Plants on the Move

Finally my plants that came over with us from Scotland are about to make it out of their pots and into the garden. I have been creating flowerbeds using the no-dig technique of laying down cardboard (old packing boxes of which we have loads left from the move) where I want the beds and then loading on a thick layer of manure. I have also added sand as the ground here is very clayish and hopefully this will improve drainage. In the photograph you can see my new herb bed on the left,the Clematis Walk through the arches at the back, and a large flowerbed for perennials in front of that arch. Obviously you can also see lots of the permanent mess that is nearly always strewn about our garden. I'd like to blame it wholly on young children but sadly their parents are tardy in tidying also!

It was good in a way to have the drought last summer as I was able to see which beds dried out the least, and this is where I have located the flowerbeds. I do feel a little bit guilty as my flowers are for pure pleasure and are not really countable as part of our self-sufficient aim and yet take up some of my time. I am reasoning that they will feed the honey bees and this in turn will feed us.