Ravendale House

For the second time in less than a year I find myself singing the praises of the humble nasturtium.

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A few days ago, between showers(!) I decided to collect some seeds from one of my favourite Aquilegias, ‘McKana’. They were tiny, ripe, jet black and very shiny. I was amused to see one being carried off by an ant, and childhood memories of cartoon ants raiding picnics came flooding back.

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Due to the prolonged spell of poor weather, yes I know I sound like a broken record, lots of gardening stuff has been neglected this year. Yesterday the sun shone briefly and I decided to go empty my wheelbarrow which was beginning to look like a poorly maintained swimming pool!

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When we moved here 14 years ago I planted a blue Agapanthus in Flower Bed 2. It flowered for a couple of years, but it soon became clear it was getting overwhelmed by it’s neighbours, and wasn’t very happy, so about 3 or 4 years ago I dug it out.

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The weather is so rubbish at the moment, the second coldest, wettest, dullest June since records began in 1910, (or some equally depressing statistic), that I’ve turned into a plane spotter!
Guess what flew over our garden this afternoon?

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The antirrhinum is a very under-rated plant in my opinion. Not that I’m an expert. I think my grandad used to grow them and apart from that and an attempt at a previous house to grow some and save the seeds (the cat decided to lie on the seeds as they were drying in the spare bedroom) I have little experience of them.

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I think I’m in danger of becoming a meteorological bore, apart from the odd sojourn into refrigeration, I seem to be obsessed with the weather. I’m even boring myself. Perhaps it’s because we’re not having any weather, or at least none of the right kind.

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Here we go again. Not for the first time I’ve been caught out by early May frosts.

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If the last 13 years have taught me anything at all, it’s that you should work with nature not against it, particularly if like me, you’re a lone gardener most of the time, who is no longer in the first flush of youth.

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Many years ago, when the plant buying part of our gardening bug was at it’s height, we bought 7 azaleas in the sale at a local garden centre. It was before we moved here so must have been over 13 years ago.

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