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Down at the Dell

teds

By teds

16 comments


Hi all, just an update on the dell garden it is starting to get some colour now and has put on its summer dress. The weather here in Devon has been very windy the last few weeks so the foxgloves have had a battering, I must remember to stake them next year. We cut back the laurel tree at the weekend as it had grown so big you couldn’t see the view from the summer house. We moved the log water features near to the fairy on the tree stump, so you can here the water splashing better now. Then in the evening we spent a very pleasant time with friends in the summer house, I tried to take a panoramic picture of us inside. The results were not good as you can see from the last photo, my friends arm has gone a funny shape and she has two heads LOL.

I have lost the label for the red and lilac flower by the water mushroom; can anyone tell me what it is called please?

We have had some unwelcome visitors to the garden this year; I had the fright of my life whilst trimming the passion flower the other day. To my surprise a large swarm of wasps came flying out at me; needless to say I screamed and ran up the garden and hid behind my OH! We informed the council and they sent out a pest controller. One of my friends works as a TA, she asked me if she could have the nest, (empty of course) to show the children at school. The nice chap that came gave me a small hornet’s nest for her, apparently the queen starts it off to the size in the photo then hatches more wasps to continue the work of building the nest.

Well that’s my news for the moment so I hope you are all well and enjoying the summer :-)

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Comments

 

Teds, your garden is just heavenly! So beautiful - what a lot of work you have done. Those foxgloves are magnificent.

How horrid about the wasps. We've got a bumblebee nest again this year in the eaves - same place as last year, which surprises me. They must be building a new one because I'm sure they don't re-use an old one.

15 Jun, 2015

 

Hi Melchisedec, lost a lot of the foxgloves to the wind last week my own fault I should stake them. I have got next years to go in which I have grown from seed. When this years have died down I will put them in, that way I know where they will pop up. I love bumblebees so I wouldn't mind them nesting in the garden I'm not scared of them, unlike the wasps frightened the life out of me lol

The garden has and is a lot of hard work and I find it hard at times with the RA but the OH helps a lot now bless him. He doesn't enjoy gardening all that much just goes to show how much he loves me.

15 Jun, 2015

 

The bumblebees are no problem at all. They leave earlier than wasps, as well. We had a wasps' nest in the roof of our little outhouse a few years ago. They didn't bother us, but I don't like them very much!

Your OH sounds a hero! You do really well also. My OH supports all my gardening efforts with praise and enthusiasm, but the garden is totally my own domain. (He does enjoy sitting in it, though) But that's fine by me. I get to do whatever I want!

15 Jun, 2015

 

Your garden is beautiful now Teds ... you have both worked so hard to create this look ... pat yourselves on the back! The plant you need ID for is Primula vialii ... so pretty.

15 Jun, 2015

 

Another gorgeous garden room! Well done! That waps nest brings back a memory for me. In our first garden, I was digging away moving something from beside a wall when I caught sight of an old carrier bag in the cotoneaster horizontalis. Except of course it wasn't an old carrier bag after all and when I went to retrieve it I found out to my cost...got the fright of my life, dropped the spade right on top of it and ran for the house! Like you, we got the council to remove it, the lady was excellent. lol...we live and learn Teds eh? Love your cows and views..quite like mine isn't it except for the climate! :))

15 Jun, 2015

 

How very useful for your friend...having a third eye..ha ha.I wouldn't have a clue how to use the panoramic feature on my camera so u did better than I would.
You've planned a beautiful garden.
Almost as clever as the wasps.....isn't it fantastic how they construct the nests?

15 Jun, 2015

 

Teds your summer house looks fabulous and the dell is just lovely. I love Foxgloves too. Lucky for me mine were ok in the high winds as they just weren't tall enough. Trouble is, it just isn't fun in the garden if wasps descend on your outside picnics etc. I agree with Snoopdog .......little buggers.

15 Jun, 2015

 

I know what that flower is but the name won't come - will come back if I remember. Wasps nests are amazing aren't they?

15 Jun, 2015

 

Simply beautiful ! And it looks a restful place to be enjoy your summer .

16 Jun, 2015

 

Thank you all for you comments, the pest controller gave us the wasps nest as well, but when we looked this morning they are full of grubs (alive) so we have decided to dispose of them. I didn't think my friend would of taken the risk of taking them into the school.

Thanks you for the ID Shirely I can now look it up :-)

16 Jun, 2015

 

I can just imagine the children's reaction if she had...UGH!

I think you made the right decision!

16 Jun, 2015

 

the nest were such an amazing construction, I didn't like having to kill the wasps, but couldn't take the risk of being stung as they were right outside my kitchen door.

16 Jun, 2015

 

Never take a risk with wasps, Teds, if they are close to the kitchen! Once August comes, and they start to run out of sugar, they begin foraging - not so good.

16 Jun, 2015

 

I have spent most of the day in the garden today as the weather was lovely. We have lots of bees on the pyracanthas buz buzzing about in that happy little way they go abut their business. I'm quite happy to walk past them my mum used to call them hummy buns. I always think of her when I see a bumble bee.

16 Jun, 2015

 

I was going to say P. Viallii , but Shirley beat me to it ! lol
Your garden is lovely and I love your summer house, but couldn't see why those pictures weren't good ! I was looking for the two heads ! lol

20 Jun, 2015

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