I bought a foxglove last year from a local plant sale. At the beginning of the month it was just starting to come in to flower.
The willow tea cup planter which Daniel bought me for Christmas is filling out. Flowers have appeared on the thyme since this photo was taken.
We saw this laid back sheep on our visit to Temple Newsam. She didn't bother moving even when Archie stuck his nose through the railings to say hello.
Another photo of the rhododendrons at Temple Newsam. If you're in the area I can thoroughly recommend a visit during May or June.
The lake always looks so tranquil with the weeping willows draping over it.
There's lots of new life to be seen everywhere you look at this time of year.
More foxglove photos as more little bell shaped flowers begin to open.
I grew this aquilegia from seed, it's a McKana Hybrid. The red and yellow flowers make a change from all the purple aquilegias I've got in the garden, the plant is absolutely covered in blooms this year.
Irises at Harlow Carr.
A quirky fairy ring where we were invited to step inside and make a wish. These little metal toadstools were available to buy.
I love this seahorse.
A beautiful cistus blooming it's socks off.
I think the bees were enjoying this plant as much as I was.
My potatoes look to be doing well, there's lots of healthy foliage. I just hope there's lots going on underneath the soil too.
Towards the end of the month the foxglove is still flowering away. The bottom flowers have now withered and dropped from the plant but the top flowers are still yet to open.
We're forecast some good weather this week so I hope everyone enjoys it and makes the most of it. I don't like it too hot so I may be hiding indoors for most of the time.
I love foxglove....so elegant. I remember a very famous gardener calling their blooms, bumblebee bedrooms. Once they go in, very hard to get them out..............
ReplyDeleteThat is a very unusual aquilegia ....I love the colours together. Would look beautiful planted en masse.
I have a fairy ring in the garden......mother natures work this time. The image you show is lovely and the sea horse is fun too!!
Lovely post Jo.........
I can understand foxgloves being called bumblebee bedrooms. I remember having them in the garden when I was a child and I was fascinated by all the bees they attracted. This aquileqia is flowering more than it's ever done before, the plant has put on quite a lot of growth now and it looks lovely covered in flowers. Don't forget to make a wish in your fairy ring.
DeleteI do like foxgloves I have to try and keep the in the garden and stray ones that appear in the hedgerow have to be pulled up as they are poison's to the livestock, I remember when I was a child we used to collect the flowers and wear them on the ends of our fingers and called them fairy gloves :-)
ReplyDeleteI have memories of foxgloves from my childhood too. I knew they were poisonous but I never thought about the problems of them self seeding in the hedgerow.
DeleteYour foxglove is doing well ... and what a lovely colour.
ReplyDeleteI just love photo's showing water so my favourite of your medley has got to be the lake which does look so tranquil with the weeping willows draping over it.
Hope your week has started well
All the best Jan
I bought this foxglove last year and then wouldn't you know it, another two popped up, completely of their own accord, in the front garden. My favourite area of Temple Newsam is around the lake, I'm drawn to it every time we visit.
DeleteFoxgloves are one of my favourites too and self seed all over the garden. Thankfully my chickens leave them alone. I did the same as you bought one when I first moved in and then noticed them popping up everywhere.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping that I can keep the foxgloves going now that I've got them by letting them self seed. The problem with that is that I'm too quick to pull seedlings up thinking they're weeds, I'm not very good at spotting young plants.
DeleteLooks lovely, my foxgloves are currently infested with black fly. At least they have left the broad beans alone x
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame to have blackfly on any plants but I think I'd rather have them on my ornamentals than my edibles.
DeleteGorgeous photos, especially those sweet little duckies, and your beautiful foxglove. The willow planter is absolutely lovely. Good job! CJ xx
ReplyDeleteThere's just something about ducklings, isn't there? They definitely have the cute factor. My willow teacup has really filled out and is looking beautiful filled with herbs.
DeleteI like your foxgloves! So lovely! And your second picture of potted herbs is so inspiring! thank you for sharing
ReplyDeleteI don't have too many herbs, I've only started growing them recently, but I do love my little willow teacup filled with them. I'm sure they'll outgrow it in no time but it looks nice whilst they're still young.
DeleteI love the willow teacup planter, Jo. I never saw one before. Your photo medley is excellent. Another favorite of mine is the aquilegia - it is lovely. P. x
ReplyDeleteDaniel bought me the willow teacup planter for Christmas, there were two of them in the set and I've got the other planted up with lavender, they're a bit of a novelty, I do like them.
DeleteIt's been a good month for garden visiting and also in our own gardens with the promise of more to come. I'm pleased we have some white foxgloves coming through again as well as the pink, although not so many as in recent years. I'm sure the bees are happy with all the summer flowers!
ReplyDeleteMost things are doing very well this year after a bit of a slow start. I love foxgloves but my garden isn't really big enough for them, I don't mind dotting a couple in here and there though.
DeleteA lovely selection of pictures. I especially like the lake and willows.
ReplyDeleteI don't like it hot either so will be spending the afternoons sofa flying with a good book and a cool drink. Flighty xx
I think willows definitely add something to a lake. I think you've got the right idea for hot days, I've got a date with an iron and an ironing board this afternoon, no fun at all on a hot day.
DeleteIt's been a good year for foxgloves...the tallest in my garden reach about 7 foot..never had them that tall before. Love the photo of the ducklings with mama duck. Like you I don't do hot either, so I'll be hiding indoors with you :o)
ReplyDeleteI have a neighbour who has foxgloves that reach about seven foot in her garden, they're fabulous specimens. Aren't those ducklings cute? I can't resist babies of any description.
DeleteThat aquilegia is lovely. I'm really looking forward to growing more flowers from seed once I've sorted things out in the vegetable garden.
ReplyDeleteLike you my potatoes have a ton of foliage on them & it's taking a lot of self control to not go rooting around to see what I can find. Being my first year growing them, I don't want to accidentally damage or uproot a plant before the potatoes have had a chance to develop.
I wish I had more space in my garden for flowers, there's so many I want but not enough room for them. I don't think it will be long before I harvest my first container of potatoes, it's a bit of a milestone in the year when I get my first homegrown spuds.
DeleteBeautiful flowers!! I love the metal mushrooms too! xx
ReplyDeleteI'd have loved some of those metal mushrooms for my own garden but they were a tad too expensive for me, I have tastes out of my league.
DeleteAll the pictures are very beautiful! The flowers are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteCheers, Sandra
I think flowers make a very happy post.
DeleteThat seahorse is just simply fabulous Jo :)
ReplyDeleteI love it, and the toadstools.
DeleteI like putting these posts together with a mixture of photos taken over the month, it gives me a chance to use them on the blog too.
ReplyDeleteA lovely mixture of photos, I loved the seahorse and the metal toadstools!
ReplyDeleteGood to see your foxglove thriving, you shall have thousands of seeds from it. Time is flying by far too quickly, I can't quite believe we're now in July. And now we have a heatwave.....our poor gardens!xxx
I'd have loved some of the metal toadstools for my garden but they were a little beyond my price range, they were lovely though. I'm hoping that I get lots of foxglove babies next year, though knowing me I'll end up weeding them out, I'm terrible at identifying seedlings.
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