When we moved here nearly six years ago, there was a mass of green hedging outside the kitchen window that blocked the view of the pool. Probably when they planned and planted it years ago, the view was fine for a while. One day last year, I decided we should pull out the hedging and put in a herb garden that would be handy to the kitchen, we could see from the kitchen window, and would open up the view to the pool.
Pete obliged and built a beautiful raised garden that I filled with a variety of herbs. It’s great to have a wonderful choice of tasty herbs to add to meals, but there was a distinct lack of colour apart from the occasional purple or red of a flowering herb. I put in a yellow rose and some orange Calendula behind it and that was good, but no pizazz!
Months passed until I had a eureka moment! Portulaca might like it in the well-drained sunny spot of the herb garden, and Kings had some in stock. Those portulaca come in some beautiful colours and as soon as the sun is out, they are showing off a rainbow of colour.
In summer, I wanted a sheltered spot for growing Sunflowers that I could see from the house. I germinated some seeds and popped them into pots beside the herb garden, and now we have a riot of colour that greets us every morning and blazes during a sunny afternoon! Sunflowers make me happy. They feed the soul! And strong colours are a precious gifts of nature! Reds, pinks, purples and yellows – they’ve transformed our outlook! And the bumble bees and honey bees approve! Next I’m planning to add some Sweet Pea colours.
