Garden Diary – Bees, Cats, Frogs, Friends & Flowers

The first week of June has brought, Busy bees and sleepy cats, berries for breakfast and raindrop covered flowers. New plants and old ones and some spread accidentally between friends.

I’m over the moon with the first peony in the garden, although it’s not strictly the first. I bought one a couple of years ago but as it resembled a stick, I accidentally trod on it and that was the end of that!

So I made sure I bought this one at the right time of year. I was very impressed with this one from Crocus, both the size and the fact that it already had two buds on. Good start and I’ll watch where I put my feet!

The Brunnera with its tiny blue flowers that resemble so closely that of forget-me-nots, has seeded itself right in front of the huge dark leaved Ligularia ‘Desdemona’. It just looks so good in front of it and I’m left admiring Mother Natures garden design skills once more.

When we moved here there weren’t many flowers in the garden, but we did find a red rose shrub looking pretty stragglerly, but somehow managing to produce a couple of small roses. I can’t say that I’m that keen on it but it had to be kept. After a few years in its new home, with plenty of TLC it’s produced the most huge roses. They’re nearly as big as my hand, so I guess it is finally happy.

The garden has continued to benefit from all the rain and the flowers look pretty with raindrops on them. The pond is also looking much better now that it’s topped up.

One of the frogs favourite sunbathing spots is a log that is now partially submerged with all the rain, meaning there’re a lot less spaces available. It’s very much a first come first served and they’re not for moving.

There is also not much movement inside with our now elderly cats deciding to try and sleep even more than they have for the last eighteen years! I keep saying I’m coming back as a cat, to catch up from this lifetime of never sitting down!

Strawberries for breakfast anyone? I’m flabbergasted that neither the blackbirds nor the squirrels have found them this year, they must be a new brood. As a result we’ve already eaten more than for a few years and there’re still quite a lot to come.

We really must make a proper cover for them next year, as I’m quite sure the strawberry raids will be back!

In between the showers the bees are straight back out again, busily collecting pollen from all the flowers – I think it’s much more likely that I’ll come back as bee.

I suddenly seem to have lots of dark red, claret coloured flowers around which certainly wasn’t intentional, but the bees are happy with them all.

Talking of unintentional. A neighbour gave me some tall grass a few years ago, but it came with an additional annual grass, ‘Quaking grass’. It’s very pretty but it seeds itself and spreads like wildfire. I spent a few years pulling up every one I saw and thought, ha, I’ve got rid of it. This year however it’s popped up again in a few locations, I looked at it dancing around in the wind and decided that I actually quite liked it, so let it be.

Confessions. We went to a friend’s for dinner on Saturday and she said, “I saw your post about quaking grass on instagram. Do you remember passing some of that tall grass onto me?”

I had a feeling what was coming and nodded.

“Well you also passed the quaking grass on and look at it now!”

‘Friendship is… sharing plants’ 😊

Monday 2nd June 2025

So excited to have my first peony in this garden. Say hello to new boy ‘Karl Rosenfield’ 🌸🌿

I can’t believe it’s taken me so long 💕💕💕

#MagentaMonday #peony #flowers #pinkflowers

Tuesday 3rd June 2025

This Brunnera seeded itself from the mother plant a few feet away 🌿💙 Which is Mother Nature being clever as it goes so well against the giant leaves of Ligularia ‘Desdemona’ #TuesdayBlue #Brunnera #Ligularia

Just been & picked these for an early breakfast 🍓🍓🍓🍓So far, last years cheeky squirrel hasn’t found them 🐿️

#kitchengarden #growyourown #strawberries #gyo #homegrown

Wednesday 4th June 2025

This red rose was here when we moved 🌹

Overgrown & straggly trying to find some light. Now moved, fed & pruned regularly, it’s as good as ever 🌿❤️🌹❤️🌿

#rosewednesday #roses #redrose

It’s my log & I’m not moving 🐸🪵💦

As the rain has topped up the pond, more of the log is under water, meaning the spaces are now prime retail

#WildlifeWednesday #frogs #pond #wildlifegarden

Thursday 5th June 2025

A neighbour gave me a clump of this attractive grass ‘Luzula Nivea’ & it’s thriving in our dry shady white garden under the walnut tree. Added benefit, the bees love it too 🐝🐝🐝

#InsectThursday

Bit rainy again this morning 💦 💕🌿

Now the gardens watered, the ponds topped up & water buts replenished, I’m ready for a bit of that hot sunny weather again 🤗☀️☀️☀️

#flowers #BritishWeather #foxgloves #rain #wildflowers

Friday 6th June 2025

You know when you order plants online & a disappointing twig turns up. Well this lovely peony turned up a month ago & I’m absolutely thrilled to bits! 🌿💕🌸💕🌿

PS. So are the bees 🐝

#FlowersOnFriday #peony @Crocus.co.uk #PinkFlowers #pinkfriday

My Hosta & Fern bed have had a make over due to Lily-of-the-valley taking over. I had no idea how invasive it is! We’ve had to dig so deep to get the roots out!

Anyway it’s now re-planted & I’ve allowed some flowering plants in. #geranium 🌿💕🌿

#flowersonfriday

Saturday 7th June 2025

Quite a few claret colours in the garden at the moment coming from, Allium siculum, Sanguisorba, Heucheras, Anemone & grass 🌿🌺🌿🌺🌿🌺🌿🌺 Cheers everyone🍷

#SixOnSaturday

It’s a hard life! 😻😻

#Caturday

Sunday 8th June 2025

Confession time 🫢

Remember last Saturday, I said I’d accidentally ended up with Quaking grass, in a plant present from a neighbour. Well, it seems that I’ve accidentally passed it on to my friend. And it’s spread…… 😱 Joking aside it looks fab! 🌾

#sharing #friendship #plants