Today's bloom is another annual poppy:



It looks almost the same as the last one I showed you apart from the frilly petals inside. I'm waiting to see what the rest of the annual poppies are going to look like - they are all about to bloom.

Here are the latest seeds from the Amateur Gardening magazine:


Agastache Anisata and Forget Me Not
According to the packets these can be sown in September and planted out next Spring. I already have Forget Me Nots in my garden but I think I'll still plant these seeds as they're probably a different variety to the ones I already have.

I bought some Agastache seeds earlier in the year so hopefully next summer they will attract lots of bees and butterflies.

Yesterday I sat out on the decking watching all the birds coming and going and I couldn't resist taking a photo of this little Spuggie (Sparrow):


Doesn't he look cute?

Talk to you later,

Susan.

This is the first of my annual poppies to flower:



It looks the same as the one in the time lapse video in my last post so it has either seeded itself from last year or I had some seeds left over from last year's packet which I sowed this year. I really can't remember.

There are a few more poppies that are about to flower, I was hoping there would be some different colours but from what I can see of them they look as if they're all the same as this one. I'll find out for certain over the next few days. If any turn out to be different I'll post the photos here.

Talk to you later,

Susan.

There's nothing new blooming in my garden which is why I haven't posted much recently.

There are lots of buds though, so it shouldn't be too long before there are lots new flowers out there.

Once they flower I might be able to identify them from the pictures on the seed packets. I did label them when I sowed the seeds but I had a minor disaster when the mini greenhouse blew over and all the labels fell out! Never mind, at least I managed to save most of the seedlings.

I planted out the Nicotianas but unfortunately the slugs got them. They also got two of the tree lilies but they didn't manage to find the third one and it's coming along great. I can't wait to see it bloom.

Anyway, in the absence of any new photos I thought I'd show you a video that I made last July. It was my first attempt at a time lapse video but I thought it came out OK. It was filmed through the window which didn't help and also it was a bit breezy that day so it looks as if the camera was shaking even though it wasn't.

The Poppy was filmed over four hours and I sped it up so that it lasts about half a minute:



I plan on having another go at this but next time I'd like to set the camera up outside so that I get a better picture quality. The problem is that I live in England - dare I leave a £400 camera outside knowing what our weather can be like? I think I should wait for a day when the weather men say there is no possibility of rain - but do I trust the weather men?

Talk to you later,

Susan.

I haven't done any gardening today, I just couldn't be bothered.

I did go round the back garden and take a few shots of my sorry looking plants. Most of them are what was left over from when I planted up my hanging baskets. I just dotted them about in the back garden and left them

They look a bit scruffy because of all the birds that have been trampling on them in their quest to get at the bird food - I like to feed the birds.

The leaves on the Busy Lizzies look as if they've been nibbled by something.

The Gypsophilas were grown from seed but the flowers have been knocked downwards by something, either the birds or the recent rain.

Anyway, here are my sorry looking plants:


Busy Lizzie


French Marigold


Lobelia


Petunia


Gypsophila


The Honeysuckle is just starting to flower:



So that's what's happening in my back garden today.

I'll keep you posted on any new blooms, there'll be some Poppies soon - they're about to flower.

Talk to you later,

Susan.

I used to work at a petrol station and the boundary was planted with various shrubs. I took some cuttings from one of them and was quite surprised when I actually got two of them to root.

I planted them in a couple of tubs and they grew, not very big but they did grow.

Eight years ago I moved to my present house and planted them in the front garden. The shrubs have thrived. The branches from each have met up with each other and I now have a hedge!

I had to purne it back today as the branches were protruding through the railings and encroaching into the street. I didn't want to be sued by some irate parent whose child had been poked in the eye by an errant branch so I went out with the secateurs and cut it back.

As I was chopping up the prunings and putting them into the compost bin it occurred to me that I hadn't taken any photos of the flowers so I found one that hadn't yet been chopped up - this is today's bloom:



I have no idea what it's called but it has lots of flowers on it which are attracting the bees.

I may try rooting a few more cuttings from it so I can have it in the back garden as well, I could do with something to hide the fence.

Talk to you later,

Susan.

It's Bloomin' Tuesday but all I can show you are things that are nearly blooming.


Astilbe


Honeysuckle


Hydrangea


Lavender


Poppy

Finally, the only new thing that is in bloom today is one that I don't know the name of:



It planted itself in my garden as a seed a few years ago and I just left it to grow. I moved it to a better position and it gets bigger each year. I don't know if it's supposed to be a bush or a tree but I've been pruning the bottom branches off each year so it now looks like a little tree. At least the birds seem to enjoy sitting in it.

Talk to you later,

Susan.

I thought I had no more new blooms but this one sneaked out while my back was turned:



The leaves on this Spirea aren't looking too healthy at the moment but the flowers are lovely.

I've sown a few more seeds for the back garden - Lupin, Delphinium, Aquilegia and Sweet William. I've only sown a handful of each but hopefully they'll all come up for next year. I think I could do with a few more perennials in the back garden so these should do the job nicely.

Talk to you later,

Susan.

I don't have any new blooms to show you today and even if I did I couldn't take any photos because, surprise surprise, it's raining again.

Instead I'll show you my latest free seeds from the Amateur Gardening magazine.

I have already sown these:


Evening Primrose
I don't think I've seen these before. According to the packet the flowers start off yellow then turn to a sunset red colour. They have a sweet evening fragrance and have rich, red stems.

I hope they don't die on me - I can't wait to see them.

I also sowed these last week:


Potentilla
They are 'Fireball Mixed' which is an apt name judging by the picture on the packet - reds, yellows and oranges.

I'm not sure whether or not I'll use these seeds:


Poppy
These are 'Fruit Punch' and are a mixture of vibrant reds, hot pinks, bright oranges and plum.

I already have perennial poppies in my garden and they are so big that I don't really think there'll be room for any more. I'm undecided about what to do - should I sow them or not? Decisions, decisions.

Talk to you later,

Susan.

Today's bloom and also my offering for today's Bloomin Tuesday is a couple of Red Hot Pokers from my front garden.

The first one is in the colours I would expect a Red Hot Poker to be - orange and yellow:




The second one is just plain yellow:



For some reason they have only grown about a foot high this year, they're usually about three feet.I wonder if it's because I cut all the leaves right back at the beginning of the year.

Talk to you later,

Susan.

Here's the latest bloom in my back garden:



There area few little groups of these dotted around both my front and back gardens. The bright yellow flowers certainly brighten up those dark corners.

Talk to you later,

Susan.