Wednesday 27 May 2020

Making a List

Hello Friends!

No, it's not "that" time of year, this list is what I want to encourage growing in my garden.  As I read it, the names on it seem very familiar, so I find some comfort in that I am not changing my mind often, I still like the same things.  With a bit of luck it means no expensive purchases that are impulse buys and end up not working out.

Many of the plants that show up repeatedly on my list are freely self seeding, so even if I have to buy a packet of seed or a couple of plants to start me off, future years are generally taken care of.  Here's a little of what my list of "must haves" looks like:

Umbels of any kind, I am a lot in love with umbels!  I like edible ones, such as dill, fennel, and angelica, and I allow any that just drop into my garden from the nearby countryside to grow where they seed, such as Cow Parsley and Alexanders.  I could wax lyrical on umbels, and they are so photogenic oo.  I adore the pop of the purple Verbena bonariensis against the yellow green of this dill.  The dill is growing where it was put, the Verbena is a happy interloper from the flower garden into the herb garden.


Aquilegia, preferably the old fashioned, single colour ones, although I am happy to have some of the multi coloured or double ones if they happen to show up.  As followers of this blog will know, I have them in so many colours, from almost white, to pink tinged, and right on into deepest purple.  Another free seeding plant, and they look so pretty and old fashioned in Springtime. 


Daisies  I love anything daisy, or daisy looking. Osteospermums, Marguerites, Feverfew, and my lawn is full of those tiny, bright and star like ones from which we made our childhood daisy chains.  Such a simple beauty, full of innocence and joy.




Lavender.  My garden would not be my garden without fragrant lavender.  Preferably the long stemmed type, so I can make my lavender wands, but any type of lavender will be just fine.




Not forgetting the fabulous fathead lavenders!


Roses.  There have to be roses.  Shrub, patio, rambler, and the more fragrant, the better.




Ladies Mantle.  A great all rounder, the acid yellow flowers and lime green foliage are a perfect foil for whatever flowers they have as neighbours, and they big, cushiony mound perfectly fill in so many gaps.  Above, it highlights the pink rose, here it is a fabulous foil against a red verbena.  It's froth of flowers looks spectacular in a border or in a cut flower vase, and the leaves are amazing in the morning dew.


Poppies of any sort, from the humble wild field poppy, the Icelandic and the Californian, to the big and blousy short lived, but spectacular Orientals. I just adore poppies, any colour.  As for the seed heads, they bring so much interest to the border later on.





Plants such as Foxgloves, Mullein, Evening Primrose, Borage, Verbena Bonariensis, and more, all make me so happy, especially when they give of their seeds so freely!



I don't only have all of these, they are my must haves, my go to plants, and everything else just sort of falls in around them.  Then there's the clematis, camellias, hydrangea, pinks, cranesbill geranium, Japanese wind anemones and so many more.  I wouldn't think I could cram so much in, but somehow I do!


Over the years, I have paid attention to what does well, and what doesn't.  That sort of diligence helps me establish what works and will bring year after year of joy. 

I don't usually turn to a lot of annuals. I don't know why.  I do have a few, mostly pansies and violas, I am partial to lobelia, and purple alyssum {when I can find it}.  Just this morning I pushed a few Empress of India nasturtium seeds in pots and borders where it looks a bit bare. They should grow and make a pretty, and edible, filling in plant.  I usually buy a tray of violas or pansies every few years and they just continue to self seed and I leave them alone to get on with things.

Until next time
Stay Safe, Stay Well!
Take Joy in the Little Things
Deborah xoxo


18 comments:

  1. So many beautiful plants in your garden, thank you for the lovely photos

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  2. Christie in California27 May 2020 at 16:16

    A visit to your lovely garden is just exactly what I needed this morning! Sigh...

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  3. I have many of the same flowers. Each year we have more and more aquilegia.

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    1. I love how aquilegia cross pollinate and give so many variations of colour.

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  4. lovely flowers, I love aqualegias as well and they do self seed. We also have foxgloves growing in different places. when I read your last post I was going to comment about clearing the bramble. we have a lot of that in our garden and are trying to clear it. My husband bought some weed killer and will spray that onto the bramble growing in the back of the garden as there is nothing else there. Our neighbout also has bramble. I also identified with you about how much gardening you can do. I can only do 10 -15 minutes and then my back plays up so I have to rest. I try to sit out in the garden and do some crochet or reading and then go back to bramble croping again. Hopefully we will get rid of most of it and then be able to keep it cut back. Our garden is about the size of your fruit garden and we like to have some of it wildlife friendly. Don't think I could cope with a garden your size.

    Hope you manage to do what you need to.

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    1. Thank you, Pat. I think it is safe to say I am not coping, just muddling through. Brambles are a bane of my cottage because it was built on a field and we sort of inherited them! It's lovely to have wild brambles, and I can pick up to 20lbs a season without leaving my land, but enough is enough now.

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  5. A glorious list of must haves, Deb! I rely on perennials in my garden as well. I do buy a few annuals every year to brighten our patio planter. Keeping the squirrels from digging them out is a challenge these days as we have rouge rascals this year. Your photos always delight my senses. So many blossoms to enjoy, my friend! xoxo

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    1. Hello my friend! Yes, but it is a simple list of nothing fancy, and things that do well in my plot. Oh, the pests we must tolerate, which is why a gardener's work is never done! xoxo

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  6. What beautiful photos - your garden must be so lovely and that is a great list of "must haves". I love every single one of the plants you mention and have quite a few of them in my garden too. We don't grow too many annuals although normally (but not this year!) OH does hanging baskets and we do usually grow Cosmos. I've just planted out some Fennel (for the first time) and we do have some dill seedlings. Stay safe and well and take care.

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    1. Ha! I think you know what I mean when I say a good crop, or composition, makes up for a lot of things! I don't do hanging baskets, too much work, but I am sure you just enjoy what OH does. Once your dill is established it will freely self sow, but don't put it too close to the fennel {is it herb or Florentine fennel?} dm me on Twitter if you need more info.

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  7. Your garden knocks my socks off. It's fabulous. And that's your dill THIS year? OK -- mine is about 3 inches tall (or shorter) and still the leafy, fringy look. It will be a LONG time before it flowers. I bow down in awe!

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    1. Thank you, but many of these are old photos, just going along with the making a list theme. Dill is so lovely, just don't grow it next to fennel!

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  8. Oh Deb, what gorgeous photos! They are are fabulous flowers and I have to agree whole-heartedly with your list. You have given me a few to add to my list. Thanks~

    Love and hugs

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    1. Thank you, and I look forward to seeing them soon, okay?

      Love you, xo

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