SuburbanGaze

Being a sufferer of Mottephobia  I was surprised that I was drawn to this beautiful little first generation brown and yellow Mint Moth sitting on some Lily foliage.  I was even more surprised that I was able to take this picture without panicking.   Had it had its wings open, been in-flight or on my clothing I would have been a trembling mess of fear and dread - Moths generally make me cringe, especially at nighttime. This creature can normally be seen near Mint or Thyme both of which are potted up nearby. 

It has been a beautiful sunny and warm day today so we have visited the expansive  Birmingham Botanical Gardens using the Gardeners' World Magazine #GW2for1 offer that arrived in the post this morning.  This meant we gained entry for less than £3.50 each - such a bargain! We had never visited during daylight hours, the last time being for the Chinese Lantern Festival which was fun. Beautiful Chinese Lanterns floating on a pond First impressions mean so much and we received a friendly welcome at the reception desk additionally  the staff in the coffee house and the gift shop were attentive and polite too. We have taken lots of photos far too many to publish but here is a selection of our favourites, some beautiful plants and planting combinations to be found in the well maintained and diverse grounds.  Unsurprisingly from previous experience, we were drawn to this darker woodland area with its Ginkgo biloba tree underpla...

This entire Allotment has been a sideline project that my partner has been working on each weekend for the last 12 months.   It was an overgrown mess at the beginning but its now really shaping up to be a bright productive space - this is half of the full plot, the other half is yet to be tackled but plans are in their early stages.  Makes me so proud and happy  This could be the  future of allotments  mixing practical with bright design elements and hopefully will help encourage a new generation to get outside growing fruit and vegetables!

Spotted this bright green and deep red bug on the trellis next to a small Mountain Ash tree and just above a young honeysuckle plant. This is an adult  Hawthorn Shield Bug  which is from a species  of around 200 Shield  Bugs or Stink Bugs. This one is the most common in England and eats Hawthorn berries (Haws) hence the name.   It is harmless to humans but may give off a bad defensive smell if threatened rather like ladybirds when you pick them up.

Todays project was finding a solution to an unloved corner of the garden which has suffered from a distinct lack of sunlight (apart from towards the end of the afternoon and the early evening on very clear days). We wanted colour and something that would grow up against the wall to protect a new Robin Bird Box from predators (read: Cat!).   A solution has been found in the form of a lovely bright flowering Japanese Quince - Chaenomeles x superba Crimson & Gold, that remarkably was cheaper from a mainstream garden centre chain than anywhere I could find it online.   This has been underplanted with a native ivy - H edera helix and finished off with a layer of horticultural grit.     This tree symbolises rebirth and its hard autumnal apple-like fruit can be used cooked as an accent in sauces to accompany many sweet and savoury dishes .  

We have visited Martineau Gardens after being prompted by a newspaper article  about free things to do with family in the West Midlands. Martineau Gardens is a therapeutic organically maintained Community Garden that is run by staff and volunteers.  This volunteering scheme provides structure to the lives of people with disabilities, specific learning difficulties and mental health issues amongst others. This is such a little gem of a place just a few miles outside of Central Birmingham in Edgbaston (near to the Cricket Ground).   It is a working garden that begins with a vegetable plot and ends with a woodland area with a couple of pleasant surprises along the way.   There is also a very well-stocked plant shop which we bought some excellent marginal plants for our pond including the beautiful Persicaria bistorta Superba. One of many numbered bird boxes high up on trees Ferns growing on stump As we wandered throug...

Today we visited one of the gardens that has remained a firm favourite for us both - Winterbourne House and Gardens. It is conveniently nestled within the extensive grounds of the University of Birmingham in Edgbaston and has ample visitor parking.   This is a beautiful space to spend a relaxing hour or two within breathtaking gardens.   Visitors to the House and Gardens have the bonus of being able to gain access through a woodland footpath to Edgbaston Pool .  This is a separate property and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to the standing open water and the smaller mixed broadleaf and Yew woodland.    Similarly to Coughton Court , the Walled Garden which you initially enter to the right of the terrace area,  is one of our best-loved parts of Winterbourne.  This area is the provider of much inspiration in the planting choices and schemes and it is lovely to revisit as the ...

A productive couple of hours has produced these bright herb pots that have been planted up with Chives, Golden Feverfew, Purple Sage, Thyme and Winter Savory.   A bit of grit scattered over the top will hopefully deter the squirrels from digging about in it.

Having the hottest day of the year to-date we have visited Coughton Court .   We didn't expect the borders to be in full bloom due to the time of the year but we were pleasantly surprised and very impressed at how lush, green and bright the borders did appear in the Spring. Being an RHS member I was happy to gain free entry! Now i'm not a fan of yellow Daffodils but this linen-white display is beautiful swaying in the light breeze. Whilst there are no photos of the Walled 'Hot and Cool' Garden on this page (you will have to visit) this was definitely the highlight for us.  Visiting at this time of the year when the vegetation has not fully established meant that we could observe the planting techniques used along the long borders.  If you take a few meters and section it off in your mind and then count the plants within it, the planting scheme has been limited to a few species but many of the same, quite simple and a total delight. Having hea...

Spring has sprung and the garden has never looked better, the Amelanchier Robin Hill is blossoming in a beautiful white with a tinge of pink, the Euphorbias are popping and the afternoon sun is casting gorgeous dappled light patterns across the grass, the birds are singing and the squirrels are causing havoc with the bulbs naturalised in the lawn.

Today I was outside watering the new Birch Trees and I spotted a strange looking insect flying about., backwards, forwards darting around.  Later it landed on the perch of the small bird bath and I was able to take some photos: Clinging on for dear life Needle for a nose Apparently this is a Bee Fly and it's harmless (doesn't sting or bite), that needle is used to draw nectar from flowers - I think it's quite cute.  

Thanks to a 20% off code in the Subscribers edition of Gardeners' World magazine I have spent a few hours navigating the Sarah Raven website  for the first time to purchase some plants.  These will fill some narrow borders in the garden.   I am being brave by introducing a small amount of orange to the front of the planting scheme - a colour I have steered clear of until now.  I'm not sure why as this colour contrasts well with pinks, purples and greens which I love and is a fun colour that signifies warmth and passion . The items arrived today and were delivered by Royal Mail - I was impressed by this because I have had some negative experiences with courier companies. Whist not all of the order was delivered today (one item that was showing in-stock was not delivered) I am really impressed with the way the plants have been packaged and that they all look really strong and healthy - probably the best quality I have ever received by mail-o...

Excited to see the familiar leaf formation on these tiny Lupins that we have germinated from seed, also the pond is beginning to sparkle with these Marsh Marigolds in bloom.

We have upped the pace of germination with this lot in the Potting Shed and another load in a spare bedroom in the house.