end of June 2023

wider view of the back garden, Victor on the left on the chair, Scarecrow on the right on the wall

the bees are still loving the giant scabious

and a hoverfly was visiting

my first borage in bloom - it was a totally unexpected self-seeder

the next day, a second flower, they seem to start off pink and then turn blue

Having 5 cats and loving bees in the garden - nepeta is an essential plant in my garden, both catnip, Nepeta cataria with white flowers and garden catnip / catmint, Nepeta fassennii cultivars with purple flowers. As far as I've seen Nepeta cataria is only available as seeds so I've grown it myself from seeds and Nepeta fassennii is only available as plants from the garden centre, I've never seen seeds.

Nepeta cataria, catnip, grown from seed. It is a perennial but I don't have many plants lasting very long.

some of the flowers are quite pink

one of my pots of Nepeta cataria

Rocky gives it his seal of approval

some of my Nepeta fassennii with purple flowers, not as upright as Nepeta cataria, quite sprawling with flowers along the stems

sheep's-bit

I love sheep's-bit and have loved the massive number of flowers I've had. I thought they were just about finished.

I gave them a good watering and was rewarded by bees visiting - and I thought they were past attracting bees.

I also thought the poppies were just about finished but have been rewarded with more blooms, both Lauren's Grape (with a bee)

and Amazing Grey

I found my first selfheal in bloom amongst some other plants

greater knapweed

lots of self-seeders in my seed tray but none of the seeds I actually planted (I do NOT recommend Plant World Seeds, zero germination), annual mercury male bottom left and female bottom right, makes comparison and close-ups so easy having them in my garden (shoo-fly largest on the right, green alkanet at the top, verbascum and an oxalis top left)

annual mercury male flowers in spikes above the leaves

annual mercury female flowers under the leaves