglove seedlings are loving it. Not enough drainage maybe?
The crocosmia suddenly going brown coincided with a) me moving the birch pot one side it; b) me feeding the climbers other side of it--tomato feed, I think, but *possibly* liquid seaweed as an experiment; c) some heavy rain.
There's a dip in the ground there, which is already the low point of the garden, so the feed for the climbers did run that way. I'm wondering if it's a bit of a sump and the foxgloves have been fine with that, but the crocosmia have felt overfed and/or overwatered.
The dianthus "rockin' red" is indeed pretty fuckin red.
Astilbe has a way to go before it hits its pretty fuckin pink though.
The larger honeysuckle growing up through the smol honeysuckle has a lot more flowers than last year. #Rakesden
Today in #Rakesden...
Last delphinium and last of the 36 freebies in the ground between the sage and the marjoram in Undercherry.
Last libertia in the ground. Hoping it gets better light and catches up with the libertia already in, rather shaded by a fern. The two should form a wee trinity with the crocosmia when they've grown big, bring a bit of structure to that side of the border to balance the euphorbia
Today in #Rakesden...
Wur wee Mrs Blackbird popped by, but I couldn't get a good shot to show the wee white tuft on her arse by which we recognise her.
Wur wee Mrs Blackbird popped by, but I couldn't get a good shot to show the wee white tuft on her arse by which we recognise her.
Found another pallet and did a bit of lashing together to help secure the iron frame for now. Still needs attached to the wall long term but it should be ok until the clematis has grown enough to have real weight. Other pallet in temporary/trial position.
Looks like we have a bunch of fresh growth on a fair number of the lavender cuttings. They seem to be liking the shite weather keeping them damp and the high security wing keeping them from getting pure soaked.
Today in #Rakesden...
Owner of a ground floor flat is removing old frames of bars from the windows (lowers bars having been removed for fire safety long ago) so I called dibs on them. Have measured and with breeze blocks to fix in place they will perfectly fill the space along from the pallet.
So as long as I can make sure they're secure at the base, the cowboy clematis will be able to grow right along to the corner to improve my view from the windae.
Today in #Rakesden...
Last of the perennial kids out to harden off. The delphinium is getting its buds out. One libertia and one dierama have a long way to go, but they seem to have pulled through where the libertia in the wee brown pot already out just does not look like it has long for this world.
Another visit from the birb I misidentified as a chaffinch. Neighbour's dad IDed it as a bullfinch from the neighbour's description when he saw it. Dead happy to see it back as I've never seen them around these parts till now.
One delphinium into Undercherry today in #Rakesden...
... replacing an ash seedling dug out and potted, one of three up on the cubbies now along with the birches. Handsome fellow. I have no idea if you can bonsai birch, but hopefully he'll survive in the pot.
*bonsai ash, duh.
Wet and cold and windy today in #Rakesden, so it seems apt that I should discover a couple of hellebores, I think, in Smolsneuk, just by the stumpery that's a big part of the winter garden.
Did some rootling around under the ferns there to check on the cyclamen. They seem to have died right back and gone into different stages of regrowth, one well on its way, another only just starting. The third is just root by the looks of it, but I guess that's just its cycle.
I've been trying to make sure the golden dead nettle doesn't weave itself into a mat over them, but I'm guessing / hoping they're fine as wintery woodlanders with being totally under the ferns this time of year. I want them back doing their thing this winter too.
Yesterday in #Rakesden...
I started off planting two salvias and ended up staying up to three in the morning blethering over beers.
I started off planting two salvias and ended up staying up to three in the morning blethering over beers.
But yeah, tried moving some bulbs that haven't flowered the last couple of years round slightly into the space in front of the rose. Cleared of moss, soil with a wee bit more drainage, a bit less shaded... hopefully *something* of that will help.
Echinacea and dianthus out to harden off. That's the last of the freebies except for one delphinium which is still a bit behind.
Today in #Rakesden...
First strawberry of the season. I meant to take a pic before I et it. But then I et it.
Here are some more that are ripening though. They too will be et, and hopefully by me before the critters nab em.
Today in #Rakesden...
Saikei looking lush after the rain.
Will probably crop these later or redo tomorrow.
Today in #Rakesden...
This wee ash was howked out of a bed but given a home the other day. There's still a couple more in various places, so this seems to be the year of the ash, where last year it was all birch babies. If anyone would like an ash tree, I may well have spares needing a forever home.
Blue starting to come in on the eryngiums.
