This year I decided to try a wild flower patch having seen some great use of wild flowers on roundabouts, at shows and now of course at the Olympic stadium. There are parts of the garden which are not just wild but completely out of control and so began the backbreaking task of clearing thistles, brambles and perennial weeds. To make it easy I opted for mat impregnated with wild flower seeds. To be honest I wasn't expecting much as it was flimsy and of course the dreadful summer.

Surprise surprise, at the results just beautiful. And standing along side you can see the all sorts of insects and pollinators drawn to it like a magnet.   So often ideas in magazines and telly are just that; ideas which are hard to make work in average gardens. This worked really well,   it was as easy to do and the result is lovely.

                                                          Gardeners  are all ways thinking of next year and so the plan for next year is that along side the untamed part of the garden to lift turf to create a border strip and seed into. This time using seed because its a bigger area and just too expensive to cover with a prepared mat and also because this area is wetter and it will need to buy seed which will thrive on the conditions.

The turf can be stacked turfside to turfside to break down into good growing soil,

I am thinking next years potatoes.....on which subject I have just planted some potatoes in a tub to grow for Christmas.

Again, seduced by adverts and gardening programs, all suggesting to plant now for new potatoes at Christmas. To do this you need to be able to protect from frost and I intend to bring them in later in year to the greenhouse.

Will they be any good? More on that in December.