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Your photos are lovely Kate, I thought the first one with the bridge was exquisite . Thank you for sharing .

Shouldn't do, as long as it does not make the soil very acidic, which it will already be because of the ant's formic acid secretions.

Still looks like Goat willow to me.

Thank you very much. I’ve used the lemons from a gin and tonic - will the plants mind!

Thank you Julia, I think it's often a case of finding them when they have just arrived at the supermarket, long before they are left to wither and die!

Julia, the Grapevine (Brandt is the grape variety) was planted in 2010 when the patio was built and the builder said it would never grow well! How wrong he was as we have good crops annually, but they are too sour and full of pips for us so we enjoy watching the birds feasting on them in the Autumn.

Karen, you only need to put a feeder filled with Sunflower hearts (not seeds) to find the birds will come in to eat. No fat balls or wild bird seed needed. A bird bath or dish of water would encourage them too.

Ams, it has taken me a very long time to be able to sit without jumping up to pull out a weed, or trim a shrub or anything that 'just needs doing'!

That’s my sort of garden! Wildlife friendly with lots of interest. It certainly looks well looked after and it’s well deserved to sit down and take stock. My problem is that I can never sit still for long…. Thank you for sharing your beautiful garden with us.

Does a perennial border appeal? Using insect friendly, drought & sun tolerant plants?

Such as lavender, Siberian sage, rudbeckia, whatever sedum is now called etc

Beautiful colour!

Those place names are all very familiar Kate, as I grew up in Gainsborough. There are some beautiful places in the area. I liked the first photo best, with the bridge and the view.

Lovely blog Shirley, and lovely garden too. I can just picture you sitting watching the birds. We sat in the garden last night with a bottle of good wine, listening to the birdsong. It was beautiful! I don’t know how long it will take the birds to visit us, but we did have a pair of sparrows in last week! I don’t think it will take long as we are only about 30m from woodland.

Thanks both. I’m not confident for some reason. We’ll see how it does.

Well, funnily enough, I saw Davey’s and it reminded me that I had fancied this for ages but it’s not for the North. So off I went to the very basic GC (blue diamond, bit like Dobbies) and Lo…they had one. Just one, sitting on its own waiting for me! A lot of my more unusual plants are from online nurseries.

Siris, thank you for that. Very helpful!

That’s great to know!

Hmm…no lilies here yet as there are cats around.

Good thinking!

Perfect, thank you so much! It is near a fence but it's in a pretty sunny spot. I've just read that sun can make it yellow and spindly, which is what has happened. I will look into moving it 🙂.

Well what an enjoyable blog...I could almost picture myself there with you.
The birds are a joy at the moment aren't they.
How lovely to have visiting Dunnocks.
Your grape vine looks very strong Shirley...is it productive?

welcome to GoY.
It looks like a Skimmia to me. They are usually easy shrubs. I'd give it a good feed and watering. They are usually unfussy plants. Is it close to a fence/wall etc?

Some of my best roses have come from supermarkets Shirley. That is a beautiful colour.

Cornus Alba Sibirica will deal with the poor quality soil and the wet conditions. Not much to look at during the summer but the red stems will stand out during the winter. After a few years, cut back hard to encourage the new stems to regain the colour.

Lovely rich colours, Thorneyside. Liking the warm hues.

That's a bit different, very striking!

Thank you, Thorneyside and Rose, appreciate your advice! I'll remove it tomorrow. ;-)

I think Meadowland has just posted a photo of this too! It looks to be a lovely Salvia.

I think this was mentioned on Gardener's World last night ... such a pretty flower.

Lovely red stems.

I do love a yellow Rose.

Thanks for the info.

Thanks Siris and Rose ... this was brought from a previous garden, in a pot, back in 2001 and was already about a year old. Talk about value for money eh?

Rose, I do have most of the local snails and slugs in my garden!

I have never seen a white one before. It's lovely!

I love this Karen, but have never heard of it before.
You do seem to get more unusual plants and wonder where you find them.

This looks a different colour to mine, but very pretty though.

I love Welsh poppies and don't mind where they spread Linda. But these look taller than the Welsh ones though.

That's strange Shirley, none have mine have ever been nibbled.

That's amazing Shirley!

I remember Alan Titchmarsh saying, a weed is just a plant in the wrong place!
But buttercups will take over though.

The leaves look like buttercup as well. If you leave it to take over you'll be hard pushed to get rid of it.

Thanks Gardenleave and Kate. I have to deadhead the poppies as they spread everywhere if I don't.

Hi Kate, yes, think it's a french lavender. I keep on deadheading the violas and they seem to get better and better.

My Anisdontea El Rayo lasts about 3 years, but I always start a replacement cutting each year.

Mine in the South is huge after 17+ years of growth, had to cut it back somewhat.

Such a useful plant.

Fingers crossed, I don't have any problem with slugs on my Hosta, but Lilybettle devastate Lilies, Fritillaria each year.

Gosh, that's early, but welcome.

Lovely

Kate,

Thanks! Yes, Epiphyllums have very interesting bright-colored flowers.

Shirley tulip,

It’s native to the tropics, but does very well in San Diego’s very mild subtropical climate.