By the beginning of June the garden is looking good. All the herbaceous perennials have increased in size and the shrubs and trees are in full leaf.
We've had a number of set-backs as summer has arrived. A couple of containers on the terrace had vine weevils, greenfly has been enormously prevalent and the dark leaved acer Crimson King has had a small infestation of scale insect. I have given nature a bit of a hand by removing what I can see and hopefully the natural predators will now take over.
The heucheras on the terrace were removed from their containers and the soil washed off the roots to remove the tiny vine weevil grubs. The growing medium has been bagged up and put in the dustbin. The best of the new growth has been potted up in the hope I can save them as I particularly like this colour. Since I don't have a greenhouse, they'll stay in the sunroom until they've taken root.
The larger spider plant inside has been split and repotted in fresh compost. The young spiderlings from last year's batch were potted on. The prayer plant had naturally split in its pot over the last few years and had completely become pot-bound. I took a bread knife to the roots to ensure each plantlet had a good portion to get it going and potted them all up.
These will also stay in the sunroom until they've settled in and started producing new shoots.
In the garden, the Chelsea Chop has taken place, cutting all the hardy geraniums back to create a thicker, stronger plant that although will flower about 4 weeks later, will have many more blooms.
Apparently it works with sedums too, so armed with my trusty secateurs, I snipped one of the varieties (Hylotelephium Autumn Joy) by around a third. If it's successful, I'll Chelsea Chop the others next year.
Mugwort's Retreat is filling out. The blackbirds have been messing about in the soil looking for worms and bugs, tossing compost out of the Skimmia pot in the process.
I don't recall planting this particular aquilegia but it's so pretty it can stay! I have a feeling I may have been given the seeds by our friends in the Midlands as she adores "granny's bonnets".
In the Yen Garden, something is stirring.
We tucked this pot into a sheltered position to see if the cannas would survive winter, and as a trial see if they perform as well. The first shoots emerged in May and this week we moved the pot into a sunny position, fed them and increased the watering. Now we wait.
"A rose without scent is like a kiss without a squeeze". I've no doubt used this quote by Alan Titchmarsh before, but it pretty much sums up roses for me. Every rose in my garden has a good scent. For me scent is linked with mood. If I'm feeling down or upset, scent will release an endorphin that immediately lifts my spirit. If a rose fails to make me smile when giving it a good sniff, then it doesn't make it in my garden.
r. Shropshire Lad on the left of the patio arch.
r. Gertrude Jeykll on the right of the patio arch.
"Colly-rose" Long Border.
r. Special Daughter in the Terrace Border.
r. Special Anniversary in the terrace seat.
Having spent winter in our unheated porch, agapanthus Twister has thrown up flower spikes earlier this year. It stayed evergreen and was much happier for it.
Eryngium seedlings have appeared this year in the Terrace Border, the main plant here is already showing its flowers. In a few weeks these will turn metallic blue.
Another plant to self seed with total abandon is the foxglove and bumblebees adore them!
A little attention has been given to the pond over the last couple of weeks.
One of the bergenias was split and replanted, a purple leaved fern was lifted and replanted at the rear of the waterfall along with the other sections of the bergenia.
The pond was given a water change and a good clean, removing pond weed and much of the silt that had accumulated at the bottom.
The water was recycled.
This Peony had been in the Terrace Border for the last couple of years, having been given to us by our friends in the Midlands but it wasn't at all happy. I think it prefers its new home in the Long Border!
Finally we have flowers on the irises from TMTC's cousin a few years ago. All the ones that flowered are purple. Now we know what colour the blooms are, we can think about a proper plan for them.
Good stalwarts of our garden are the astrantias. We have clumps around the garden in pink and white.
I like dark leaved plants as they provide excellent colour among all the green in a garden. This is sambuccus nigra. The almost black filigree foliage is a perfect foil for the pink flowers.
Pittosporum tenufolium Tom Thumb is a stunning very dark purple-black foliage shrub. The new leaves emerge green and over the summer blotches of purple increase in size until they join together and the tiny leaves take on a shine that makes this a must-have plant for year round interest.
Heucheras come in a plethora of colours from the most vivid lime green through oranges and reds to chocolate and near-black. Tall spindly stems sport airy flowers in summer but the star of the show is definitely the foliage.
This dark ball of glamour is a hebe. Again, the new leaves emerge green but soon turn deep purple and the flowers are a real bee magnet. Once the flowers are spent, this hebe can be trimmed to keep its size in check.
And so to the front garden with so much crammed in to delight the senses.
r. Margaret Merrill almost glows at twilight. The blooms are at the perfect nose height when one stands at the base of the wall that creates this terraced garden.
Golden yellow r. Maigold and purple clematis Warsaw Nike clothe the fence.
r. Tall Story has just begun to flower. These provide such an amazing scent beside the steps that I simply cannot pass it without pausing for a moment to drink in the fabulousness of it all!
Now all the bright red leaves have turned green, the Photinia red robin has had a trim, removing all the newest growth. The fresh red foliage will emerge in no time.
Hidden beneath the Photinia is a spikey berberis. This is purely a plant for the birds. We have an issue with the neighbourhood's cats that choose this spot to lay in wait for birds visiting the birdbath. We tried lots of different plants here but the cats would squash them or there wasn't enough light due to the overhanging tree from next door and they would die. It has survived so far and although our garden is perfectly accessible to the cats, there seems to have been less feline visitors which means the birds are happy to feed and drink and bathe in our front garden.
And finally....the Ceanothus Italian Skies is performing beautifully. Its bright blue flowers are loved by the bees.
Ah June...full of colour and scent.
No comments:
Post a Comment