#39 - Lemon Balm

 AKA Bee Balm, the Latin Name is Melissa Officinalis.

Height: 24” (60 cms).

‘Aurea’ the variety in this case, and it has lovely yellow golden variegated leaves.  The leaves have a wonderful lemon fragrance and it is brilliant for picking to infuse as a hot tea, or cold drink … very refreshing in the heat with ice. It also can add flavour to stuffings, jams, fruit and vegetable salads.  It is especially good for diabetics as can help with blood sugar.

This beauty is part of the Mint family, and has the same thuggish habit, so I’ve planted mine in a pot.  It likes a sunny position and will tolerate most soil types.  It should be watered well before planting and until established.

I managed to pick up two plants from a local, and well kept secret near me that not too many people even know is there.   Both are planted in terracotta pots, with one in the Vegetable Garden and one on the table down by the house for ease of picking.  I intend to swap them around, and get some more by propogation, seed sowing or spending the kids inheritance.

Hugs

Kay xx

#38 - Planting day

 

We weeded and installed a small raised bed for the new rose we received as a gift from Mother in Law.

Peter Beale’s modern Climber ‘Dublin Bay’, unfortunately no scent, but it is the most beautiful bloom.

Height: 8 ft. (240 cm)

Width: 5 ft. (150 cm)

Clusters of medium-sized, fully double, bright scarlet-crimson flowers.  Flowering June onwards and likes open sunny position with free draining soil.  The label says it can tolerate poorer soils, but we have planted it in a nice rich Rose and Tree peat-free compost.

Simple pruning in March, or before new growth starts,  y removing any dead or thin branches, and tie in as you go.

Feed in Spring and again in Summer.

I added some of random Sweet peas to the container … ‘Spencer’.

Then ate a delicious piece of Ruby’s Bakery Red Velvet sponge before - for the want of any where else to put them at the moment - adding in two Nesmesia.

On the right Sunmesia ‘Banana Swirl’. 

Height 30 to 40 cm

Scented bi-colour plant that is suited to hanging baskets, but does equally as well in a container.

On the left Nuvo’Burgundy Bicolour’.

Height 15 to 20 cm.  Again, it should like this full sun position in the container in our vegetable patch at the end of the garden.  

Both of the Nemesia smell Devine,  it I think the scent of the Burgundy Bicolour just has the edge,  but I love the Banana Swirl colour and flower slightly more.  You can’t have everything right? 

I also have a couple of seed packets of Nesemia, which I hope if I plant them in the week, might just get to flowering a bit later on in the summer.

The Potting Shed is being installed on Friday next, but I still have a few jobs to do before then. Despite the heat we e just trimmed the end and side hedge a bit to make it easier for the installers, and have now taken root under the parasol.

I still need to weed more in the vegetable garden, and then we have to instal a large raised bed and fill it.  I also have a Nepeta to plant, and a couple more to buy, behind the Lavender Hedge.  Plus track down some Lemon Balm (Melissa Officinalis) for the same area.

Hugs

Kay xx

#37 - Hot enough in the UK

… so I was out in the garden before 7 a.m..

I managed a good bit of heavy weeding, then did a once over in the veg beds and watered them.

When I first planted the Lavender hedge between the middle and bottom terraces at the end of the garden I could not get all the way to end, as the large raised beds had not been installed, but were planned.  So after they were added, I had a small gap between the original hedge and the edge of the new raised beds. 

 I’m not sure what variety the original Lavenders were - probably just basic English ones as I purchased them as un-marked plugs.  I decided therefore that I wanted a Hidcite to mark the difference, and I can use it to take cuttings later on, with a view to putting it behind in the middle vegetable garden terrace going forward.  

I managed to quickly weed and plant it, and used the wet cardboard and 20mm pea shingle on top.  When I next venture out I’ll also get some nice decorative pebbles.

As you can see, I’ve still not finished mulching, as there is more to do weeding around the Hydrangeas, but it’s a start.

Due to my uncontrolled plant habit, I still have a lot more plants to get in both containers and the ground, so I’m aiming to get out here again this evening.

May you path be always in the light.

Hugs

Kay xx