Loving your garden

[Daisy]

I often find I go into the garden and all I can see is 'jobs' - weeding, staking, planting, pruning, mowing the lawn, trimming the edges. Tonight I decided I would just appreciate the plants that are doing their 'thing' and giving pleasure.

I felt so much better for that, and it was very easy to ignore the jobs! The roses on the fence (very pale pinky-mauve and white) were looking great in the fading light, all the hydrangeas are in bloom, even the naughty Annabel, my favourite fuchsia is just opening, the banana plants are looking fairly healthy, and there's plenty of colour from the annuals in pots.

And of course my daisies are flowering their little heads off at this time of year.

It was so peaceful and the tomatoes got a really good soaking, as I stood there fore ages!!

[Nanto2girls]

Daisy, there are always jobs to be done in the garden.
But,also nice to just look at the garden,and appreciate the beauty of the plants.

[Libra Gran]

I love to just sit and enjoy, we only have a small garden but have filled it with pots and raised beds. I couldn't live anywhere without a garden even if it's only small. It's my little escape.

[Oma]

I only have a few pots and planters in one corner of the garden but I love to sit and look at them ,
At the moment I have some lovely Lilies and Lupins , The bees are going mad for the Lupins they covered with them , poor storm although he was stung a couple of weeks ago hes still dying to sniff the bees but backs off quickly ,

We have a lot of tree spiders that spin webs everywhere so have to keep going out and moving them or they will cover the plants ,

For some reason Marigolds of any variety will not thrive in our garden within days of planting they are eaten away , never had that in our other home im wondering if its because of the tree spiders they are tiny little things but get everywhere ,

My little Fushia's I bought from Morrisons for 49p each are blooming

Im lucky as my grass only needs a hoovering and I don't have borders so I can just sit and look at my flowers without thinking of jobs to do

[Plantaholic]

Usually once a day I have a wander around admiring the beauty of the plants but usually things pop into my mind telling me I need to water later, shall I move that lov ely carnation because it clashes with the Alstroemeria (have any of you grown those).

[Gemini]

I am much better at just appreciating the garden than OH is!
I do sometime keep getting up to water this or prune or deadhead that, but generally I can just appreciate the beauty.
OH sees the jobs to be done more than I do.
We both love our garden though

[Sunshine]

I love my garden and appreciate the joy it gives me. I just wish it was about half the size it is, because although I enjoy working in the garden, it is becoming as much of what I NEED to do as how much I WANT to do. At least I never get a chance to be bored!!!

[Daisy]

I'm not alone then, in making a conscious effort to ignore the jobs and enjoy the garden. Last night I was 'seeing' the garden as a whole, rather than individual plants, and I was actually pleased that there was colour in all directions.

Plant - I don't mind if colours clash and sometimes plant up annuals in 'opposite' colours like orange and blue. I haven't grown Alstroemeria but keep promising to give them a try. I love them as cut flowers and several people have said they keep coming up every year and spread.

[Sunshine]

I must look up alstroemerias. I don’t even recognise the name.

[Daisy]

Sunshine - they're lovely and come in various colours. Florists use them in mixed bouquets and they make good cut flowers - last ages.

[Sunshine]

I have looked up alstroemeria and I do recognise them. I just know them as lilies. I’ve learnt something new today.

[Oma]

My MIL loves Alstroemeria she buys herself them almost every other week , they last forever shes a lover of the pink and orange
She always called them little lilies so I never knew their real name

[Qwerty]

I’m no gardener OH does it all and it’s a fairly big garden but he does well , I do occasionally cut the lawns but havnt done it this year, it’s a petrol mower with that string thing you have to pull to make it go, I can’t get it started at all.
I do admire a lovely garden that others have too and the work that goes into it, we have a lot of box trees in pots and long log planters, not many flowers in it’s very green lol apart from the hanging baskets and they are not doing well at all .

[Gemini]

Alstroemeria are lovely cut flowers. I would love some in the garden, I must look into it!

[Daisy]

Alstroemerias for Gem's information -
Are Alstroemeria poisonous to cats?

According to the ASPCA, the Peruvian lily in excess can pose a problem to cats. ... Since Alstroemeria is from the "Tulipa" family, its bulbs contain tulipalin A. The tulipalin A component includes potentially harmful toxins that can cause diarrhea, mouth irritation, vomiting, salivation and digestive irritation in cats.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/popular/alstroemeria/growing-guide