Six on Saturday 18 May 2019

I am NOT going to talk about the weather and the fact the ground is solid, my water butt is almost empty and the lack of rain here on the Hampshire coast.

My Six on Saturday is a bit late today but I’ve made it. This week I am showing what’s on the allotment, concentrating on flowers. After looking at an overgrown bed for a while now, I decided yesterday to make a cutting flower patch. The cold fame was full of small plants I raised from seed to put in the cottage garden bed but I have too many. So, rather than ditch or give them away, I had the idea that the cottage garden bed can remain pretty and colourful whilst the cutting flower bed will produce flowers for home, family and friends.

1. Cutting Flower Bed

I am not usually a ‘planning gardener’, however on this occasion I did make lots of notes and a height chart. I didn’t work quite by the rules but it helped having a plan. The plants are in height order with Sunflowers at the back. I have planted two Alstroemeria ‘Indian Summer’ (bought as plug plants from J Parkers) at each corner. The other plants are Amaranthus, Cosmos, Cleome, Gladioli and Echinacea with half a dozen Zinnia at the front. The grid support I have made using garden twine.

2. Sweet peas

Next to the cutting flower bed are my sweet peas. There are a few flower buds appearing but the plants are still quite small, and probably suffering from envy. My plot neighbor has beasts of plants, romping away and producing lots of flowers.

3. Allium bed

These are from a mixed bag of allium bulbs, including Purple Sensation and Christophii. I’m yet to decide what else to plant in this bed. I have a lot of Geums so that might be a home for them.

4. Wildflower and pond area

I am so pleased how the wildlife area and pond have developed. A few weeks after making the washing up bowl pond it became very smelly but I left it and the plants did the trick clearing the water. There are no signs of wildlife in the pond yet but it is early days.

5. Dahlias

The dahlias are itching to be planted and I am having to pinch out the flower buds. They are intended for the spring bulb bed but the tulips and narcissi are taking an age to die down. I think rather than dig the bed over, I’m going to leave the bulbs in situ and plant the dahlias in the gaps. That’s the plan for next week, we will see if it really works.

6. The cottage garden

This is my pride and joy, especially when allotment neighbours stop as they pass to make complimentary comments. The enormous Alchemilla Mollis was here when I took over the allotment. I cut it down to the ground in January but think I will have to slice into it and make it a lot smaller because it is choking out other plants.

I am growing veg as well, but as a flat owner with only a patio, the garden areas are important to me and make up for leaving a lovely garden last year.

Thank you to The Propagator Blog for hosting this weekly meme. Please hop over to his blog and see what is happening in his garden and the many other contributors.