Big expansion!

I’ve done a large planting. I ordered the plants from Naturescape, mostly plugs of plants that I’ve seen from our walks in nature. They include the native hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium) and the native golden rod (Solidago virgaurea), marsh woundwort (Stachys palustris), marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis), herb Robert (Geranium robertianum), meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria), hemp agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum), lesser pond sedge (Carex acutiformis), hard rush (Juncus inflexus), sneezewort (Achillea ptarmica), and common fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica). I then sprinkled seeds just about everywhere - campion, common poppy, and corn flower.

The hard rush has gone in the pond, along with a water mint (Mentha aquatica).

We have a newly created log garden for insects. I’m not too sure what insects will make their way to a balcony, but we’ll wait and see.

The unhappy-looking hawthorns that I ordered via Amazon are taking root. They’re part of our new hedge.

Two bedraggled hawthorn plants, with honeysuckle

I removed what turned out to be an invasive monkey flower.

Monkey flower (Genus Erythranthe) - invasive to the UK.

Overall, there’s a bit too much pot and not enough plant (!), and it still looks fairly scruffy, but hopefully next year it’ll look glorious.