After a rather lovely week away at the beginning of the month, this week has turned somewhat wet and windy. And temperatures seem well below what they should be (hence the title – June + January). On the positive note, I haven’t had to get the hosepipe out.
Just some random photos from the garden this week. Everything is just getting on with doing what it does best.
First a few more foxgloves. A different white one (with red speckles), a pink one and one that has come in from the wild. I still have more in the garden that haven’t yet flowered, maybe they are holding out for better weather next year!
This is the location of the wild foxglove. In my woodland border among ferns and hardy Geranium x oxonianum – the pink ones which have a habit of self-seeding all around the garden, unlike the blue ones which I wouldn’t mind so much. These are very much geraniums for shade and flower for most of the summer.
Whilst I was in the garden on Wednesday (when it was still sunny) I noticed this peculiar behaviour of one of my visiting blackbirds. Rooting around under the bird feeder for worms and spiders it suddenly stopped still, crouched down on the pebbles with wings spread wide and tail feathers fanned out. It remained in a trance-like state for a good five minutes. What was it doing? Sunbathing? Dislodging mites? Letting in air? A risky state to be in I would have thought as it was very vulnerable to predators.
Jim of Garden Ruminations is our host now and as a former nurseryman has a lot more than the SOS happening over on his blog so well worth following. As always, if you want a peek over other people’s garden walls then please pop over to his site where you find links to many more wonderful garden enthusiasts from all over the world. See here for the participant’s guide.
Cornwall in Colours 
I got a bit fed up with Geranium oxonianum seeding all over the place and decided to get rid of most of it, leaving a few that grew where nothing else wanted too. Trouble is it’s not the only geranium I have that self sows and sometimes I get interesting things appear but as seedlings they all look very similar until they flower. There are probably worse problems to have.
Ah, yes, I often wait until a seedling flowers just in case it’s a blue one!
That’s a good title, Jude – made me smile! I took out my aconitum after I decided I didn’t want to risk their poisonous nature, but one has returned, probably from amongst the roots of a delphinium I moved. The delphinium hasn’t reappeared though, so I think I will keep the monkshood as it is at the back of a border and perhaps less of a risk to visitors. Like yours, it is such a glorious blue. Chickens dust bathe, probably to get rid of mites, so I am guessing your blackbird was doing the same – or had he got hos wings wet, and was drying them? T, or one f the pots therehat sisyrinchium is so pretty – must look out for it to add to the edge of my blue and white borders
I have attempted to remove the aconitum several times, but it’s planted at the back of a raised bed (stone built wall) and impossible to get at with a spade or fork.
Probably best to leave it then – I noticed today mine has lots of side shoots so will be flowering for a long time yet
Is there such a thing as Foxglove Envy? If so, I have it!
I grew these from seed last year and they were surprisingly successful (for me) just kept the pots on a table outside and then planted them in the ground in mid September.
Okay Jude. You should be a Presenter and a Journalist, you are really good at crafting captivating blog posts⭐👏👏
Just look at that view and the pictures are really an eye for creativity. You are too good✌
Thank you for a lovely comment.
It is quite a common behaviour. Sometimes they look injured as they spread their wings out in a most unnatural fashion. It has been suggested that they do this to attract ants and the formic acid rids them of parasites. Amelia
Well no ants in this part of the garden, unless he knows more than me!
Love those foxgloves Jude , but oh dear your weather sounds awful. Very appropriate name you’ve coined for the month. Wish I could send you some of our sunshine, day after day of it. But clear blue skies come with chilly nights, down to 10degC . But I love it.
18C today and breezy, but more my kind of temperature. I like 20-23C anything higher is too hot for me! But we’ve struggled to reach double figures this spring and it has been so wet.
The foxglove is lovely and I’ve also seen birds in our garden sitting with their wings spread out (I always thought they just enjoyed the sun, but I read Amelia answer to this now). Oh my, can one hope that July is going to be a better/sunnier month?
Well as far as I am concerned summer begins on the summer solstice which is Thursday, but we have had a dreadful spring this year, usually my favourite time of year as I am not keen on hot weather. But the damage done to the garden by the S&S has been awful so many of my summer flowers will be absent.
My, but you do have a lovely garden.
Thank you.l