I've decided to leave my 300th post giveaway open for a while longer.

For each and every comment you leave, you'll gain an entry into the draw.

Think of it as a little thank you for your loyalty to my blog.

2007 to present.

Good luck!

my photos

LATE SUMMER FAVOURITES AND A 300TH POST GIVEAWAY

This is my 300th post so I'm having another giveaway!

The giveaway prize will not necessarily be influenced by my love of the garden, leaving it open to everyone.

If you'd like to enter, comment on this post and I'll pick out a winner at random on Sunday 11th September.

Good luck!

This year the Sweetpeas have been very slow to flower, and slow too to even climb up the poles.

Maybe because they're Elegant Ladies, and can be seen here proudly showing themselves off with a 50p jelly-mould!

Monty Don suggests Sweetpeas are to be picked every 10 days.

I guess I should take his advice.



Big 'n blousy Gladioli.

I've never ever grown these before, so I took a chance in planting some up in large pots.

I stole the idea from Carol Klein, after seeing her do the same in her own garden at Glebe Cottage.

They're doing really well, and come as a highly recommended addition to a late Summer garden, and the good thing about having them in pots is you can move them around when you so desire.

It seems the odd spike may become a little top-heavy, like the one above which flopped over in today's blustery conditions.

I snipped it off, and it's now looking drop-dead gorgeous indoors!



Another new discovery for me this year is Helenium.

It's orange colour is just perfect at this time of year.

I definitely plan to introduce more to my garden next year, and hopefully divide this one if it gets through the Winter?



Dahlia, an old favourite of mine, especially the dark-leaved varieties.

I confess to having bought five new young plants this year.

I'm by no means an expert gardener, and all becomes hit 'n miss when it comes to overwintering them.

This year I made the mistake of placing a couple out in the borders, later discovering I'd inadvertently given the resident earwigs the go-ahead for a good nibble - also all five were sprayed with a washing-up liquid solution to rid an infestation of blackfly.

All were rescued in the nick of time and somehow all managed to survive their ordeal, and each in turn are giving a lively display of colour.



Another plant now an array of flowers is the Japanese Anemone.

You'd be forgiven for thinking its pastel tones would fail to fit in with the bolder shades of late Summer.

I've small pockets of space around the garden to grow a small selection of vegetables.

Today I've picked a generous trug full of Runner Beans and another 1lb in weight of Raspberries.

No sign of any Summer Squash as yet, and the Tomatoes are slow to ripen.

I watched that Blackbird in the photo be such a good father to his broods this year, and have helped him out with a few sultanas here and there!



I've seen, and heard the foxes again on a number of occasions.

The neighbour's terrier lets me know when he and his sibling are around.

It goes ballistic!

my photos

THE BIG BUTTERFLY COUNT AND A GIVEAWAY WINNER

Beautiful Anchusa with its gentian-blue flowers.

It's a hardy perennial, mainly upright with an annoying tendency to flop!

It's still one of my favourites, and over a long flowering period it keeps the bees and hoverflies happy too.



It's the last day to get your Big Butterfly Count in.

Nothing like waiting until the last minute, I entered my findings today!

2 x Large White
3 x Small White
1 x Red Admiral
3 x Gatekeeper
1 x Common Blue
1 x Peacock
1 x Comma

That's what I noted down from my own garden, over a 15 minute period.

Has anyone spotted a Painted Lady this year?



Thanks to all for entering into my giveaway, commenting on a favourite perennial of yours.

With names scribbled on paper, scrumpled into tiny balls, I picked out a winner.

Tales from a Cottage Garden

Congratulations, it's you!

A favourite perennial - well it has to be the cottage garden favourite - the lupin - beautiful and tough as old boots!

Couldn't agree more Jeanne!

my photos

NEW VISITORS AND A GIVEAWAY

There's been new visitors to the patch recently, including this fluffed-up blackbird fledgling and a young fox - one of two, who seems quite content to lie on top of empty flowerpots!



There's been new visitors and followers to my blog too, so thank you.

To mark this I'm having a giveaway!



As all you gardeners will know, Autumn is an ideal time to be adding plants to your garden, and to plan ahead for next season.

With this in mind my prize is a copy of 200 Great Perennials, a neat little book, full of expert tips, practical advice and inspiration.

No garden should be without a perennial or two, so what I'd like you to do is to name one you would recommend every garden should have.

I'm leaving the giveaway open to all who visit my blog, from the UK and overseas, and also those who haven't ever left a comment before.

