Triffid time!

I'm back, by popular demand. Well, okay, my mum insisted I keep going, so here I am. Life seems to get in the way of most things I do for my own amusement, and this is no different. In an hour I have to go pick up my delightful children from school, and really I should sort the laundry and make packed lunches in this time...but no! I shall rebel!

So, it has been a couple of months since my last post. I really am ashamed of myself. To be fair, however, it's been so wet and miserable I've mostly only darted out to mow the lawn or throw a few plants at a bed, and not even much of that recently. If it hasn't been pouring with rain, I've had other stuff to do (see life getting in the way, above). What's spurred me on today (apart from my mum) is that Saturday we visited Gardener's World Live, which invigorated my enthusiasm for all things green; and yesterday I indulged in a spot of gardening that helped ease a cloud of depression that had hit me hard.

In the last two weeks while I've been busy with other things, my unassuming garden with it's mildly chaotic plants suddenly turned into the set for Attack of the Triffids. I'm desperately hoping for sun so I can mow tomorrow, but that won't even touch the amount I need to do.
The shrub bed in the middle of the garden probably gives an idea of how mad it's gone:

June 17th

May 24th

I'm not awfully fussy: I grow my lawn long-ish to encourage the plants like vetch, speedwell, buttercups and daisies. I have no love for a plain green lawn. I'd have a meadow, but I also have a dog, and I have to be able to find the dog bombs...so a little less plant insanity would be good.
As further proof, if it were needed, here are some of the lovely wild plants and escapees I encourage because you can never have too many flowers for the bees and other buzzies:

snapdragon

daisies and speedwell

Foxglove

woodruff

Forget me nots

While I've been incommunicado, I created a new bed so I'd have a place to put plants I want; also so that I have less lawn to mow. My lovely mum bought me some campanula which I absolutely adore and would fill the garden with, and some verbena, both of which went in yesterday. She also got me another favourite, allium, as bulbs. So next year I will have a garden with a few plants that reflect rather more of my taste than the previous residents'. Hooray!












I also popped in some tomatoes and peppers for a friend. As I have no funds for more bedding plants this year, and know if I put these veg anywhere else I will neglect the poor things, they have gone in the new bed. I'm no plant elitist.









I also have some blueberries and strawberries coming along, and may even get some fruit from my trees this year.

Sadly all my cherries (ornamental, stupidly) are looking less healthy. Not sure what the problem is.









Below is my son's mini garden. He's very proud of it. I'm hoping to encourage him to take over a rather larger patch soon...

Please excuse all the random formatting issues - it has driven me nearly to the end of my tether just getting it to look this passable. Stupid formatting!