What's growing?

Merlot how lovely. We have a bumper crop of strawberries this year so all the kids in the neighbourhood have access to a mini "pick your own" farm, I even supply the plastic tubs to take them away in. This is because I couldn't be bothered with making jam after last year's attempt flopped and was too runny. I have learnt to make a superb strawberry roulade though! I sprinkle flaked almonds on the inside and filling is mascarpone and caster sugar - and strawbs of course. Yummy! Plus impresses husband no end, if he had a tail, he'd wag it. Asked me to make one 'for the office' the other day

There were bright green stripy caterpillars on our red cabbages this morning chomping away at the leaves as if there is no tomorrow. And for them, there won't be.

First year for growing cauliflowers - so far, so good. Same for onions. And the potato crop looks promising. So do the tomatoes.

Had the first of our new potatoes this evening with a delicious pork chop from our local butcher. Apart from the meat, everything on the plate was home grown. Nothing tastier!!

I think all the Californian Poppies are in the gravel at the front of my house . Thankfully I stopped my neighbour from pulling them up a few years ago [in MY garden he was]. I said 'don't do that, they're poppies' and he replied 'they're poppy weeds'.

You can buy packets seeds from garden centres , make very sure they are in a very hot position,

Marelli I think you would be wasting your time starting tomatoes now in our climate! Mine, in a wee greenhouse like a cupboard are flowering now and I have hopes. Last year I only got about half a dozen ripe ones and the rest made a small batch of green tomato chutney - worst year so far.

Also have hopes for a bumper crop of rasps, gooseberries and plums, all looking good ATM but who knows what the rest of the 'summer' will bring.

Slugs and snails I started putting out beer traps about 10 years ago and have noted the slug/snail population of my garden steadily reducing year on year. Last year we harvested and ate all of the Brassicas I had planted. This year they are doing well (fingers crossed) in a small, slug and caterpillar free poly tunnel. Peas, beans, courgettes and onions are doing 'as well as can be expected' but I seem to have a row of weeds where the parsnips should be. My crops are always behind the times given on the packet. I rely on a warm September to ripen them off.

Why can't I find Californian Poppies anywhere? They seem to come under the heading of Icelandic Poppies now which are mixed colours, and I just want to establish a clump of lovely bright orange Californian ones.

And still the weeds... and grass... are growing.... gggggrrrrrrr !

Alstromeria are quite difficult to move though aren't they? Next door has a huge out of control patch (lovely though) but I'm not sure how to transfer them to mine. Is it a bulb or what?

Got lots of Alchemilla but Hollyhocks struggle here.

kitty I love Chinese Lanterns but I plant mine in a pot first to contain the roots before planting them in the border.

I gave the usual bedding plants a miss this year after last years disaster and bought on of those plastic containers from the Supermarket which you sprinkle all over the pot soil cover water and then wait 6 weeks and I have a lovely selection of mixed flowers in about 8 pots all looking good all for the princely sum of £8.50 so I'm very pleased this year.I bought 3 trays of fushia and some trailing plants for the baskets and they are all coming on a treat so things looking better this year indeed.

kitty - I'd willingly give you all my ajuga if I lived anywhere near you!

I love alstromeria nanaej and you can't kill the damned things. I also love Chinese Lanterns and, in a rash moment, bought 4 and planted them around the garden. I pull them out whenever I spot them but still have a lovely show. This year we have some growing through some tall grasses which I expect will look fabulous but will be the devil to extricate. Can't grow ajuga for love or money

Are Alstromeria easy to grow or do they need lots of attention? Never tried to grow them but i think they look great in a border.

We've made a right cock-up with our tomatoes this year and they've been over-watered. Does anyone know if it's too late to buy more plants and put them into pots in the greenhouse? We'd had them in a growbag We're in Scotland, so growth may be a bit behind that south of the border.

I have some lilies on their way. Lily Regale and African Queen. Fantastic perfume. Another favourite of mine is my dark blue Agapanthus It is a fairly low growing variety and does not need supporting.
Lots of peonies and Alstromeria out now. I am waiting for the Day lilies Hemerocallis in a month or so.

Just had a 'to the death' struggle with a huge Pampas Grass. The remains if now in a large pot so it can't take over the universe again!

Ajuga reptans purpurea, pretty but invasive. I pull it out in handfuls and it creeps back again!

I could not grow Alchemilla in my previous garden but it is flourishing here!

Lots of perennials & shrubs in my new herbaceous bed looking good..all planted in November..except for the nigella, poppies, nastutium and calendula that the DGC sprinkled about in the Spring! The philadelphus is looking good and the roses are lovely too.
In the veg patch the sprouting broccoli won't sprout and was covered in caterpillars..now removed to compost!
Potatoes are in flower and spinach is being eaten almost daily as are the lettuce! Beans ready to be planted out and toms & peppers in flower!

jane I agree about Alchemillis but I do love to see the raindrops on the leaves.-gentle drizzle just now.
Another plant that should have a 'health warning' is Ajuga.I haven't got it in this garden. I bought one last week.May live to regret it -but it is a good ground cover and slug-resistant.

I dread to think what's growing in my garden, as I've been away for the last two weeks.
Agree about the dreaded alchemilla mollis - as a novice gardener nearly twenty years ago, I bought a pot of it at a National Council for the Preservation of Garden Plants do at Blagdon Hall.
As if the bl**dy plant needed anyone to preserve it

Maniac Be ruthless with the Alchemilla chuck out all seedlings. There is no other choice. I don't know why anyone ever has to buy that plant there must be many gardeners looking for a good home for seedlings. It seeds everywhere and can take over. It is good ground cover though. The old leggier plants do need replacing.

DGS peas are in flower. The toms are covered in flower. Bedding plants are not too good this year.

The Alchemilla (Lady's mantle) and perennial Geranium Macrorrhizum have gone completely mad. Popping up everywhere and threatening a takeover.
They do look pretty and I love the smell of the geranium leaves.
Apart from the chives,thyme and mint all other edibles are late and slow-tomatoes,strawberries and redcurrants.Given up on veg.-too many slugs and snails

henetha we obviosly have similar gardens.

And grass, what with sunshine and rain.

Weeds. They are growing.