Yes another Norfolk inspired post, I did warn you at the start of the week. Today we're taking a look around dad's garden because it's been a while since we last did that, last Spring in fact, so we're well overdue a visit. And right now dad's garden is all about the hollyhocks, a flower I've not had much success with, yet.
Dad's are in flower and edge most of his garden, like much of the rest of his garden there's whites, yellows and pinks and crimsons.
I couldn't help but take a closer look at one of them. Makes for an interesting picture I think and really shows off their detail, something you don't see at first. And I'm sure that's a star in the middle.
I'm always keen to see what's going on in dad's greenhouse, and to check to see if that ginormous geranium, or at least a relative of it is still going strong. Yeap, tick. But look at the size of the aloe vera next to it, I had a proud aloe vera mummy moment, as all of those in that tub came from my plant.
Although none of mine are quite that large. I think the giant geranium is encouraging it!
The plant below is the parent of the yellow plant dad gave me, which I've planted in my new bed at the back of the garden. Mine's just starting to flower, and it's good to see what it'll look like soon. And isn't being able to swap plants one of the best bits about gardening?
Elsewhere in the garden there's roses galore. These are clambering around an arch, well almost, there's so many flowers.
Dad's success with lupins trumps mine too. I left with a pot of my own and I'm hoping the slugs and snails here don't look at them as dinner too soon. But if mine don't survive, it looks like there'll be plenty of seeds to try again with.
The fuschias look ready to burst and I can't believe it'll be long before the little ballerinas are dancing around again. The dahlias too are flowering, the outline of each petal on this one is stunning.
In the front garden I spotted this delicately pink and yellow lily, and was pleased to see the yellow rose in flower too. I missed out on the pale yellow hollyhocks, but this more than made up for it.
It's all go in his veg plot too, which is just outside the kitchen door. His onions put mine to shame, although you might want to sort that bindweed out there dad...
The apple tree is laden, and this is after it was thinned. There's definitely something about the soil up there in Norfolk!
And it wouldn't be dad's garden without runner beans.
Or squashes. He has a whole bed full of leaves, flowers and fruit. It's a bit of a surprise bed as he's never sure quite what will come up. He found some seedlings growing in the greenhouse and moved them outside, they've turned out to be round yellow courgettes and a variety he hasn't purposefully grown for a couple of years. Clearly the garden fancied growing some!
This year dad's been pleased with his foxgloves. In true Norfolk-style they're big. And almost as tall as a chimney. Well ok, the chimney is in the distance, but I do have photographic evidence look:
You'll not be surprised to know I left with some foxgloves too!
