The Best Things in Life are Free

This is a really beautiful blog. I have added it to my favourites.
Best wishes
Linda

It all looks lovely to me...but specialy the Astilbes..they are just beautyfull. thank you for sharing them

What a wonderful garden Lily2. I too have a garden full of friends - what is that mm and that dn etc. i got this off the garden action site which tells a lot about many other plants too. Enjoy.
HARVEST BROAD BEANS
Broad beans are best harvested when young and tender. When the pods start to swell, sample one to see if it's ready for harvest. Simply twist and pull off the pods.

When the plants have finished cropping cut them off at ground level and put the plants on the compost heap. The roots are a good source of nitrogen so leave them in the soil to rot away.

How you could say you haven't anything much in garden, it's beautiful really lovely blog Lily 2, i've also add it to my favorites .......

Love the flowers in your garden Lily2, especially the astilbes, they're gorgeous!

Lovely blog Lily. I know what you mean my garden is still playing catch up and the lack of rain is not helping.

I like your astilbes as well but all of your garden is lovely,I also have the Lysimachia is that yellow loosestrife as you say it grows where other plants dont and gives a welcome bit of colour.

so enjoyed your blog lily, so many lovely plants and free to which is even better, love astilbes, mine doing well you sent me, 3 flowers which look great thanx,great pics, take care xx ;o))

Lovely, lovely, lovely. And, yes - WOW ! when I got to the Astibes. Just beautiful, Lilly.

Flowers, a Ladybird and a lovely bird, all for free in your lovely, colourful garden, love the fluffy seed-heads and the Astilbes just made me think of candy-floss ! Certainly no need to feel despondent with all that going on.
: o ))))))

lovely blog & great photos...you have some beautiful plants too

Thank you all for your lovely comments.
I'm really flattered Linda and Stripes, thank you so much I'm delighted you enjoyed it. :o))
The Astilbes are doing very well this year Jan, Silvisherr, Mavis and Silverbell so I thought I'd include them even though they weren't free! Glad you all like them although it's such a shame the hot sun makes them fade so quickly.
Glad to hear yours are doing well too Sandra, I've never been able to grow them in either of my previous gardens - too dry I think.
Thank you for the Broad bean info Scotsgran, there may not be enough for a meal though! Like you I love having plants which remind me of people and places. :o)))
Glad I'm not alone Denise, it was the late frosts followed by a dodgy back that put it all behind here but it IS getting there. Very dry here too :o((

Talk about 'The WOW factor' you've lots of colour and interesting plants there. How on earth do you get those Astilbes to flower their socks off like that? you're handy with a camera too. As you say the Sisyrynchiums are coming to an end now but they will seed all over if you leave them, unless that is, it's the variegated one which I'm told doesn't. I think it's much nicer when your plants have a 'history' like who gave them to you.

Your garden is as beautiful as ever Lily but you should paint that fence! Lol

Thank you Elsiemay, glad you enjoyed it.
Hi Shirley, it's not so much that the colour and flowers aren't there, more that they're not very prolific yet. I guess I'm just impatient for a good in my face display!
No idea Heron as to why the Astilbes do so well. It's a bit of a struggle finding damp shady-ish places for them, in fact the pale pink one is in a pot because it's homeless! I do make sure they're kept well watered. I take the camera comment as a big compliment coming from you as your pics are superb, thank you :o))
Well Ian, first of all, fence painting is VERY boring but I'm very disappointed that not only do I mention the "v" word but also post a pic of one and you don't even notice! Are you not impressed with my broad beans? (even if I didn't actually choose to plant it). Clearly you have strayed from the veggie path more than we thought.(cluck-cluck)!! :o))

You have lots there Lily :o) I'm pleased the Sanguisorba is doing well. they're not early flowering plants. Mine is just coming into bud now. I have a lovely white Astilbe thank you. It always appears glarey on the pics so I haven't shown it. I'll keep trying lol.

I'm sorry Lily, your broad beans look fantastic and you should enjoy them soon. I 'am' getting a bit cluckers over our new girls but normal service will be resumed shortly! Lol

Hi Hywel, good to hear from you. I hope I get some flowers on my Sanguisorba too, it's still in a pot until I see how it grows then I shall know where to plant it. I've noticed that about white flowers in pics, bright red too sometimes - there's not much detail. :o((
LOL Ian, you really have your hands full in you female household don't you!

lily,there is loads of colour in your garden, the astilbes are amazing, I have put mine near the pond so heres hoping it blooms as good as yours.
Funny thing I got the free seeds Mystic Merlin they are doing very well in my friends gardens, just can't stop myself when a free packet of seeds come along ,I sow then and then have no where to put them. !
My pansies never did trail but gave lots of colour over a long period of time.
Your photos are brilliant, ----then I would say that 'cos you're my bezzie mate aren't you ?? LOL.

I'm out numbered seven to one now!

Oh Lily, you have so many gorgeous plants, the Astilbes are stunning. The ladybird is a Harlequin as far as I can tell, it has a distinctive `W` on its head. I have a Malva this year and its such a lovely plant. :o)

Of course Val, as long as you keep saying the right things! LOL. I usually forget about free seeds, like you I never have room for them anyway. I only grew half of the Mystic Merlin and Nasturtiums and have ended up with half of them in containers. The pansies seem to be running out of steam a bit now, have you pulled yours out? I might just be forced to go to the GC to get something to replace them. :o)))
Best behave then Ian!
Thank you Sandra and thanks also for identifying the ladybird, is that a native one or an intruder? Yes the Malva is lovely and looks good at the back of the border.

Pansies just about to come out Lily, any excuse to go to the GC ! :o))

Pansies do run out of steam in the summer unless you continually dead head them and feed them (tomato food). I decided not to replace my universal winter flowering pansies with begonias as I normally would do and I am surprised at how well they have responded to cutting back and feeding.

I've been religiously dead heading and also feeding but some of them, as well as the normal pansies are not flourishing so I think it's time to head for the GC and get some pretty things to fill the gaps. Like you say Val, any old excuse!

Yes they are a lot of work and I will not do it next year. The begonia sempervivums that I normally use were too expensive in the amounts that I need and the plugs you buy mail order come far too early for me to want them. You cannot specify delivery dates which suit you. If anyone knows of nurseries who will take an order months ahead for a delivery on a specific date please let me know.

An absolutely brilliant blog Lily and it goes to show what is out there that we sometimes miss and don't appreciate. I love wandering and seeing a new bud or bloom that wasn't there yesterday or this morning! When things are free, even better.

You're garden is most definitley 'up to scratch' and in fine fettle.

Enjoy it and enjoy what you have done with it. Love the raindrop pic....but then you know I like that type of shot anyway.

Also find the Astilbe's very impressive:o))

Go girl!!

Ah thanks for your lovely comments Dan. It's easy to miss the little things when the garden's in full flower so it was good to be forced to take a closer look. Glad you like the raindrop, I'm trying to get a bit imaginative with the camera, just ordered a book to help me get to grips with it better.....so watch this space! LOL

I'm watching!

Look forward to seeing the results. I tend to just think outside the box for angles you wouldn't normally think of.....ad you don't have to lie on your back with your legs twisted and stuck in the air with your arm resting on a tree stump to achieve them!!!

Go for it!

Youre too right, Lily, the best things in life are free! Great blog, I love those flowers

Thank you Pip and I shall definitely give the contortions a miss Dan!