Blooming Britain in Bloom

We have had quite a few days of rain and the temperature has dropped and the nights are starting to draw in.
There are still flowers in the garden coming into bloom for the first time. I have planted a variety of sunflowers and this burnt orange sunflower is the first variety to bloom.

Burnished red

The wild flowers in the orchard are looking very bonny. The colours of wild flowers always blend well together.

Lovely shades of pinks and purples

Stunning cornflowers and calendula

The hollyhocks have suffered from rust on their leaves but I was pleased to see that I have some lovely pink pompom blossoms.

Strawberry pink

Monkshood is poisonous but is a pretty flower.

Blue and white pods

I am harvesting, peas, broad beans, runner beans and courgettes. The bright yellow flowers of the courgette are very attractive and are edible.

Sunshine yellow

Kirkoswald, the village where the Artful Garden is based this year got through to the Britain in Bloom national final. On Thursday it was judging day. It is 60 year of Britain in Bloom so I had a gold theme. Several of the scarecrows wore gold crowns and there was a lot of golden bunting.

Booby Barley looks very regal

I made a variety of colourful daisies.

Flowers and windmills

Also some giant sunflowers.

Where is the sunshine?

Golden windmills were spread around the garden.

Golden mirror windmills

A new  exotica bird has landed in the garden. 

A rainbow dipper

The judges took a lot of photos and were very impressed. It was a shame that it was a grey day but they left the garden smiling.