more about front gardens

20-5-2014

Even if we're on a main road (I'm on 4 London bus routes), we can have beautiful front gardens. The ceanothus is looking great right now. I have 4 and they all bloom at different times. I showed the foxgloves on the right (below), this one is on the left. On the doorstep is a nepeta which I bought as I don't seem to have much luck with seeds and wanted my cats to have access to cat nip if they want. There's another in the back garden.

The best addition to a garden ever: 2 cats.

I just can't get enough of these foxgloves. From what I saw of early Chelsea coverage yesterday, foxgloves feature strongly in the show gardens - a classic beautiful flower! I'm glad they're being appreciated.

I can just see an iris foetidissima next door in the photo above. I have some blooms in my garden.  I never noticed before but this morning (couple days later, 22-5) these are buzzing with bees, as are the foxgloves, aquilegia, comfrey and ceanothus but especially the green alkanet. They seem to love the sun being out.

Some of the buds before they bloomed.

It's interesting to see my garden from next door and the garden from next door. I never remember so many iris foetidissima in bloom since I planted them 2 or 3 years ago (will have to check the date). That ceanothus I think looks better from next door.  Those hollyhocks look ready to burst into bloom soon.

A cerinthe self-seeded right next to the wall, not the best place to grow. I'm going to try to move it.

A foxglove and lupin in the back garden.

The magic time when the iris blooms. They don't last long but while they're in bloom they're beautiful.

Here are the iris in situ surrounded by aquilegia and green alkanet and a stachys on the right.

The thyme is in flower.

The chives are in bloom. I love these flowers.