It is almost June in The Fortnight Garden – five months of 2020 have already passed. I can’t believe we are already approaching the halfway point in the year. The Fortnight Garden has had a lot of attention and it is responding really rather well – it has certainly been a great help to me during this time. I rather assume my fellow gardeners also turn to their plants for calmness in a time of stress and concern.

1.This week has been about the paeonies – watching the buds swell, and the flowers open. They are absolutely gorgeous but surprisingly difficult to photograph. It has been very windy, again (I hate the wind!!!) but I don’t want to pick them. They are gorgeously pale in the mornings, and glow in the evenings – lovely.

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2.The ox-eye daisies are pretty, but goodness they are determined self-seeders! I think I planted one in the hedge and now I have an ever-increasing clump outside the dining room window, and in several other places. Never mind, I have just the challenge for them.

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3.A new planting area. There is a small iron ‘fence’ separating our garden from the neighbours, who have recently cut down trees and pulled out rubbish. I think we need something nice and pretty along the railings, but the first challenge is to produce a plantable strip of soil. Well, having hosted bramble, roots and other rubbish it is never going to be deep, friable, and ‘good’. So, I am going to sprinkle some bonemeal, put in a pile of compost, and hope for the best. Then I am going to plant ox-eye daisies, alchemilla, rosemary, and maybe lavender.

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4.The geraniums are starting to go over, and that means (heavy sigh) that I need to cut back and probably thin out and take cuttings. (More cuttings…!) Geranium Phaeum ‘Samobor’ has done well, but one area has been swamped with moss and I think it needs to be dug out and refreshed. Actually, I should probably dig them all out and dig in bonemeal and compost. Let’s go for something positive instead – the Veronicastrum is starting to flower.

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5.The white roses are just gorgeous, so I am going to share them with you again.

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6.And finally the Graham Thomas is beautiful, particularly in the evening light, or early in the morning.

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And that is where I am today, almost in June in The Fortnight Garden. The garden has come a long way in the last month. Thank you again to The Propagator for keeping going and helping hold us all together! Much appreciated.