garden withoutdoors

23-3-2026 I need to consider what to do with the asphodel plants

July 2025 I tried once again sowing seeds but only have 3 seedlings surviving from 4 packets of seed.

 

20-3-2026 Happy Spring

I've been busy planting out pots - finally warm enough to do that.

evening primrose before planting out

planted out

Crepis vesicaria plants to plant out

 

planting them out

Verbascum virgatum (possibly) to plant out

planted out

teasels to plant out

teasel planted out

teasel planted out

bristly oxtongue before planting out

after planting out

dandelions to plant out

dandelions planted out

lesser knapweed, before planting out

after planting out

plants planted out

sheepsbit pot with lots of self-seeders to remove

scabious pot with lots of self-seeders to remove

still to plant out

Watching the new season of Gardeners World, I see how important our companion animals are in the garden so it got me thinking of my cats in the garden, especially Pippa.

Pippa is in the background on the right

some impulse purchases at Sainsbury's

I bought the Sainsbury's lupins last year as well and was pleased with them so bought more. These are some of the lupins growing this year.

some of the other plants and bulbs I saw for sale at Sainsbury's

 

coltsfoot

11-3-2026 

 

10-3-2026  local walk 

the Danish scurvygrass is in bloom along the main road

an early scurvygrass rosette

the three white flowers in bloom: chickweed, Danish scurvygrass, hairy bittercress

rosettes, of course, and not just the usual but surprised to see catsear here, don't usually along the main road, Crepis vesicaria on the left, catsear in the middle and I'd have to look closer at the group on the right, herb robert above and below and some small rosettes including Danish scurvygrass 

nearby the dandelion protected by that piece of carpet dumped there, first noticed it last year and it bloomed 

another dandelion

quite a nice specimen of stinging nettle

lots of dittander shoots

I see lots of Danish scurvygrass amongst the dittander

lots of garlic mustard shoots there (at least until they're strimmed down)

last year they savagely strimmed this area (no idea why, it wasn't in the way or bothering anyone) but they don't pick up the rubbish

 

in my garden, marsh marigold

my plan is to dig a pond but in the meantime, washing up bowls are my ponds

I don't get too many giant scabious self-seeding but I'm glad to see one in one of my pots.

giant knapweed shoots, in a pot

and in the ground

monkshood shoot

I noticed this large willowherb shoot recently. I have a few willowherbs in the garden including great hairy willowherb and rosebay willowherb but this is something else. I want to identify it specifically so will observe it this year and photograph it. 

green alkanet with buds

honesty seedling

water figwort rosette and it looks like a Crepis vesicaria on the right

narrow-leaved ragwort seen yesterday in east London

smooth sow thistle on the left and narrow-leaved ragwort on the right

Eastern rocket rosette

we have some sun!  Pippa and the other cats are enjoying it

primroses on a nearby verge

also on the verge, cow parsley, first I've seen this year

lesser celandine rosette on a nearby pavement

daffodils and muscari

beaked hawk's-beard (Crepis vesicaria) rosettes

hedge mustard rosettes

close-up of one from above

prickly sow thistle rosette

smooth sow thistle rosettes

dandelions

close-up of another fat bud

nipplewort rosettes

hoary mustard rosettes (shepherd's purse below)

Danish scurvygrass (Cochlearia danica)

knapweed possibly on a nearby roundabout

seen on a local walk

goosegrass (Galium aparine) rosette

bristly oxtongue rosette, Bellis perennis and mouseear chickweed

lesser celandine in bud

wintercress rosette

coltsfoot

violets

back in my garden, marsh marigold

iris

Amwell Nature Reserve  22-2-2026

16-2-2026

hellebore

hoary stock

Pippa

14-2-2026

Last year I had a lot of self-seeded plants in my new garden, especially dandelions and beaked hawk's-beards (Crepis vesicaria). Some, I wasn't certain which were which but I took monthly photos and was able to observe them to blooming and identification, in spite of the extreme heat and drought. Both plants are resistant to both. I think I had about 15 Crepis and 15 dandelions but I need to look at my final results. This year I'm noticing some new rosettes which I will number and track although the last plants I tried to label and observe ended up with the plant labels scattered with all the animals in the garden.  

two Crepis vesicaria rosettes

Crepis vesicaria

dandelion and Crepis vesicaria rosette

some are in pots so I will need to plant them out in the ground

Crepis vesicaria and dandelion (and forget-me-nots)

2 Crepis vesicaria and 2 dandelions

Crepis vesicaria and forget-me-nots

Crepis vesicaria self-seeded in a pot with an amaryllis

Crepis vesicaria self-seeded in a pot with a passionflower

woolly thistle rosette

smooth sow thistle

spear thistle

cudweed

I think this is fox-and-cubs but I will observe how it develops

this rough hawkbit was looking good but after a freeze the leaves turned brown but now green shoots are growing

poppy seedlings

rhubarb

hyacinth in the trough along the driveway

I planted rosemary in the trough, initially 6, will probably need more plants, 3 plants with buds from the garden centre and 3 plants from the supermarket

