Wonderful Mad Flowers!

There is something about this unconventional front garden that I love. Everything is going for a free for all. The owner must have said, "Here is a garden. Now get on with it."

And so the flowers have. I love it and enjoy the many clusters of colour. It looks wild and untamed. It is also most striking everytime I drive down here to empty the bins at the recreation ground close by. I kept telling myself, "I must get a photo of that wonderful front garden." Now, I have.

    

Like 'Forget Me Nots' But They Are Not!

My wife, Carole, was pottering about in the garden this morning. I was surfing the web and doing twitter etc. After a while, I decided to go out and see her. She was deadheading many of the withered flowers and generally tidying up as I upset the ducks by daring to walk into their little domain. For some reason, they always start to get alarmed when I first set foot in the garden. After a short time, they calm down.

I was rather surprised to see that there were still a number of flowers in full bloom. I do like the look of all the grand flowers but I'm not too good on remembering their many names. I looked down at some small blue ones. They looked very striking. Because Carole knows more about them than me, I decided to ask.

"What are these flowers called?"

She looked over and frowned. "Oh err... They're like Forget Me Nots, but they're not," she answered.

"Oh," I replied. "Like Forget Me Nots But They're Not?" I knew flowers had some strange names but I was taking the mickey out of her.

We both laughed and I decided to get my camera and get a few autumn snaps of some of the remaining flowers. As we went out the front, I saw a vivid blue flower and a passing dog walker wandered in to talk with us about it. He did not know what it was either but agreed it was rather striking. Like a cornflower but not! :D

Great Interest and Dynamic Growth - It Has Risen and Flowered.

My wife, Carole, came in with this photo on her mobile phone. She had planted a Clematis plant in the spring and it has been gradually creeping up and along the fence. 

I never realised how vibrant and pretty the flower was. I had become impatient with her continuing to say, "It will flower around September time."

Well, it never and I lost interest.

Then she came in this morning with this on her mobile camera. I went out to take a look and was amazed by the yellow array growing out the front of the purple flower. It looks like an ariel or antenna. What is it for? I have no idea. Though, I suppose it has some purpose. It does give it an added appeal.

We had a look at other flowers within the bed and I realised that as the autumn kicks in, the garden will wither and hide for the winter. The bleak Fenland, where the fields were alive with various crops, will become ploughed dirt. These fields will sit out the winter through the snow and sleet.

Then the spring will come and everything starts to blossom with new promise. We love the Fenland and we will add to our garden's growing delights when that particular season comes around again. The Nursery Gardens are in abundance around here and we have bought more wildflower seeds for the greenhouse. This is in case our ducks get to them before they get a chance to grow in the flower beds.

All the Lupins are Looking Great

Soon! Just behind the Lupins, will grow an array of wild flowers. I'm very fond of the blue Cornflowers, which I'm reliably assured by my wife, will spring up soon. The many colours look splendid. The Lupins are only the start. The Aquilegia is behind the Lupins and this plant will flower soon. Therefore we will have the Lupins with wild flowers in the middle and the Aquilegia behind. It will be a fine display as we sit on the decking during the summer months.

Father's Day to see our Dads Plus Jellied Eels and Crayfish Tails - yum yum.

My wife, Carole and I decided to go out for the day on Sunday. It was Father’s Day and both our Dads live in Essex. My Dad lives in Hornchurch and Carole’s Dad lives in Burnham-on-Crouch.

We started early, as it is a one hundred miles trip to my Dads and another 30 miles on to Carole’s Dad. Then back along the motorway to the ring road M25 and back up the M11 towards Cambridgeshire and our little Market town of March. It was a good day out and both Dads were pleased to see us. I, of course took my camera and photographed some of Essex on the fine Sunday summer’s day. We even found a sea food stool in the middle of nowhere, coming out of Burnham towards Latchingdon. I, of course, had jellied eels. These delicious eats seem to make anyone, not London born, go yuk! I can’t understand them. We also had crayfish tails too – yum, yum.

It was a pleasant Sunday all round. First pictures are at my Dad's in Hornchurch. The second lot are on the way to Carole's Dad and of the old miniture Norman Castle he built in the Garden over 50 years ago. 

My Dad's Garden is like a secret place with lots of floral archways and nooks and crannies.

My Dad.

On the way to Carole's Dads at Burnham on Crouch. We pass through Bradwell-on-Sea

The old miniture Norman castle that Carole's Dad built over 50 years ago.

All the flowers in the Fenland Garden.

My wife and I have been gradually getting the garden areas of the house ready. The back garden needs some more work, especially where the garden table is. We hope to start decking it soon. However, the side garden, where we drive in, also needs to have something going on. Therefore, Ive been looking at various pot plants and large flower boxes. We often sit in the side garden because it offers good views of the Fens. I decided that a variety of potted plants upon the stone drive might work. It is only beginning, but I'll gradually add.

There is also two little areas to the front of the house. One is a triangular area where we have put various perennial types to ground and in pots. I'm no gardener, but have suddenly developed a liking for some colour. I've noticed so many different types of wild flowers that sprout up everywhere in the Fenland whilst going about the various abodes, in the hamlets and villages, emptying the bins, I see so many different types of wild flora. These things I've never noticed before. I'm not sure if I'm developing an appreciative eye for this or its because the Fenland are new to me and the wild things are more apparent. 

Just outside the gate and across the road, there are wild Red Hot Pokers growing on the verge. They where there last year, to my delight, and now they are back. I dug one up last year and planted it in the front of my garden by a small rockery with a Curry plant and others flowers. I am thrilled that three Red Hot Pokers have grown in this spot too.

I end up going home, after work, and telling Carole about them and she seems to know all the various things I'm speaking of. We've spent a fair amount of money on plants at the many garden centres that are scattered about the Fens and gradually the garden is beginning to take shape. The front, side, and back. We have to make sure the ducks and chickens stay in their pen or they will devour every plant in sight.

My gradual potted side part of garden. I am to get more.

Last year's Red Hot Pokers growing again in front garden 

Small triangular front part of garden

Side drive of House

Red Hot Pokers

Side part of garden

Side part of garden

Back Garden

The seating part of back needs decking