Community Bed 5: Mr Cod

This bed is called the Mr Cod bed as a form of shorthand because it's a small garden beside the  Mr Cod chip shop on Victoria Hill. It's also beside a dentist and opposite Longs Bar and the Victoria. There are a host of photos of the bed on the pipersarea website which show it has looked fairly bleak at times. Generally now I am very pleased with its appearance, although at times it's a struggle to keep on top of the litter which blows around when it's windy. There is an excellent bin by the seating area which often doesn't get used. I was particularly annoyed the other day when I found a Salvia 'Hot Lips' broken in half by the force of an empty bottle which had been thrown at it. I brought back the broken bits and they will make good cuttings, so all is not lost. Let's see what's looking good now:

Salvia 'Amistad' bought last year before the Bloom judging is still looking fabulous against the wall of the chip shop. I can't grow it like this at home, but this must be the perfect position for it.

Above is one of those short lived perennial stocks with white flowers and wonderful scent. I have a few seeds in the garden, must grow some more, this one will be fabulous next year.

Above a general view of a the bed, the Sage has been cut back a lot, but seems quite pleased with the chopping, there's also a Fuchsia doing really well despite the intense sun and drought conditions the bed is exposed to in the summer

Another general view above, newly planted Heucheras at the front looking good.

Above, Penstemons do really well here

and isn't the Chrysanth looking lovely? A cutting from one of mine.

The last flower is looking across the bed from near the supply box, you can see that there are lots of Euphorbias in the foreground. These have self seeded from a huge plant which died this year, but is surviving via its offspring.

We have talked with South Swindon Parish Council about how we could camouflage the 2 bins, they were purple, but are now red Biffa bins, I am hoping before next summer we can find a solution to hiding the bins in a structure of some sort because they do look out of place.

We received 2 certificates for Mr Cod!!!