Today it seems is the official start to Summer. But it can’t be! It’s another damp dreary morning – it lacks the brightness & warmth of Summer sunshine. Despite this bees are abundant this month. Perhaps because there are plenty of bee friendly plants to entice them into gardens or maybe I’m just bee-ing more aware!!

Chives are good for eating. They are also good for bees. It makes a great partnership. When we bought our home, many years ago the previous owners hadn’t really done anything with the small townhouse garden. But there was a pot of herbs that we inherited. A few weeks after the sale went through they returned – to retrieve their small pot of chives.

I have a few container grown herbs outside my kitchen window. I like the aromatic smell of the leaves when you rub & crush them – thyme is a favourite. I did try to establish it on the edge of the path but it didn’t seem happy there despite the sunny situation.

A while ago I was invited to join a “Herb Walk”. Thankfully the weather was dry! We set off through a small village, to a path beside the canal, stopping along the way to identify plants. I remember seeing herb robert. Now I think this is a pretty pink, dainty flower, fine in a garden, but it’s a wild flower. So do you see it as a weed or desirable garden plant? I guess the size of your garden might determine your answer! But many garden plants have their origins in the wild. Those desirable plants we find with high prices in garden centres are very much at home in the wild. Now I’m not suggesting lifts plants from the countryside, but sometimes it’s good to recognise garden centre plants – identify them – and realise these have wild relations. This invariably means they will grow like their wild cousins. Fast & furious! “Good ground cover” is a good start to spotting a wild relation.

I have wandered away from my first thought of chives, as I am apt to do. This is one of the joys of walking through gardens & parks – whether physically or simply recalling a visit & reliving it by sharing with others. 🙂

Yesterday’s stop by the railway station was en route to a garden. It’s not just any garden it’s one of my favourite gardens. Guess what there is in abundance in this garden? Roses! It is a garden for all seasons, but roses feature heavily in the borders. I am pleased to say the roses here look much like my own. Despite professional gardeners tending the borders alongside volunteers the roses look weather beaten & a little worse for wear. But I did find some gorgeous blooms & inhale perfumes that intoxicate the senses.

But there are plants too that are very tactile, like this one. Look at the image – imagine the texture, the softness of the leaves. They are silky smooth to touch, furry – giving the plant its common name of lamb’s ears. Before caressing the leaves it’s always wise to check first if the plant has attracted anyone else’s attention! I wasn’t the only one keen to enjoy the charm of this silvery gem.This planting group was a buzz.

Now there are clearly moments when we can gently touch plants, appreciate them by touch, not sight alone. But there are also times when we need to respect a garden, plant or wildlife in general & simply stand back to admire something.

The garden also has a pond, with a lovely display of water lilies. It’s a great photo opportunity! Alongside the pond were 2 children with Gran. The lad lay on the ground intent on looking in the pond & shouted excitedly “Look Gran, I’ve caught a fish!” And what does Gran say? “Well Done”. Further along the pond there is a sign….

Much as we need to encourage interest in all things wild we also need to teach respect. It reminded me of seeing another lad enjoying tree climbing at a local picnic area last summer. He had found a dragonfly & caught it in his hands. Another resounding “Well Done” – from admiring parents this time. Remember respect. Stand back, take a photo, use binoculars, but don’t dabble in the pond or handle delicate wildlife. It’s not always appropriate!

Okay I know I overdose on roses! But I cannot resist them! This one was an unexpected find, the insect is a bonus – 2 for the price of 1 if you like! So where do you think I found my rose? Garden? Park? No, this is taken in a town car park by the side of the railway station. I was pleased to have my camera with me, so the image is clearer.

This is what I love about rambling round villages, towns & cities – finding the unexpected & enjoying – savouring the moment. My companion was busy train spotting while I snapped away with my camera, capturing the moment. You don’t have to go into the countryside to find wild moments, sometimes they just seem to find you – well that’s what happens for me!

Peeping through the railings you can see across the rail track to the platform. It’s a popular, busy, station that is well cared for. You can see someone’s been planting alongside the platform. They even put the bunting out for our visit!!

Back in the car park there are more wild flowers to enjoy & soften the effect of the expanse of tarmac. It may not be a park, but for me it made my day special. I wonder how many people commute through this busy area each day, either by car or train, & how many notice the flowers. What’s good to know is that the insects seem to appreciate them.

There was a brief respite between the showers this afternoon. Suddenly the sun broke through – it was hot,  the air heavy. Thunder is again in our local weather report for later today.

I took the opportunity to do my own garden watch. I love the way sunlight plays on the garden. It can transform a plant from the flowers to a leaf. Today’s photo shows a collection of pot grown plants. The stems of flowers are Coral Bells – Heuchera. The leaves are out of view. I like the way the colour combines with the Cordyline, in a container, behind this. The rich red leaves provide the perfect foil for the dainty bells. Despite the heaviness of the rainfall these stems have stood up well. The bonus of this excessive rainfall is that I do not need to be watering all my container grown plants!

With the wildest stretch of imagination  you could not describe this month as “Flaming June”! Each day this week the sky has been heavy, threatening rain. Mornings have started heavy, with a mist looming over distant hills.

