What's Looking Good May 2025

They're looking magnificent but how do you get the petals off the gravel as they must be dropping hundreds of them every day?

 

A lot has changed in the garden since I last posted nearly two weeks ago. That's one of the wonderful things about gardening although it is sad to see some of the glorious colour fade away - but it gets replaced by others

People have been picking up the Hostas they have ordered and the charity funds are growing

Some of our ones on the patio and in nursery areas






The Welsh poppies appear everywhere

 

Odds and ends around the garden





The Nigella are just starting to flower and we let them seed all over the place. We have hundreds of them that form a magnificent view when in large groups


Even Dandelions can look good




Waiting to be planted up








We have two large Solomon's Seals. This grows in full shade


This grows in full sun.

So don't necessarily decide not to grow it when you read it prefers dappled shade or partial sun. Also, the one in the shade never gets watered and we have had one hour of rain in almost three months.

 

Some of our Irises

 

Part of the bed along our driveway where we removed 22 Leylandii some years ago


Having Aquilegia may not seem significant to you but we are really happy to see them back.

We used to have over 4,000 of them years ago but when the Aquilegia Downey Mildew hit them we lost the lot. That was in 2014 and they have never come back with no disease since then. This is the first year there is no sign of it and they are appearing again.

Carrie Thomas (was a GC member) who had the National Collection also lost the whole lot. There is no chemical cure available. I'll post a few photos below of some of ours before 2014




Euphorbia mellifera is growing well after having been cut down to 6" in the winter


You can see where Nigella gets its name of 'Love In A Mist' from


Some of the pre 2014 Aquilegias

 

Thanks