A picture of summer

Hasn't it come up lovely? 

Look back to June 7th and you'll see how it started.  According to 'The Garden' we're supposed to mow in August and leave the hay to reseed for next year - I think they're talking to southerners, it seems a bit soon for killing the flowers! 

Talking of southerners reminds me of a conversation where apparently gardens in the south are barren desert wastes by August. 

That conversation makes me think of the Old Lane tubs.  A million brownie points for any explanation as to why one half barrel has thistles and more thistles.

Blooming books

We've started a library!  One book so far on grasses, which is developing into a bit of a theme.  Here's hoping it's neither too tender nor too rampant to take.  But have you seen the roundabout when you come off the M1 or M162 from the north? It is magnificent and nearly all grasses.

Anyhow, soap box away.  Scampston advert: http://www.scampston.co.uk/  The walled garden was lovely:

Why this is the only photo I took, I'm not sure, but I was kept busy putting red circles round the plant list for what was liked.  A gardener told us that all their planting is sustainable without watering so that boded well for the choices.

The lunch was lovely too.  And the shop!  I was told how to grow on, prune and propogate the plants I got - imagine that at the checkout at B&Q.

And then to Breezy knees: http://www.breezyknees.co.uk/ . You have to go to the nursery first for the tickets which is very clever - once again, advice on propogation, this time two pots of irises for £1 each.  Their gardens were magnificent too.  This is a flower we fancied:

Inside the polytunnel

An update on Cockburn.  When the judges went round on the last day of term, they got to see the inside of the polytunnel. Here it is and isn't it impressive!

And for those who prefer veg grown in the open air - Clarks Field Allotments: 

Bankers in Bloom

Once again, Leeds Ahead provided us with volunteers and the opportunity to tackle a big job. 
This time it was the Holy Spirit garden on Tempest Road.  We were greeted by Bob asking us if we could climb ladders.
After a chorus of "NO!", we decided to tackle the ivy - which is trying to get in the windows - by cutting it off from the roots.  No photos cos it is a bit anti-gardening to destroy that beautiful shiny green and Linda, who was wielding the camera, likes ivy.
I don't and so picked up the loppers with glee.  Loppers, not secuters, to give me a bit of distance from the spiders that lived in there.

Here are some of the volunteers and the grey stone band at the bottom of the wall is where the ivy was -and is no more.

Now the ground needs some plants to deter the weeds, and the ivy which will probably take to moving horizontally as well as vertically - what is the point of it?