are more usual for April not May. However, it does make everything grow pretty fast. Keeping on top of the slug population by doing a morning and evening slug patrol has helped enormously, especially with the problem of the huge, so called Spanish slugs. They did get my Primula vialii so I have covered what is left of the plants with a 1/2 plastic bottle as a cloche so we shall see if they can still come through. The Aquilegias are fab at the moment, flowering away, but some of them keeled over in the ninja showers. I found bright orange aphids on the Mahonia out in the front garden, so hubby gave it a prune and that got rid of some of them. Aphids are everywhere just now and most of the time I jet them off with a water hose, or squish them as I check the plants (if I can reach them). The cactus in the conservatory have nice magenta flowers out now. I love the mahogany of the sempervivum , also in the conservatory. There are a few nice plant combinations that I have quickly taken a few snaps of (bit windy out there). Some I like for the flower colours together, and others have the same colours but different foliage forms. I have taken a few snaps of the raised bed from different angles as it is a kind of triangular shape. The Erica tree heath is covered in flowers, but just now it is a strange shape due to the pruning it had last year, so this year I won’t prune the spent flower heads off at all so that all of the branches will flower next year.
![flowers, plants,](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qvGHC8B-Hh8/XOfDMXnj1lI/AAAAAAAAGfQ/8v56KMCS3wMhQTAVOYBZDcug0QBAEXXigCEwYBhgL/s400/aquilegia%2BSelectionSml.png) |
Selection of Aquilegias |
![wildlife,](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hw2LCR6Q06g/XOfJvxFTnkI/AAAAAAAAGfY/JPEvysBQn1o-tUPxYggK-uNhNzC7m2PgwCLcBGAs/s400/aphidsOnMahoniaSml.jpg) |
Orange aphids on Mahonia leaf |
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![plants, flowers,](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GmDbTVWx93U/XOfKIkAWomI/AAAAAAAAGfg/XqVcdmyypC8mcFQ8EE4N-A87HLTri0P0QCLcBGAs/s400/phloxAndChivesSml.jpg) |
Phlox and chives |
![plants, flowers,](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D0gvZGWdLz4/XOfKTu-l7SI/AAAAAAAAGfk/Vu-uXtguhAAMz3aJ3_gg4psvgdyU8oRvACLcBGAs/s400/erigeronAndPeonySml.jpg) |
Erigeron (and peony in background) |
![plants, flowers,](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gS_UdimHq8M/XOfKeTYxRPI/AAAAAAAAGfs/lLMseZIpUmgZTw2zDD4qFfDRdj_lNHBAgCLcBGAs/s400/cactusSml.jpg) |
Cactus in flower |
![plants,](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OtkGHsHM6os/XOfKpZp9v5I/AAAAAAAAGf0/-pDsYw93LxIRId-IXGTo50Zg-P5VeZbLQCLcBGAs/s400/sempervivumSml.jpg) |
Sempervivum Reginald Malby |
![plants, flowers, raised bed,](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BI7tEWt3eBs/XOfK8WlQ1qI/AAAAAAAAGgA/mn2aPZUfxvUFzb4qH0XVh-6-4QQUdk_4ACLcBGAs/s400/raisedbedMay2019ASml.jpg) |
Raised bed end on |
![plants, flowers, raised bed,](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YgFuLRu1mEM/XOfLGBuANTI/AAAAAAAAGgE/sKZXYdMo6TkA2s4VlCHvjYtHGYtR5mINgCLcBGAs/s400/raisedbedMay2019BSml.jpg) |
Raised bed curved side |
![plants, flowers, raised bed,](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BsnzPEW0yDU/XOfLNAbg0CI/AAAAAAAAGgI/23JRjL6HF10XOF4AtIvxyFaTGWPE7oiiwCLcBGAs/s400/raisedbedMay2019CSml.jpg) |
Raised bed back end on |
![flowers, plants,](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KqpZuSaFbwU/XOfLXS4ybeI/AAAAAAAAGgQ/7kPAcZhLgTQgKLbviSYFKTUtzctfQxRxgCLcBGAs/s400/aquilegiaAndPrimroseSml.jpg) |
white Aquilegia and Primula snowflake |
![plants, flowers, stumpery,](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k1yLPLe36w0/XOfLnrUvRAI/AAAAAAAAGgc/nOU3yDaPN4Ueu5cFUgLKjoiOO1o15TcMQCLcBGAs/s400/stuperyMay2019ASml.jpg) |
Stumpery (part of) |
![plants, flowers, stumpery,](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3-0PqE5KuW8/XOfLxxXKyNI/AAAAAAAAGgg/KHOIBt_jMzEsMFf4diAvhVSR-oNy3RSFwCLcBGAs/s400/honestyAndBrunneraSml.jpg) |
Stumpery (part of) |
![plants, flowers,](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MD1OolOEi_o/XOfL5R7LtJI/AAAAAAAAGgo/m4tLphc4DSo2tBn-61yjhgG14yErEp9YQCLcBGAs/s400/veronicaAndTierellaSml.jpg) |
Veronica and Tierella |
![plants, ferns,](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wXSvm5ruHOs/XOfMID541CI/AAAAAAAAGgw/tjqCiKqYMAQjqIc87mklE0BNI6mtiWxywCLcBGAs/s400/osmRegPurpSml.jpg) |
Osmunda regalis purpurascens |
![plants,](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ybycpu0wwUY/XOfMVWOQGSI/AAAAAAAAGg4/MF1Kz_aEH2co634mrr3Kj6tDCsNK1GjNACLcBGAs/s400/rodgersiaSml.jpg) |
Rodgesrsia leaf |
![plants, flowers,](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KnXb4aMQg8o/XOfMfKNgq4I/AAAAAAAAGhA/eNnvfDZgatY89YnV_p9eIXYSWvHIBEphgCLcBGAs/s400/rodgersiaAndFernSml.jpg) |
Rodgersia, fern and Polygonatom |
![plants, flowers,](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5rgn5X08wUw/XOfNFph9tUI/AAAAAAAAGhg/FvST_qwhteweMtGErswzFyNLBWJguYTVgCLcBGAs/s400/hebeAndHeucheraSml.jpg) |
Hebe and Heuchera |
![plants, flowers,](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5slNDzsV7QM/XOfM1ijICRI/AAAAAAAAGhQ/QAeJZDXRGp8d4xxUBgfhUAVI5__co3tPwCLcBGAs/s400/ericaTreeHeathMay2019Sml.jpg) |
Erica tree heath (part of) |