A garden update

Our garden has reached the point where I don't need to fill gaps with annuals. Everything we planted four years ago has finally filled out and there is very little empty space. I am content with the space we have but also dreaming of the day we have more. Although we're going to need something the size of Kew Gardens to accomodate everything I would like to do!

The one aquilegia I planted has become four — three purple and one pink. I'm hoping the same will happen this year and I'll have more of them to plant elsewhere in the garden. The bees will be happy.

Calendula flowers close up at night (above) and open during the day. I grew this plant from seed which was a birthday gift from a friend, the year before last. I fancy making some calendula skin salve but I'm going to need more than one flower to do that! The saved seed I sowed got munched by the slugs so I'm pinning all my hopes on this one plant.

Getting the stamen in focus took me a while but it was worth it. I don't have a macro lens so I force the lens I do have, to take a closeups the best I can :)

This peony was a tightly coiled bud until a few days ago, now look at it! It's hard to believe a bud the size of a walnut can hold so many petals. I love everything about this plant, even the decay is something to look forward to.