 

14-2-2026

I love observing self-seeders, what some may call "weeds". I loved this location until recently when I went there after not having seen it for a few months and found the environment so full of rubbish there wasn't even space for the weeds to grow.

one of only a few plants I saw that day (in situ above), hedge mustard 

dandelion and stone parsley

hedge mustard rosettes

left to right, dandelion, stone parsley, hedge mustard

 

back in my garden, hoary stock buds and vivipary, seeds germinating in the seedheads on the right

all that rain has also wetted the seedheads so I've noticed more vivipary, on the hoary stocks

this Verbena bonariensis seedhead looks like it might have a bit of vivipary 

more sea holly vivipary

I will try again to plant those seedlings as I love sea holly and want more of them. I grew these from seed, started 2 years ago, they bloomed last year. I am so happy they survived the slugs and the winter and there are new shoots starting at the bottom. 

and shoots along the stem

so much rain recently, puddles in my garden

I have a 6 m trough along the side of my driveway. My first year here I didn't have time to force my hyacinths although I'd already bought the bulbs before I moved so just brought them with me. After I moved I planted the hyacinths in the trough. They were great that first year but this 2nd year they're not nearly so strong. I planted a few small plants amongst the hyacinths last year and there were a few existing plants. So it's a mixture with various plants including hyacinths, some coming into bloom, some coming into bud. I didn't put much more compost in but I see this year I must top it up. 

flowers just starting on the lithodora 

dandelions as well as the hyacinths, muscari on the right?

armeria on the left

giant knapweed seedlings from the vivipary

teasel vivipary

Centaurea montana seedlings

asophodel seedlings

fennel shoots

daffodils

Scilla hyacinthloides shoots (Pippa's paws on the left)

closer view of those shoots

spring dandelions

other rosettes

Crepis vesicaria

hoary mustard

smooth sow thistle

shepherds purse

globe thistle shoots

hawkweed oxtongue

liquorice planted 

horseweed

hellebore 

dandelions

fox-and-cubs rosettes

Crepis vesicaria possibly

common sorrel

 

ragwort

dandelion

chickweed

claytonia

nipplewort

common sorrel

lesser celandine

dandelion or Crepis vesicaria

Crepis vesicaria

new year, new rosettes

common whitlowgrass

Crepis capillaris I think

sheepsbit

bristly oxtongue (Helminthotheca echioides)

Erigeron karvinskianus

ragwort, common whitlowgrass and forget-me-nots (I didn't even need to leave my house to take this photo taken out the door to my patio)

hedge mustard

I'm not sure on this one, dandelion? Crepis capillaris?

and after lots of rain soaking the teasel seedheads, more vivipary

almost forgot, hellebore in bloom a few days ago

22-12-2025

I wanted to plant the seedlings that had germinated in the seedheads (vivipary or precocious germination). While choosing some seedheads, I discovered more vivipary with the giant knapweed (Centaurea macrocephala).

and a striped woodlouse

I chose 4 sea holly seedheads

and 4 teasel seedheads

and the one giant knapweed seedhead as it was all I had 

sea holly on the left, planted some seedheads and while I tried to open them up, lots of seeds came out so planted those as well; teasel on the right, I cut open the seedheads placed them on top of the compost

closer view of that small pot above with some teasel seedlings I eased out of a seedhead

there seems to be quite a sturdy base to the seedlings, not sure how they'd grow though that so tried planting both the cut seedheads and some removed seedlings

I also put a couple seedheads on the ground to see if the seedlings would grow into the ground

Even if none of my seedlings grow, here's one that grew earlier. Seed must have been in a pot I brought from my previous garden as I don't think I had teasels in bloom last year when a seed would have had to drop to grow this. 

While in the garden, I also noticed these seedlings growing on some brown stems that were on the ground so quite wet. I'm not sure what they are. I guess this is more vivipary. 

at first I wasn't sure if the seeds were in the stems (a stem-like seedhead I guess) but on closer examination, yes the seeds are inside

I planted some by placing them on top of the compost

I did 6 small pots. It's very cold today and getting colder this week so not sure if they'll actually be growing but they're in a position to now. 

I also wanted to plant out my two uncertain rosettes while the ground is reasonably soft and it's not too cold. Sadly I managed to drop this one and a lot of leaves broke off. Very annoyed with myself. I hope it will recover.

This one does look a bit evening primrose-like but I think it's something else. Giving it a chance to grow and bloom will allow me to identify it -eventually. 

