What's Looking Good in May

[zigs]

Lovely Esther

Some Chives today

 

[Bootsy]

Some of our Hostas

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Bootsy, from Gardeners Corner also.

 

[grouie]

That's very kind of you but we're happy with the attention we get locally and throughout this country. We had 450 people visit our garden over the weekend for our charity event and we have raised over £4,000 from it.

The enjoyment is in being able to make an attractive garden that is not too formal and is good for the wildlife. The bees, butterflies and birds seem to love it. We have won an award from one of the local county government departments (not our authority) for being a 'Wildlife Friendly Garden'.

That's very kind of you but we're happy with the attention we get locally and throughout this country. We had 450 people visit our garden over the weekend for our charity event and we have raised over £4,000 from it.

The enjoyment is in being able to make an attractive garden that is not too formal and is good for the wildlife. The bees, butterflies and birds seem to love it. We have won an award from one of the local county government departments (not our authority) for being a 'Wildlife Friendly Garden'.

It is expected that those who have seen your garden would certainly go ga ga over it. I did just by looking at the pictures. At the end of the day what makes one happy is all there is to it. And I see you are satisfied with the accolades you have already got.

Clematis are starting to flower. There are a lot of varieties that produce large, spectacular. flowers in individual florettes.

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Then there are the ones that grow large, and very fast, with a mass of flowers.

We have two different plants here. Everything you see in this photo is just one plant.
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Is there a stronger word than 'mesmerise'?

And, just starting to flower, is the second plant with darker flowers

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The flowers of the lighter one have a very strong vanilla scent.

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[Bootsy]

Bootsy, your garden is just gorgeous! And how cool you can raise charity money from it. Form + function.

Thanks.

Opening gardens for charity is very popular in this country and it's gratifying that a lot of people come out to visit them.

A lot of villages have 'Open Garden' days where they organise the event together. Quite often it's for the village church funds but can be for other local needy charities. They group together so that they can publicise it better and can have 10 or 20 gardens open at the same time. Some of those gardens may only be pocket handkerchief size but still have a lot of interest.

We open our garden independently as we have our own very good publicity machine - my wife and myself - and have a lot of volunteers to help us on the day. We have a lot of entertainers, people to help in the kitchen serving teas and cake and people manning (that word is sexist ) the various stalls such as the plant stall, book stall, crafts and even selling local honey.

On the Saturday we had 300 people turn up and Sunday afternoon (we have a little rest in the morning) we had 140 people. The charity is one that looks after mentally handicapped children and gives their parents respite.

 

[Bootsy]

Bootsy, from Gardeners Corner also.

Hiyah, Esther

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Hiyah, Esther

Bootsy, I am Redstar over in Gardeners Corner.

 

[Bootsy]

Bootsy, I am Redstar over in Gardeners Corner.

Yes, I recognise your name and your garden - and your cats

 

[Bootsy]

Still taken in May:-

Some of our Irises - six different types. We have more varieties

And some of our poppies are opening

 

[Sheal]

Beautiful flowers Bootsy.

 

[Greenhorn]

Tomatoes and Small Bouquets.

Tomatoes have been tough the past couple years, so this year I've made a concerted effort to improve production. I added Muriate of Potash as I tested the soil and it was zip for Potassium. I then improved the watering by putting a timer on the drip. Lastly I found some little fertilizer tablets that you can put in a drip irrigation filter, unfortunately they are very expensive but they did help the cause and proved a point. 3 plants, 1 Better Boy, 1 Sunset AG 55,1 Juliet.

The little bouquet, we like to have these around the house. Everything from the yard, everything from seed. Didn't plant for volume this year, but there is usually enough for a bouquet here and there.

 

[DeborahJane]

Very pretty bouquet Greenhorn.

 

[DeborahJane]

Still taken in May:-

Some of our Irises - six different types. We have more varieties

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And some of our poppies are opening

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Gorgeous! Gorgeous! Gorgeous! and one more Gorgeous!

 

[Sheal]

It looks like you'll get a good crop of tomatoes this year Greenhorn, they look strong healthy plants. I like the pretty bouquet too.

 

[Bootsy]

Here's a link to the June thread

https://www.gardening-forums.com/threads/whats-looking-good-in-june-2015.5244/#post-56262