The water butt has filled nicely & plant watering is minimal. But my poor roses are heavy with rainfall – the moisture held  in the cupped blooms. Too many petals have fallen, littering the lawn creating a creamy carpet under rosa Penelope. The lawn is green, lush & looking long, but there is little chance to keep it well manicured even between the showers.

Today I spent time battling weeds. The weather has been in their favour – plenty of moisture so they survive & thrive. It has also stopped me getting to grips with removing the worst offenders – bindweed & brambles! Living close to fields & green space is fine, except it does increase the chance of invasion into my garden.

Just sometimes a sapling arrives in the wrong place, but is allowed to stay until it becomes a mature tree. Then it can become a problem. The sound of tree surgeons using chain saws was a clear indication that serious work was taking place.

The stray branch on the pavement is all that remains of half a dozen trees that grew too big for the garden. I imagine they were saplings that arrived on the air, courtesy of visiting wildlife, a bird or squirrel perhaps. I think the lesson to remember is to be watchful. We tend to walk along not really noticing what grows around us. Time we do spot something it requires major attention, serious money & sometimes in conservation areas, planning permission. Trees are lovely. But they are not always ideal for private gardens, especially sycamores! I like to think these trees will be replaced with something more appropriate – an acer perhaps. It could grow in a container, but it would be nice to have some greenery again. I would love to have the space to grow a collection of small trees, but I am content with my containerised acers! From this house I guess it’s now much brighter, lighter without the heavy trees & the prospect of the fall in autumn! But how will the visiting wildlife adapt now their trees have been shredded.

I have a passion for burgundy tones – sumptuous, rich shades that speak opulence. Heucheras are a  a particular favourite. The range of varieties has increased considerably in the last 20 years or so. Palace Purple was the first, followed by numerous beauties in assorted shades of darkness. What I love most about this plant is the leaves. Heavily veined, textured & the underside comes in contrasting shades. They are at home in the shade, but position them near shafts of sunlight & the leaves are transformed.

This is a favourite. You can just see the leaves, a mottled shade of green & silver, while the underside is startling red. But the first thing that strikes you is the stem. It reminds me of listening to a scary story when the hairs on the back of your neck stand up! The whole plant is attractive. Did I mention the flowers? These are dainty bells held on long swaying stems. This is what gives the plant its common name Coral Bells.

Sadly I am not the only one who adores this gem in the garden. It is best displayed in pots & containers & which insect is the haunt of pots? The dreaded vine weevil. Now I know we are to encourage wildlife, hope insects come into our gardens, but the wine weevil is the exception to mine. I always believed every insect had a purpose. The only reason I can see for the existence of vine weevils is to annoy me & cause damage to my favourite container plant to the point of destruction.

But I shall continue to buy heucheras & enjoy their beauty, hoping they will brighten my garden with their smouldering charm.

I admit I select plants for my garden because I like them! They are not selected to be wildlife friendly. If the birds, bees, butterflies & even caterpillars enjoy my garden then that’s a bonus. Today I spent a few minutes simply taking some time out. A wander round my garden, my personal haven. To walk round takes a few minutes, unless you stop & look at the detail. Standing beside my Munstead Wood rose I heard  buzzing. A bee busily buzzed from flower to flower. This one stayed just long enough for me.

I realised that I have something in common with bees – they adore many of the flowers that I also like! I love the colour of this. It’s a hardy geranium & I’ve given it free reign to wander round the base of my Munstead rose. I had to remove an old shrub nearby & this gave more space to the geranium. It’s taken  full advantage of its freedom & spills out around the rose like a colourful skirt, helping lift the sombre deep red of the rose.  This vibrant pink is just what the garden needs on these rather gloomy summer days. A dash of pink in lipstick shades!

Overnight rain brought refreshment to  the garden. The roses now in full bloom were heavy with the moisture from the steady rainfall. The shrub roses appear bowed down under the weight of the rain. Bloom that were a joy to behold have collapsed, broken apart by the heaviness of the rain fall. My Munstead Wood rose with its dark red blooms looks burdened. The shade appears to darken on dull overcast days. I love the fullness of this flower, but this is its downfall when we have experienced steady rain. Spent petals form a colourful carpet on the soil beneath.

I want to capture too the beauty of this rose, the perfection of each bloom, the way the petals are held, cup shaped… It was not until I looked back at this photo that I realised I had captured something else in the image! I focused my attention solely on the flower. Now I look again I see what remains of a leaf & the culprit!

The pale petals of rosa Penelope cover the soil attracting assorted wildlife to investigate the debris. Slugs & snails party, celebrating now that the ground is moist. And they plainly intend to feat on my garden plants!

The twining stems of bindweed are now visible, wrapping itself around the stems of my roses. I wage continual battle with bindweed. At times it appears I have won, but my victory is short lived. It lives to fight another day & claim stems of my favourite shrubs as host for its climb to the highest point. Here it waves in the breeze as if to declare victory, claiming my garden as its home.

Today is said to be the time for the start of hay making! Looking out my window it’s a grey day – it doesn’t feel like June. There’s the threat of heavy showers with a possible rumble of thunder. Perhaps it will help clear the air clear the heavy atmosphere.

So today I thought I’d look for a meadow – something green, splashed with the colour of wild flowers in all nature’s glory.