Going to seed

Thank you Blueskies, but all credit must go to my OH, he has worked hard on our vegetable plot, he has built raised beds mostly to save bending and I must admit it is nice not to have to bend right down, they are about 3feet high, this might also help with mice and rabbits, although any mice living here are spoilt with the wheat ripening in the fields next to us, and rabbits seem to find other grazing. I am very impressed with your dahlia skills, I really like them too, are they easy?

6herry - our fruit trees don't seem to be doing so well this year, love gooseberries too.

Reading all your posts makes me think we must have had colder weather than everyone else as my lavender and buddleias are only now coming into flower!!! The climbing rose is covered with black spot and not looking too healthy!

I've been out with the weed killer early spraying nettles in our wild garden patch. OH planted wildflowers about 5 years ago but what grows now has self seeded. We have lots of greater knapweed, some vetch both yellow and purple, lamium aka dead nettle, ox eye daisies, birds foot trefoil, mallow and grasses. It changes every year but far too many nettles now which are great for the wildlife but I want to keep them in check.

We have got a little paddock where I let wildflowers go, LL. It's incredible the different number of butterfly and moth species we get, not to mention the birds and bees, the real ones that is, ha! I know what you mean about the bully boys, as I call them - the nettles and docks. I'm determined to be organic and to be honest, I'm forever pulling them out along with the ragwort which poisons horses if it gets into their hay. So-called 'wild' patches are in fact a lot of work! Worth it though.

We get finches on the thistle heads in late summer too, Jazzy. It's a magical sight, isn't it - brings me so much pleasure. Tonight there are swallows dipping and diving for insects too.

I would love some teasel Jazzy. I have been looking up where I can buy plugs rather than seeds as I think they would have a better chance of survival. I will definitely be adding yellow rattle in the Autumn to help with the grasses. I was saddened to find the National Wildflower Centre near Liverpool has closed. I only visited it once when it looked rather run down but they had such an array of plants growing there. 

6herry that's a good tip about nettles. I would rather be organic and hopefully next year there will be so few nettles that I can pull them up rather than spray. 

We get get lots of birds and butterflies too but unfortunately have had new neighbours move in 2 doors down who have 2 cats. One is often in our wild patch and OH wants to tell the owners to put a bell on the cat's neck. I suggested we buy a collar and put it on ourselves. Which do you think would be more sensible?