Last week we celebrated ten years of being here. Ten year’s of gardening here. You’d think I’d have it all under control by now, but of course not. In fact, I have an urge to pull things out and re-think. There’s one border in particular (well two) that I keep looking at with a less than satisfactory feeling. Maybe come October I will have a plan. In the meantime here’s six from the garden.

One

Last week, day lilies were popular with fellow sixers. Surely this week it will be hollyhocks. Mine turn up in new colours every year. I like this red mixed in with verbena bonariensis

Two

I grabbed this shot of kniphofia to share this week as by next week it may well be gone. Now I just need the rose ‘Lady of Shallot’ situated nearby to put out some of it’s beautiful flowers again and my pink and orange corner will be complete.

Three

Penstemon ‘Garnet’. What a doer. I usually cut these back in April but then I read that cutting them by half in the Autumn and then again in April was the way to do it. I managed the Autumn cut but failed with the April one. Doesn’t seem to have hurt.

Four

Hebe gone mad. There used to be a space between the hebe and the hydrangea were irises, camassias and yet more verbena bonariensis grew. The hebe is having none of it. I’ll cut it back after flowering but I’m happy to let it have the width.

Five

The drumstick alliums are back. Much loved by bees and holding their own against marauding g.psilostemon .

Six

I left my scented leaf geraniums outside this winter. I can’t remember why. I had a few scraggy ends of some of them left but these pink capitatum survived quite well. Once all the dead bits were removed the new growth came through and now the flowers. These were my favourite of the the three varieties I had so I am happy.

Tell me to be quiet if you are tired of hearing that I’m way behind still. One thing that does seem to have come early is blight on the potatoes. I also discovered that the bitter taste I had with one or two cucumbers is down to heat stress. I hope the next batch are back to tasty normality. Jim continues to amaze with his gardening abundance. Take a look at Garden Ruminations and check in other SOSers – join in even! Happy Gardening.