Garden Bloggers Foliage Day - Up close and personal

As previously discussed, it's a wonderful time of year and we are finding new treasures every day. I particularly like the mounds of fresh foliage which appear untouched by pests or faded with age or weathering.
Here are a few of the things starring in my garden. It's a rather long and picture heavy post so settle down. Oh, and I was trying a borrowed macro lens so it's mostly close ups.

Corydalis 'Berry Exciting' this has purple flowers but at the moment is a wonderful mound of yellow. 

Saxifaga stolonifera. This and the corydalis are in my shady bed. I created it last year when I realised this area was always in shade. It will be trial and error to see what survives there. 

Lambs Lugs as my Mum calls them or Stachys byzantina to everyone else. Lightly touched by raindrops but not bedraggled

yet. 

Spirea japonica. Such a good value shrub, I think, but this is the favourite time for me.

 



This is artichoke foliage. Last year it produced the most wonderful flowers

What about things to eat? 

            Curly kale.

 

 

                                                                                                                                                           And beetroot leaves. I don't think any beets will be produced, this has been in the ground all winter, but you can eat the young leaves in salad.  

These are all Crocosmia, looking very lush but definitely need thinning. I cleared up bags and bags of leaves but as you see there are still more to do.  

Here is where they go...

Here is the compost complex, now moved. The powerhouse to feed all the beautiful foliage. 
Not looking as good yet as I'd like it to. The bags on the left are leaves collected in the Autumn and there are twigs saved for staking. The leaves are not nearly rotted yet so will need to be hidden away somewhere and forgotten.

This is a pile of manure. This was left to us and is to the right of the compost. How lucky am I? I've already moved two similar piles. When it is moved I'll be able to tidy up the whole area and it won't look like pallet city but then I'll have to go looking for manure! I'm using it to feed all my new trees and hedges as well as flower and vegetable beds. We'll also add a third compost bay when we can. 

So lots of work to do here but it's all good fun. 

I'm joining in with Garden Blogger's Foliage Day hosted by Christina at myhesperidesgarden.