Does anyone know anything about gardening?

to hear Monty complement it (which he always does).

He often gets a bit of a snide remark in too.

'Not quite how I'd have done it Susan - but it looks like it's working for you'

Thank you!

1. Melianthus Major - absolutely love this. Had it in a pot before and it was sulking, not really doing anything, but I planted it in the ground this spring and it has absolutely taken off.

2. Hebe 'Green Globe' - not the most exciting plant in the world, but it's a good evergreen filler and doesn't need any attention at all

3. This is a Penstemon - either 'Sour Grapes' or 'Catherine de la Mare'. I planted a few, when they flower, which they look like they'll do in a week or two, I'll pick my favorite and take lots of cuttings to put in gaps all over the garden and to have some spares. The foliage is evergreen too which is useful - although I think they are only borderline hardy so can die in a bad winter.

birds tweeting and those soft words

My favourite bit too!

I bought this garden furniture in the middle of lockdown and it took months to arrive as it was at the time of peak outdoors, boat stuck in Suez etc.

Anyway, it's quite well made and comfortable, does the job but the grey film stuck onto the glass table top is really poor. It doesn't look great, marks easily and is hard to clean.

I tried the other side which is unfinished glass but that has a few scratches on it and the suction caps don't stick to the grey side.

What can I cover it with instead?

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A crisp white linen table cloth.

Table cloth is a decent shout for when we are eating outside but it's on the high maintenance side for every day.

Is the grey film just to protect during transport or is it permanent?

That's an interesting thought. It doesn't look like it will come off but I'll investigate a bit further.

New rose is starting to flower

amazing photo 🥰

Oooo envy!

That's great. I love multi level gardens.

I've had another look at it and it doesn't seem to want to peel off.

I don't want to do anything which involves a rattle can but the idea of sticking a better surface onto it seems like it could work.

This is it - website picture does seem to show the shitty grey surface on the table.

https://www.whitestores.co.uk/milano-6-seat-dining-set-1-6m-x-1m-oval-table.html?product=W21255

Tatties

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Any ideas for this 1x1m patch?

Just cleaned it up. Normally I move some lobelia in there, but don't have any.

It's east facing, but has a big rambling rose above it, so only really proper sun to 11ish.

Happy with annuals.

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^On the right these giant white daisy things are growing, and further on the left are some big tall yellow flowering plants - just to give an idea of colour combos

Nice hydrangea?

I was going to say no, but actually a white one might be quite nice. Just wondering if the sun it does get might be a bit too direct.

I've bought some brown eyed girls. But I'm not sure they won't be planted a bit late to come out.

It's normally full of these, but they're largely finished now so I've got rid.

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We have one or two patches for annuals which we plant what we fancy as a bit of a change. Nicotinia, cosmos.. That sort of thing.

Water features - tranquil centrepiece or scummy leaf trough?

I haven't managed to do anything to my scorched earth mud patch this year, but now life is hopefully getting a touch less mental I'm hoping to progress things a bit.

I have a hankering for a water feature, in my mind's eye it would a strip trough adjacent to the patio and splitting that and the planting, with a little corten waterfall at one of the short ends. Our window will look on to it so I feel like it could add some visual interest, but we also have a huge oak (technically in my neighbours but we definitely get a lot of the leaves) so it would probably need covering every autumn. Might just be a flight of fancy that's not worth the hassle, but I'm building hard surfaces in other places so probably as a good a time as any to think about.

Sounds nice

thank you!

Bit of both. I have a small corten steel water bowl with a bubbler in the middle, for the sound as much as anything. Does take a good deal of leaf sluicing, and occasionally the local pigeons use it to dip their scavenged bread in. Broadly worth it though - I just clean it when I top it up after evaporation gets to it, and I just top it up when I am watering plants.