'How does your garden grow?'

[jackson 301]

*Mary, Mary, quite contrary,

how does your garden grow?"

"With silver bells and cockle shells

and pretty maids all in a row."

I was thrilled to find a cowslip growing in my garden today. I made it a bit more room, removing the weeds and some of the greenery around it. I've given it just a tiny amount of feed.

It's a precious little jewel that's set itself in my garden. I'll not over fuss it, just hope and pray that others will grow - at one time the humble cowslip was in danger of becoming extinct.

Aubrietias are popping up all over; their mauve and purple bells dotted about the garden - love this plant.

I'm so happy that a huge petalled, purple clematis is growing abundantly in its new place at the side of the garden shed. I was worried about moving the plant; I'd been told that it wouldn't stand much chance of survival if moved! Thank you my green fingers.

*this nursery rhyme is said to have derived from the time of Mary Queen of Scots. Mary, through her royal lineage, had more of a claim to the English throne than her cousin Elizabeth I.

[carltongal 101]

Got cowslips, sweet pea Lobelia pansises buy the bucket load,. plus Lettuce carrots, potatoes and raddishes all in tubs i dont have a garden just a yard also have a hanging basket with flowers Oh must not forget the Sunflowers lol

[mudgie49 401]

At the moment we have grass,palmetto trees,live oak trees,and various small palms. the soil is very sandy,good for growing strawberries,watermelon,and

citrus fruit.

Not seen many flowers while walking around the neighborhood,but will try and put some colour in the garden.

[carltongal 101]

Good grief i forgot to mention my strawberries as well lol

[OLDACE 196]

Steady on with the feed for the cowswlip Jackson, if it likes your garden you should have quite a few in a few years time.

We still have some late daffs in our garden and the bluebells are now at their peak. The lesser celandine covers most of the rest of the garden.

[Fynger 841]

Aint gotta garden.

[jackson 301]

Old Ace, thanks for the advice - much appreciated - regarding my precious cowslip.

[Paulus 541]

Old Ace, thanks for the advice - much appreciated - regarding my precious cowslip.

Are they a member of the buttercup family, I was out walking locally just last week, & stopped to pick a buttercup............................why some one would leave a buttock lying around I'll never know.

[carltongal 101]

I would love a lilac bush but just havent got the room on my yard unless i get a really big tub

[Limey 240]

This is the extent of my garden this year - tomatoes in planters! Found them at Sam's Club - they are labelled as Tomato "Bushes" and seem to be more "bushy" than regular plants. We shall see!

[.... 23]

They look nice Eric - good luck! Any tomato plant will grow as a bush naturally if the side shoots are not nipped out to make the traditional cordon.

[jackson 301]

Hi Stu, good to see you offering your advice as a gardener.

I trust that you've read about my wonderful find, of a cowslip growing in my garden #1. You're a person familiar with cowslips aren't you? I recall reading not so long back, your article: 'Cowslip Sunday . . . . .' on your well organised website: 'Tears of a Clown'.

[RGR 218]

Peonie's on the back yard,pity they only last a few days.

[RGR 218]

Peonie,this beauty lasted 3 days.

[jackson 301]

RGR, thank you for the above photographs. I am so appreciative of this as the other day whilst working in my garden I wrote a few lines on the crimson peonie bush that I have growing.

The blossoms of the peonie are all over and done with in a matter of days but have you noticed how the plant displays itself as big and bold?; an ironic statement on the land.

[jackson 301]

Whilst pegging out my washing, a huge, slimy frog presented itself at my feet; my immediate instinct was to pick it up but it was too agile, obviously Mr Frog didn't wish to be 'talked to' for even just a few seconds!

No wind today, how strange; not even a whisper!

[mudgie49 401]

Hey Jackson,That could have been your 'Prince in shining armor', should have given him a kiss.

[Compo 10,102]

Had a "Great Yellow" bumblebee in the greenhouse yesterday. I picked it up and put it out before it had a chance to die in there. The Great Yellow is now restricted to the northern isles and the far north of Scotland and I am proud to be providing habitat for this lovely large bee. I took seed from one of their favourite foods, Kidney Vetch, last year and it looks like it will flower soon. I have a swathe of both red and white clovers and other wildflowers that always attract a multitude of these fascinating pollinators.

[jackson 301]

Lovely word Compo: 'swathe', not heard that for years.

[Beefsteak 304]

I've finally got out into the back garden for the first time this year. It's been sadly neglected since my brush with the surgeons knife a couple of months back.

My god how can anything grow so fast and look so neglected in such a short space of time ?

The grass is a goog 18 inches tall , all the borders are full of the small variety of Burdock which is about 3 foot tall. The Clemitis has expanded from a clump of around 5 foot tall and 3 foot wide to completly smother one whole corner , choking the Roses and Budlia in that area. There's Brambles running the whole length of one of my borders. The kids Ten Foot Trampoline has started to fall to pieces (It can be easily fixed , but I would just have loved somebody to have told me !!)

I just took one long look at it all and wanted to cry!

It won't get done this year, unless some nice benevolent person stumps up a few quid for me to employ a gardener.

On the plus side I have got a family of Wrens in there making the most of the 'extra cover' Just seen one of them removing a Fecal sack so they're more than likely on their second brood of the year !

[jackson 301]

Hi Beefy, aren't you lucky? I love to see the garden looking a little bit wild!

Aren't you clever, knowing about birds.

[Compo 10,102]

Looks like you're providing habitat anyway. I would leave it until the birds have finished nesting - gives you a bit of organizing space ;o)

[Beefsteak 304]

I had thought of mowing , or rather strimming, the lawn , leaving what gets cropped as mulch, crawling under the Clemetis and cutting it off at it's source and leaving that to die off, then tackling the rest when the back and legs allow (Probably next Spring , if I can help it , ....LOL) But I'm goinmg nowhere near the bit with the Wrens in as she is certainly feeding something in there still.

[jackson 301]

Beefy, how about aiming to do about half an hour in the garden each day? That's what I do and then I feel a sense of achievement that at least it's not being neglected; I'm working on the garden, trying to keep it under control.

It makes a lovely story: garden neglected because of your incapacity and Nature taking over; especially with a family of wrens setting up home in the wilderness.

Please don't destroy the clematis; you are lucky yours is flourishing so well. Last Winter I lost two beauties, crimson they were and it just about broke my heart.

PS: can you manage a photo? - of course not risking the wren's brood.

[poohbear 1,358]

Funny you should say that Jackson.I have breathing problems and everything has to be done slowly and bit by bit.Two minutes digging and that's my lot.

Yesterday I managed to dig a couple of yards...helluva job beating the soil out of the sod and discarding the weeds.

That leaves me with this lot to do...

If I turn round you can see how much I've already done,along with building my aviaries...

I managed to get this area done over the last year or so when my health was better...

My Gunnera is coming along well...it's planted in an underground pond full of mud and I'm hoping for some huge leaves on it this year.That planter behind I made last week out of a pub garden bench and table that I got out of a skip...I like freebies.

My clematis at the top has gone well this year covering some of the aviary...