The Gardener's Rest

Bring on the Summer

It's official. Spring 2011 was the driest for 100 years. Crops are failing, and there's talk of hosepipe bans. As summer gets into it's swing, we're currently having a mini heatwave.

This was the temperature on the patio at 4 pm 3 June 2011:

The temperature inside the greenhouse was well over 100F. There's not an awful lot in the greenhouse this year, but what is there still needs protection. Whether that means adding shading in the form of a shading paint, or netting is personal choice. I tend to opt for netting as it can easily be removed on overcast days.

Whatever you chose, it is important to keep the humidity up by damping down the greenhouse floor with cool water a few times each day. This helps to keep spidermites at bay.

As I prefer natural gadrening, this seems the ideal time to reveal the 'Poached Egg Plant', Limnanthes Douglasii. I've allowed this to self seed in the bed alongside the patio. It's excellent for attracting hoverflies, which eat greenfly, and looks good in the process!

June is the month for the bedding plants. They've filled out nicely now and their fat buds are opening to reveal their jewels for this season.

Other than the colourful baskets, most of the action is taking place in the front garden. The first flush of hardy geraniums are taking centre stage, but here and there are pockets of other flowers peeping through the green awaiting their moment to take the limelight.

A couple of tender moments with the Toad and the Bumblebee.

This picture of creeping phlox spilling out of a planter doesn't do the plant any justice. The flowers are a vivid cerise colour. They thrive on neglect too, so perfect for that dry sunny spot. I shall lift it this year and divide it, planting sections in different areas of the garden to see where else it will tolerate.

Astrantia Major 'Ruby Wedding'. Another hebaceous perennial. Another that will happliy self seed, preferring full sun, although this particular plant only gets the sun in the afternoons.

Ignoring the leaf, this is actually another hardy geranium, Ann Folkard, I believe. It's just a small plant this year as I planted it as a division last autumn.

Just one last glimspe of this year's spectacular display of Clematis 'Rhapsody' as the flowers fade for another year.

The first of the lilies to flower is the deep red. It glows in any light, and is just so tactile.

Before I finish, a quick glance at a couple of the ladies, first is a close up of Fawkes' gorgeous plumage...

...and the ever curious Lola.

"Spring being a tough act to follow,

God created June."

- Al Bernstein

May Update

So much happens in May that it's sometimes difficult to keep up. You can almost hear the plants growing!

Aquilegia

Peony

Azaelea

Sunflower seedlings hardening off. It's still a little chilly to plant these out.

Bumblebee's tub brimming with promises. It's really thickened out now. The Bizzies are beginning to flower, but the lobelia are still finding their place.

WOW! Clematis Rhapsody in full fettle again this year.

Bliss.

Rough Winds Do Shake The Darling Buds Of May

April 2011. Another one for the record books - the hottest April since records began!

So far May promises to provide some much needed rain showers, perforated with warm sunshine. Perfect conditions for the garden.

Another keen gardener in bud? Bumblebee shows The Man That Can just how it's done.

And the fruits of his labour...

Not content with just one container, he moved onto the flowerbed created especially for both Bumblebee and The Toad. This has not only been planted up with the left over bedding plants and a couple of tiny shrubs, but the complete contents of each of the seed packets that had been waiting impatiently for just such an occasion. It will be a surprise mix, to be sure.

Talking of surprises, the clematis Montana has more than double the amount of blooms we had been expecting!

I cannot let the month go by without showing off the new growth on the tree. Luckily we have had just the right clear blue skies to show it off to its best advantage. Interestingly, this new growth has appeared almost 3 weeks earlier than last year.

Self sown aqueligia beside the greenhouse. I do rather like these, regardless of where they pop up.

Busy Lizzie. What more can I say?

Choisya. Mexican Orange Blossom. These are the very first blooms on this young shrub. The leaves are being nibbled though. I've checked around the plants in the vicinity, and cannot find any of the usual suspects. A little research is in order I think, and a night-time prowl.

Whatever the culprit, this purple-leaved sedum is also being attacked. They share the bed, which I had hoped would be safe from marauding molluscs. I've tried using some organic pellets, but these haven't even thrown up the usual slimy trails.

A wee gift from a good friend. I haven't had much joy with Lily of the Valley in previous years due to the slugs. Maybe a more established specimen will fare better.

Did you know that Kate Middleton had Lily of the Valley in her wedding bouquet? In the language of flowers, it symbolises a return to happiness. The bouquet also contained myrtle, an emblem of marriage and love; sweet williams to signify gallantry, hyacinth is for consistancy of love and ivy for marriage, friendship, fidelity, wedded love and affection.

The fruit garden is beginning to take shape. From blackcurrants to strawberries and raspberries. All are coming into flower ready for the visiting pollinators. I had planned on planting all the fruits out into the garden this year, but as usual time ran away with me. They don't seem to mind staying one more year in their containers.

Azalea still going strong in such a vibrant shade of pink.

I think I've bought the wrong variety of ceanothus. It's not nearly as strong a blue as the previous shrub that we lost a couple of years ago, and it seems to prefer to sprawl along the ground rather than create a nice blue ball.

Some of the trees are being replaced in our street, and the lovely tree surgeons allowed us to nab some of the chipped wood for our garden. I'll let it sit for a few months before I use it though.

You can't have May without hardy geraniums. This particular clump needs to be divided. The centre of the crown looks like something has been lying in it. In the autumn I'll dig it up, cut it into sections and replant the healthiest pieces.