However it's a bit soggier than last year! The waterbutts have been fully replenished and the gardens are well watered.
The irises beside the pond are forming flower spikes.
Bumblebees happily foraging between showers.
A couple of astrantia clumps.
The alliums seem to have been short lived this year.
However so far, hydrangea Blueberry Cheesecake is faring better in temperatures closer to the average British June.
Above r. Gertrude Jeykll in full swing and below r. Mum in a Million is just beginning.
The fancy aquilegia with upturned bells.
Above a sugar-pink hardy geranium and below another astrantia, paler pink this time...
...join a white lamprocapnos spectabilis in Mugwort's Retreat.
In the Yen the red grass contrasts well against the fern.
The Hakonechloa macra is just settling in at the back, while the heuchera lime marmalade has really found its spot beneath rhododendron Christmas Cheer. The bees love it's tiny flowers.
These little grassy forms belong to dierama. I purchased two pots at a plant sale at the Botanical Gardens a couple of years ago but they've been reluctant to send out their fishing rod blooms. I suspect they were overwhelmed to be honest by the huge peonies below so I've dug them up and popped them in this lead-look trough edging the Yen. I'm not convinced this will be their forever home, but since removing the azaleas in the spring, The trough has been bereft of plants.
Clematis Armandii apple blossom in the Terrace Border above has had a prune as it wasn't covering the trellis correctly and the new growth was reaching into the neighbour's acers.
Another clematis, this time Montana Rubens, has received similar treatment now it's finished flowering. It's not called "mile-a-minute" for nowt! We can now clean up the fence and attach new wires. This clematis will cover the fence again in no time.
The other clematis in the Long Border are growing at great pace now. They are pruned each March as they flower late.
By June frosts are not unheard of but by and large are rare. It's therefore safe to plant out bedding plants.
In the hanging baskets and containers, we've gone for varying shades of purple with petunias, nemesia and lobelia, with white pelargoniums.
Gloriously scented dianthus, creeping phlox and some pretty pink daisies which I think might be marguerites have been planted in the terrace seat along with some petunias. There are a number of low growing perennials in the garden that I can split and add to the display to fill the gaps.
It shouldn't take long for these to fill out and bring joy to both us and the pollinators.
