Tuesday 19 June 2012

Nothing But Flowers

Quickly snapped in the evening - but you get the drift right? Flowers! Lychnis, Daisies, California Poppies, Hollyhocks... on Dog Kennel Hill everything is going bananas. As I thought there are Hollyhocks springing up EVERYWHERE - they really need transplanting. I added in 2 x Day Lilies [poisonous to cats you know] and 1 x Liatris, and did 2 bags of rapido style weeding.

Sunday 17 June 2012

Before/After


Alrighty. So I met up with the Chef Solaire and enjoyed revamping a tree pit with a. company, b. some fresh compost, c. a slew of plants, and d. passersby who actually talked to us! The Chef scored the compost and some very clay based soil which we dug in after removing loads of cooch grass [sp?] and groundsel and moss and a few small tree roots too. It is a pretty congested pit, however the plants are tough and they will have to cope. We planted: 2 x Dipsacus [teasel], about 5 sprouting roots of Echinops [blue thistle], 1 x Liatris, 1 x Aquilegia. Plus.... I accosted a woman carrying a tray of Busy Lizzies. I thought she was coming to donate on purpose, rather than because I guilt-tripped her... Anyway she donated 2 of them [no nectar! but some colour....]. Another woman en route to Church asked me if I was afraid of being bitten... Of all possible worries that really wasn't among them.  Then, after I had gone home I realised that I hadnt taken an 'after' photo so returned with the lovely N with a batch of vinca, a pink hardy geranium and one of those lilac michaelmas daisies [surprise, Chef!]. So it looks drastically improved and hopefully everything will get going...

Sunday 3 June 2012

On the dole

One of our cats, Finn the Mighty, has been very sick [90% better now] and the vet suggested something in our garden may be the culprit [shock and horror - we have no lilies and no foxgloves for that very reason]. J found out that annual cornflowers [Centaurea Cyanus] are toxic for cats - and thus, alas, I pulled all 6 of them out. They have gone to the raised bed next to Camberwell Green Job Centre, along with 1 x Solidago, 1 x bronze fennel, 2 x shasta daisies and 1 x helio-something [yellow perennial sunflowerish thing]. I cleared up 2 bags of detritus and weeds to fit them in, and the soil is very poor... [any donations gratefully accepted]. luckily my lovely neighbour N joined me in watering them with liquid feed so maybe they will all take. Passed by on the 12 later that day and no one has taken them. Photos to follow.