Although I had lots of small teasels (Dipsacus pilosus) this past summer, I haven't noticed any vivipary in the seedheads. After the common teasels, the small teasels are my most numerous seedheads in the garden. I did notice a couple of small teasel rosettes so I have hope of some small teasels next year but I really should try to collect some seed and sow it. 

c 

11-12-2025 surprised to see this claytonia self-seeding, I had it in a pot in my last garden but haven't seen it since I moved, although I did bring a number of pots but sadly not all, so no idea where a seed came from or how it survived for 2 years but very glad to see that it has

another self-seeder but I'm not sure of this, will wait and see

these two are clearly beaked hawk's-beard (Crepis vesicaria), now I just need to get them in the ground; the ground's been rock hard for a long time but I'm hoping recent rain has finally made it possible to plant out

I've seen lots of rosettes while out and about this week, these two possibly shepherd's purse

some magnificent storksbill rosettes (this was enormous for storksbill, didn't get out my expanding rule but will next week when I should be back there)

lots of beaked hawk's-beard (Crepis vesicaria)

also a lot of hoary mustard rosettes

catsear (Hypochaeris radicata)

catsear rosettes in situ and lots of other rosettes 

bristly oxtongue (Helminthotheca echioides)

teasel

sow thistle

spear thistle

2-12-2025 This year the weather has been extreme - drought and heatwave for months and now so much rain soaking the seedheads in my garden. I discovered vivipary on the sea holly (Eryngium planum) as well as the teasels. 

with a different cat, a white stray cat that visits

28-11-2025  teasel vivipary (or preocious germination) with my cat Pippa photobombing all my pics

3-11-2025  the verge coming back to life after unnecessary mowing - until the next mow

shepherds purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) blooming and producing those distinctive seedpods

and rosettes

beaked hawk's-beard (Crepis vesicaria) rosettes

buck's-horn plantain (Plantago coronopus)

closer view of those overlapping rosettes top right above, buck's-horn plantain grrowing over a  chickweed rosette

30-10-2025 I caught my cat Victor eating the asphodel plants - they are very grass-like (cats like to eat grass), I had thought the slugs had munched the asphodels but now realise it was Victor

sow thistle? also has a look of wall lettuce so I'm not sure

datura seedpods

sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima) that was in the Sainsbury's wildflower seeds tin

wheat

dandelion seedhead

27-10-2025 return visit to Rainham Marshes

common stork's-bill rosettes

hawkweed oxtongue rosette

an unknown rosette

hoary mustard rosettes

one very tall hoary mustard

bristly oxtongue rosettes

verbascum

Crepis vesicaria

22-10-2025 visit to Rainham Marshes, lots of rosettes, which I love, sadly a lot were mown down but a few were still growing there

Crepis vesicaria

bristly oxtongue

hawkweed oxtongue

the hawkweed oxtongue is still in bloom, visiting late bee

hawkweed oxtongue rosettes

shepherd's purse

hoary mustard

uncertain rosettes

possibly Crepis vesicaria

possibly shepherd's purse

possibly dandelions

dandelions

wild or prickly lettuce

narrow-leaved ragwort

lemon balm

18-10-2025

yellow asphodel / king's spear (Asphodeline lutea) purchased from Beth Chatto

This was from Hayloft Plants in June, smaller than the recent purchases, will see how they all do and I have some small plants from seeds I sowed last year and this year. I have not grown asphodel before so it's all new to me but hoping they will help with the droughts and heatwaves we will no doubt have a repeat of in the future.  

17-10-2025 Scarecrow enjoying some autumn sun

late bee on cosmos

lots of cosmos flowers on these plants at the front

datura seed pods, first just forming

common hogweed flowers emerging

closer view of flowers emerging

late flush of Verbascum Arctic Summer flowers

a new huge rosette - I don't know if that will bloom this year or next

a few late Cota tinctoria flowers

it's self-seeded like mad

8-10-2025 today's rosettes

shepherd's purse

hoary mustard

another hoary mustard

not certain on this one

Japanese knotweed, still in bloom

7-10-2025 late campanula flower

I love sea holly and so pleased I had some plants in bloom this year. I now have some new stems and shoots.

New stem in the centre below.

closer view of that new stem

closer view of the buds

new shoot from existing stem

new shoot

cosmos

ladybird on the cosmos

a few days before there were lots of aphids on the cosmos but maybe the ladybirds did their job as later very few aphids

aster

shepherd's purse

rosebay willowherb

mahonia buds

datura buds and seedpods

huge dandelion rosette

beginning of October, my cosmos is blooming extravagantly, even though it's so late in the year but I guess it's their time

the odd late flower is blooming, knapweed

scabious

a perfect dandlion rosette