Growing ambitions: big changes have happened during the heatwave

The front garden had been home to some clearance dahlias and other assorted flowers which were probably always going to die off (maybe why they were on clearance in the first place), but it’s now decorated with an alpine sink arrangement, a stokesia and a scabiosa.

The plan is still to get more pots, more plants, and cover the front garden in them, but I’m also thinking there may be room for a small fold up table and chairs.

There’s an alcove under the steps where I keep my bike which could easily fit a set folded up, and it’s a very quiet cul de sac so it wouldn’t feel as open as I initially thought it might be.

A set of shelves might also fit, but I need to work out if it would be too narrow to be useful and what I’d want to put on them!

I like big, bushy, leafy plants, but it might be good for cuttings and seedlings in the spring.

The biggest changes have happened in the back garden, where I’ve emptied out eight bags of pebbles on the lower level.

I need to get a few more bags and brick around the drain to stop them from falling in, but they’ll eventually lead up to my planned beach hut style shed (which I’m pining for even more with this wet weather, I want somewhere dry in the garden to store my tools!).

I think the pebbles look so much better than the concrete did before, but as my boyfriend pointed out I’ve not only made it look beachy, but also made it feel as painful as the beach does when you’re barefoot (he made me give him a piggyback ride).

My lewisia seedlings unfortunately all died off during the heatwave and subsequent rain, it was too much for them, but my mum also had bad luck with hers this year so I’m choosing to blame the seeds rather than us.

The euphorbia has continued to pop its seeds when it’s hot, which makes the garden sound like someone’s cooking popcorn, but the tree next to it has been dropping its berries too.

This has meant more birds in the garden, so I’m hoping they start to use the bird box I’ve put on the wall for them instead of it just being home to the occasional snail or spider.

I’ve had varying luck with the fruits and vegetables I’ve been growing - the courgettes are getting tall and bushy, but my lettuce keeps bolting and I’m not sure what to do to stop it from doing that.

My rhubarb has, as expected, grown exponentially, and I picked the first strawberry from my strawberry plant at the weekend - I wasn’t expecting it to do so well, but I’m really pleased with it.

I’m hoping to sort a shed in the next few weeks - if anyone has any suggestions for narrow wooden sheds, please do email me at [email protected].

Likewise, any suggestions to help my bolting lettuce would be very helpful, as well as any tips on what else I could do in my garden.