Fruitful abundance on the allotment

I'm still getting to grips with my new allotment and am fast becoming an expert on bindweed. One of the best ways to find out what will and won't grow on an allotment (or garden) is to see what your neighbours are doing. Everyone I've met so far has been very helpful and been generous with their advice, courgettes and apples.

Lemon Queen

Lemon Queen Perennial Sunflower

About this time last year I bought two small pots of Lemon Queen, a perennial Sunflower chosen because it was said to be particularly attractive to bees. 

The soil was still warm so, I planted them in the back of the garden straight away. 

Then came one of the coldest winter in decades. When the snow melted this was what was left...

New green roof pages

We now have two fairly lengthy pages of information on green roofs:

The best bar in Town

Sunflowers are sometimes seen to be a bit naff. But, it is always hard to look at one and not smile. Big, bold and loved by bees - all gardeners should find a place for them in their gardens.

At the RHS Hampton Court flower show this year, there was a large field of sunflowers as part of an exhibition on growing food. It attracted a lot of bees and a large number of people all taking photos (us included).