August in the Flower Garden

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This summer - so far at least has been the rainiest one I can recall. I have left the weeds to grow so that insects and bees have as much pollen as possible. That's my excuse anyway. It's been too wet to do very much at all. I have managed to start to make a few more flower beds, the idea being that there will be meandering little paths and steps here and there. Bella has decided that there is something very interesting under the shed and has been digging holes trying to make an entry. Yesterday she finally succeeded and had to be dug out!

The lillies have been incredible this year, especially in the evenings. Even in the rain their fragrance has drifted across the garden and welcomed visitors as they come in through the garden gate. Next year will bring more twists and turns and even more flowers to delight as I manage to widen existing beds and make new ones. A greenhouse is still on the agenda!

August in the Kitchen Garden

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I have spent very little time spent in the garden as this summer has been a complete washout. The poor old hens found that their new hen pen became a muddy quagmire so as work in the vegetable garden was forced to come to a halt due to endless torrential rain, I decided to let them enjoy their freedom.
 
The vegetable garden became their domain. The weeds grew even higher to become a jungle paradise for them to take shelter beneath. The strawberries were eaten at birth by hoards of voracious slugs and snails which were promptly polished of by the hens. The potatoes needless to say got blight. The courgettes decided to give this year a miss altogether. The blackbirds enjoyed the raspberries. Nevermind.

At least the vegetable garden will be slug and snail free next year. I can't bring myself to kill anything, even a slug but letting the hens be hens will ensure their demise in a natural way. I hope.