It is another gorgeous, sunny day, with bright blue skies and just enough breeze so that it is quite pleasant, if still very warm. Seeing the sunshine always lifts the spirits, something I think we all need just now. We have had a little much needed rain this week as you can see if you look at the featured image of one of the dahlias, with little raindrops nestled in the petals. Anyway, thanks to The Propagator who encourages us to share what is going on in our gardens in all parts of the world. Check out the participant guide if you want to join in.
Let’s start this week with one of the sunflowers. I just love the shapes and patterns of the flowers forming. Hopefully, I’ll be able to show off bright yellow blooms soon.
Sticking with flowers, over to the nasturtiums. The seeds from the ‘mixed’ packet are coming up well, but the black velvet are not doing so well. This is the second packet of these seeds I have had and the second time I don’t seem to be having any success. I have no idea why, unless these need to be treated differently?
Over to herb corner, and this week I’m showing off the chocolate mint (maybe add some to roast peaches?), lemon verbena and this little sprig of rosemary which I cut off the big plant and stuck in a pot and which is growing well so far. Borage is such a pretty plant, with all those blue flowers, and the bees like it too.
The back of the house is pretty much just bush, and on a hot day with the cicadas singing loudly, it feels like you are far away from the city. There are quite a few fern plants around the back – here are two of them.
This week I managed to pick quite a few wild strawberries, this one in particular was sweet and so full of flavour, despite being so tiny. Lovely.
Finally, should I get a wētā motel? If I did and managed to get some to stay, would you want to see them or not? 🙂 There are over 70 species of wētā, who have been around since the time of the dinosaurs and only exist in New Zealand. A wētā motel helps protect them from being eaten by introduced predators like rats, hedgehogs and stoats, so I would be doing good. What do you think?
That is my six this week, and as usual, I am looking forward to seeing everyone’s beautiful gardens in other parts of the world. Hope you are all well and enjoying your gardens in whatever the season is with you.
You can find Thistles and Kiwis on Facebook, and also on Instagram @thistlesandkiwis. As for Twitter….am totally inactive these days. If you want to get in touch, email me on thistlesandkiwis@gmail.com
Thistles and Kiwis 
Ooh, I vote that you get a wētā motel, I’m building a bee wall to help the wildlife in my garden, so this gets a thumbs up from me. I also want to introduce Borage to my garden this year and have some seeds that I am itching to sow.
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Borage is quite lovely. Maybe I should get the motel!
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To warn you, once you sow borage you’ll never be without it, it self seeds everywhere!
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Mine is in a pot at least!
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But you might find seedlings appear anywhere! I find them in pots, cracks in the paving, gravel. Not quite as bad as the forget me nots 😊
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Yes to the weta motel! I would love to see them. The sunflower bud is gorgeous – just as lovely in its own way as the fully opened flower. I admire your healthy ferns; I think all the ferns I planted last winter perished in the drought.
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The ferns just grow wild here. I agree with you about the sunflower bud – almost as attractive as the flower.
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ok for a wētā motel! and post a great photo of a big bug on your hand! 😂 – beautiful nasturtiums and borage flowers that I also saw on Insta
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🙂
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Can’t say I am a fan of the weta bugs myself, they remind me too much of the Parktown Prawns (giant crickets in Johannesburg) which scared me to death!
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My husband is like you… 🙂
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😊
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I’m a thumbs up for the hotel too! Beautiful dahlia and I love borage blue. I’ve struggled with named nasturtiums in the past, perhaps they are just not as rampant as the mixed or bog standard. Enjoy the sun. 🙂
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I think you are right re the nasturtiums. I’ll give them another go though!
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My bog standard orange ones come back each year, but the lovely dark red ones didn’t, just the odd one or two.
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Yes to the hotel but maybe a warning for those of a nervous disposition just before the photo so they can brace themselves! Love the close up of the sunflower bud.
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Yes – there would definitely need to be a warning of any pictures!
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The wetas need help, so a motel would be good to see. I do not mind seeing them.
I have had trouble germinating nasturtiums from time to time and not sure why that is. I am going to try some different seed starting mix this year.
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I think I might try a different spot as well with these more fancy nasturtiums and see if that works.
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I am so glad you chose to photograph the green sunflower. I’ve never noticed them in that stage, and they’re quite lovely, as you point out, with their textures and possibilities. Thank you for opening my eyes to the beauty of “before.”
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I agree – they are so wonderful at this stage.
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Wonderful photos of the garden.
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Thanks!
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Love the borage..here the rabbits love it too much and I can’t keep it. Sunflowers are almost architectural when budding. Wonderful image..
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Yes – the sunflowers are like sculptures when budding.
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I had not heard of weta before, so read the link you provided with interest. They remind me very much of the Parktown Prawns we used to see as kids. Yes, you definitely need a weta hotel! Your chocolate mint looks very appealing!
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Black velvet nasturtiums sound wonderful! Will they grow? I hope so. Meanwhile, we had a self seeded wild strawberry at our previous house and it was delicious too.
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I think I will try planting more to see if they come up and carefully label them this time. Wild strawberries are lovely, aren’t they.
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Wow! Thank you for introducing me to wētā and its motels. 😮 They are HUGE.
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We once had a weta in the house not long after we moved here….it somehow got into the washing machine, and when I opened the door, there it was….yes I did scream!
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