Wightwick Foxgloves

Popped in to see my mum in Wightwick on Wednesday. She encouraged us to take a few of the foxgloves plants that are overwhelming her herbaceous border.

These are apparently the classic purple variety, which will go nicely with the white ones on the other side of the path.

Obelisk

Geoff Hamilton was not only a respected gardener and broadcaster but also a clever designer of simple, practical woodwork projects. His 1995 book "Cottage Gardens" contains instructions for several, including a bench, herb table, auricular theatre, planter, cold frame, compost container, and an obelisk. The latter is just what we need for growing sweet peas up!

The timer cost about £12. The decorative piece on top is a cistern ball. Geoff Hamilton would have found and recycled an old one but Wilko sell them for £1 so it hardly seemed worth troubling Beeston FREE-Recycle.

Bog garden

We'll want more bog plants than the pond margin can accommodate, so adding a small adjacent bog garden.

Many differing recommendations on depth. We went for 2 feet.

Don't want it to get waterlogged so the liner is punctured.
A layer of gravel helps stop the holes getting clogged up.

Path

Everything ready

I love it when a plan comes together!

Not a bad little worker when she puts her mind to it ;-)

No, the flint at the end of the path is shaped like a heart, not a map of Australia.

Now, what to grow in this new bed?

Work in progress - path, paving, lawn edging

Path excavation

Lawn edging will slot in here.
(The turf to the left will be replaced with a herbaceous border.)

Marking-out extension to paving under pergola

Paving extended to pond edge.
Pond dipping, anyone?

Decking ramp removed, infilled with slabs.
Also added some extra slabs down side of raised bed.
(The small area of turf will be replaced by plants, maybe a bog garden.)

Onions

This year's onion crop

Ragged Robin

Ragged Robin putting on a nice show. Had expected the usual pink variety but white is nice.

Pond water level getting quite low. Apparently there's already talk of a hosepipe ban.