I'll pick out a winner on 7th August, so please get your suggestions in as soon as you can.

photo - The RSPB

MAGPIES AND THE WINNER OF MY GIVEAWAY

Sal from Sals Snippets, it's you!

Yes, you guessed it, the nuisance factor in my garden, is Magpies!

Like any clever thief, as soon as your backs turned, will come in and steal what's yours, or in this case the Robins!

Thanks to everyone who had a guess.

o

photo - The RSPB

ROBINS AND A MYSTERY SOLVED

If you've popped over to Flighty's blog lately you would have met the friendly pair of Robins who share his plot. Flighty has taken some great photos of his two.

As like mine, most gardens will have a resident Robin, but however hard I try, he/she just keeps giving me the runaround. I only have to pick up the camera and it's off!

I decided to buy a tub of mealworms, to encourage him/her to come just that little bit closer. So much for my efforts with these tasty treats, it's not the Robin who is helping itself to my moreish mealworms?



o
The thieves have been caught red-handed. The evidence, or lack of, is there to be seen, and Re it was no ferret!
o


Just for fun, would you like to guess who/what has been treating itself to these wriggly wrigglers? Entries from overseas welcome too.

The first comment to guess whodunnit correctly, will receive a set of nine pretty floral notecards, which include the ones pictured above.

Lovely, creative images to give inspiration for the gardening year ahead.

o

my photo

MICHAELMAS DAISY - love, daintiness, after thought

When colour is beginning to fade in the late Summer garden, the Aster or Michealmas Daisy as it is commonly known, is just coming into bloom. This perennial, with its pale mauve daisy-like flowers is a real treat, not only to the human eye, but to butterflies, bees and hoverflies.

Aster comes from the Greek word Asteri, meaning star. This celestial body puts on an outstanding performance when planted in a sunny position. The variety I grow is quite happy to self-seed in cracks between paving. Its tall, and wiry stems would benefit from staking, to protect from wind damage, if only I could push a cane through concrete! Its foliage can be prone to mildew, but when growing in extreme dry conditions like mine, this just doesn't happen.

This is my 200th post!

The names of all who leave a comment on this post will be entered into a draw, to win a garden/flower themed mystery givaway.

I shall pick out a winner on September 30th, so there's plenty of time to get your comments in.

o

my photo

AND THE WINNER OF MY 100 GARDEN BLOG POST COMPETITION IS ...

Michele from Cowboys & Custard, who correctly guessed five out of the six mystery plants I asked you to name? Well done Michele, you have got the birdie, and she will be winging her way to you next week. Luckily the birdie hasn't had too much time to settle here in my garden, although she had enough time to earmark a very comfortable, if not rather small, nesting box!

The answers are:
a) lamium maculatum (deadnettle) - an evergreen ground cover with yellow flowers
b) geranium (cranesbill) - a hardy perennial with small pale pink flowers
c) sedum spectabile - a succulent foliage with pink clusters of flowers
d) echinops ritro - a spiky-leaved architectural plant with purple thistles
e) potentilla (cinquefoil) - a strawberry-like leaved perennial with red flowers
f) centaurea montana (knapweed) - a clump forming perennial with deep blue cornflower-like flowers

Michele has created a beautiful garden on a slope in Bath, using a very well thought out landscape design with well stocked borders, which contain some very healthy-looking plants. Take a look at Michele's latest post where she has some photos taken from different vantage points. Lovely!

Thank you to everyone else for having a go, you all did very well!

Louise x

my photo

100 GARDEN BLOG POST COMPETITION

I really look forward to this time of year in the garden when there is new growth on plants, and plants are re-emerging from their winter sleep; and the birds are singing, gathering nesting material, busy making a warm and cosy home in readiness for the laying of their eggs, and the imminent arrival of their tiny fledglings.

This is the theme I am using for my competition to mark the fact I now have 100 garden blog posts behind me. The prize is the lovely bird above, not sure which bird species she comes from, but attractive nevertheless! She wants to go to a home where the occupants are hard working and industrious, just like she is, so there is some thinking involved.

The rules of the competition are to name all six plants below. They are all perennials and these photos were taken of new growth. Please leave your answers as a comment listing your answers from a) to f)


a)


b)


c)


d)


e)


f)

The entrant who guesses the most correct will get the birdie. In the event of a tie, I shall put all relavant names in a bird's nest and pull one out! I shall choose a winner from all entries on Saturday the 3rd of May.

Now get guessing!