19/05/2026
Last year I bought a multipack of foxgloves. I think it was six plants in total. Nothing big, quite small really, but already in their second year meaning they would flower.
I planted them carefully in the front border. Neat. Intentional. A bit symmetrical if I’m honest. Three on each side of a hydrangea, leaving space for everything else I’d tucked in around them. Daisies, saxifrage, lilies, dianthus, snapdragons.. a mix of structure and softness, all tucked in their place. It looked quite controlled at the time. Balanced, like I had a plan.
Fast forward to 2026. The border got a bit untidy. It looked a bit meh. So I did a teeny tiny bit of weeding, honestly no more than five minutes. I have then added some fresh compost, and went on my way.
The pictures you’re seeing? Taken one month apart. Before the weeding in April, and today. The foxgloves absolutely burst into life.
They have taken over the border in the most beautiful way. Tall, dramatic spikes everywhere full of flower buds, full of life, and completely unapologetic about it. The symmetry is long gone, but somehow it feels better than what I originally planned.
And the bees absolutely love them. Constant movement. Like the whole border is alive in a way I didn’t quite expect when I tucked those little plants into the soil last year 🐝
I can’t get over how well they’re doing. Or how much they’ve changed the space. It’s funny how something so small and “neatly placed” can decide to become something completely different when you give it time and a little care.
And the best bit? I think I like it more this way 🙈
