Our front garden does not get the attention it perhaps should, given that it it what people see as they pass by. When we came here 24 years ago it was fairly open with one large paper birch tree at the northern edge (that tree was what attracted me to buy the house in the first place). Over the years though we have add rowan and magnolia and dogwoods with the result that what was a fairly rough lawn has got deeper and deeper in the shade with each passing season as the new trees have grown. The consequence of this being that the number of choices we have for adding attractive plants is very limited – and all the more so with our predilection for native species. Pretty much we leave it nowadays to do what it wants to do with the addition of a couple of mown paths to indicate to potentially shocked neighbours that this has not been abandoned to “weeds” but is, in fact, a carefully designed and lovingly managed glade in the forest, which it is.

In theory.

This week, the star flowers are white and blue Campanulacea or bellflowers. To be honest probably garden escapees that have liked what they find here. On the other hand, there are some 500 species in that family and they are pretty well spread around the northern hemisphere, admittedly with a greater number in the area near the Mediterranean. In this shady area we will take what arrives.

So here we are, mid June with beautiful white and blue bellflowers rising above the lengthy grasses. Enjoy.