"The brilliant poppy flaunts her head .............

Amidst the ripening grain, 

And adds her voice to sell the song 

That August's here again." -  Helen Winslow

Here are some of the many floral highlights in the nursery gardens at the moment. Even if I say so myself the gardens are looking the best ever. Despite all that awful winter and spring weather we had up here the plants have triumphed and are looking amazing. Planting combinations are coming together and I'm so pleased with it all. Enjoy sitting in one of the many seating areas we have around the nursery and gardens, to enjoy the quiet, sit in nature, and be inspired. No matter your garden challenges it is possible to have a beautiful garden.

Aconitum lycoctonum subsp.
Neapolitanum

Its been a busy week or so, the weather has been amazing, so hot! Its a full time job watering the nursery but we are coping. Looking forward to some rain though. The gardens continue to amaze and delight myself and all our visitors. Fiona and I are still propagating plants to catch up after a busy spring and summer and get ready for next year. The polytunnels and stock beds are all fit to burst lol. I really must reign in my plant addiction.

Centaurea 'Pulchra Major'
(Rhaponticum centaureoides)

Cirsium canum

Delphinium 'Galahad'

Helenium 'Moerheim Beauty'

Waterlilies in the wildlife garden pond

 I've started gathering seeds from plants I want to propagate in the nursery gardens. Done on a dry day (not hard at the moment) the seed heads are put into paper bags to dry of fully until December. then I will separate the seeds from the rest of the plant material and put them in seed packets until they are sown in spring. Its such a fascinating process and truly completes the cycle of growing and plant production with the nursery.

Verbascum chaixii 'Album'

Veronicastrum virginicum 'Apollo'

Useful plants from the garden:

This week I've been using some of the veg from the box we got from Gather Market Garden at Whitmuir. In this dish I used the chard and some of the lettuce and my own apple mint. A great meal for hot sunny days.

Bang bang chicken with chard

Serves 4

2.5 tbsp sugar 4 tbsp rice vinegar

2 medium carrots, cut into matchsticks ½ cucumber, cut into matchsticks

Bunch spring onions cut into strips 3 chicken breasts, cooked

2 cos lettuce or similar bunch of chard

Olive oil

For the sauce

140g smooth peanut butter 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

2.5 tbsp sesame oil 3 tbsp veg oil

½ tbsp soy sauce

To serve

Salted peanuts or cashews torn mint leaves

Red chilli, deseeded, and chopped toasted sesame seeds

~ Heat the sugar, a good pinch of salt and vinegar together in a small saucepan. Stir to dissolve the sugar and then simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until syrupy. Put the carrots, cucumber and spring onion in a bowl and pour over the hot syrup and leave to cool, stir occasionally.

~ Slice the chicken into strips and mix into the sauce mix and then warm up in a pan until all the ingredients are mixed together and warmed up.

~ slice and saute the chard in some olive oil until softened and cooked. Slice the lettuce into ribbons and place in the middle of the plates. Arrange the cooked chard around the outside of the lettuce. Remove the veg out of the vinegar mix and drain.

~ Heap the chicken on top , sprinkle with the nuts, chilli, mint, sesame seeds and soy sauce and enjoy.

The heat on wednesday in the nursery was incredible, 30C driving home though it did go up to 31C at one point. A serious challenge to keep the plants watered, I was very happy to duck and dive through the sprinklers every so often

Poppy - Its not all about the dog you know

Our watering cans on the fence make great vases for the flowers that I've cut of the plant material I'm propagating. These are Astrantia 'Atomic Sunburst' and Astrantia 'Buckland'

The sweet peas in the nursery garden have been very slow this year which I suspect is down to lack of water. Normally with our wet summers they have plenty leaf and then start some producing flowers. This year there is very little greenery and a shortage of flowers too. I've been cutting them and taking them home, where they fill the house with their powerful scent.

Today’s day off took us to Musselburgh where I was doing a garden consultation, ok sort of day off. Afterwards we went to Cockenzie House & Gardens for lunch in the café there. If you are ever in the area, visit this hidden gem. The café was great with good food and dog friendly, always essential for us especially in this heat. To be honest it was too hot, it was 31C at times! After lunch we explored the gardens, a wild garden with pond and another with allotments. These were full of colour and fruit and veg. I love an allotment; it reminds me of visiting my grandads allotment in Leith as a child.

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