A little corner of the garden (literally)

An age ago Julia (aka Morphosaurus of "We Need A Bigger Pot"'s Jurassic Park fame) asked when we would see more of my actual garden and we saw no more of my actual garden beyond macros. There are reasons for this dear reader, excellent reasons. In a macro I can show you the beauty of individual plants without you seeing the disgraceful wilderness that is the garden proper. Last year, beyond nurturing a few specific plants I did nothing in the garden. Partly this was because I'd just moved in and wanted to see what was what and partly it was because I didn't want to put any effort/rare plants/cash into the garden last year for some other reason. Now I know I'm staying I'm starting to make some changes and you'll get to see some of them. This is a little corner bed I've worked on.



When I got here the flowering geraniums were in. I left them, even though I consider them a bit garish, old fashioned and generally distasteful as A) they were a bit of colour and B) I figured winter would do for them. It didn't and as I was redoing the bed it seemed a shame to pull them up in full flow so they stay for now. You'll notice they haven't been deadheaded - I may not be actively killing them but I'm sure as hell not gonna encourage the blousy little suckers.

I did however remove all the plants in the centre of the bed and replace them because couch grass and dock leaves do not good bedding plants make. Theres however do make excellent bedding plants. This is Tropaeleum minus "Ladybird"



and this is Tropaeleum minus "Black Velvet"



I'm hoping they will sort of self seed and just establish themselves around the garden a bit. Even if they don't they will be supplemented by more seedlings next year. One of the widest known little-known facts about gardening is that Nasturtiums like these and their flowers are edible, and showboater that I am, I'm keen to have plenty for my salads plus they look beautiful and the bees seem to like them (bee fodder has become an important consideration of my gardening now, more so even than it used to be). Another edible is the purple Amaranthus below. I had hopes this would surge up and provide me with regular crops of leaves from amongst the bedding but it seems to be getting picked off by something and struggling to compete as a result. I remain hopeful it may yet surge.



The purple in the main photo isn't this by the way, it is a big purple Sedum. Lastly I added two beautiful perennial Salvias - this is "black and blue"

and this is hotlips....

Again planting with the bees in mind. I shall be interested to see how these do through the winter (if they do through the winter). Lastly since we're talking about the garden, the lilies are still going well.......