End of Month View – June 2017

These photos were taken on Monday, after the frantic activity of the previous day’s ‘Secret Gardens of St Helens’ event (organised by yours truly) where 12 village gardens opened in aid of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance.  Whilst I can already point to areas where my organisation could be improved upon, I’m delighted to report that we had over 300 visitors and took over £3,000.  And, on a tastier note, someone said my Victoria Sandwich was the best on the Isle of Wight!

The garden was really looking spick and span thanks in a very large part to my lovely helpers – the OH, both my children, and neighbours M and J – who all pulled out the stops on Saturday and Sunday morning to rescue various areas of the garden from general chaos (so that’s what the greenhouse floor looks like!) as well as (M) potting up bits of random vegetation to sell.

So here’s the tour:

Entry via the steps and past the old copper pot, admiring the (ahem accidental) matching of the Callistemon and the container planting,

and on past the Flower Carpet roses (which generated plenty of enthusiastic comments).

Past the greenhouse pots and into the greenhouse,

on past the barrow

to the decking. admiring the pelagoniums

and dahlias.

On to the the veg patch

and then round to the Swing Beds.

A quick pause at the Grass Beds to admire the view

and another pot

and then a pause at the steps to look over to the office (nice bunting!)

and then up to the greenhouse.

Up the lavender steps and across to the other end of the garden

and finally, a seat at the table, and a cup of tea.

With thanks to all my helpers and cake donators as well as all the other garden openers, their helpers, the ticket sellers and poster putter uppers.

Yes I’m still feeling a little kn*ckered, but would I do it again – of course!

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – June 2017

Whilst many of my roses are already coming to an end, I’m delighted that the Rose ‘Flower Carpet’ are just bursting into bloom.

Other roses include R. Jacques Cartier, here with Diascia personata

R. St Swithun

and R. Pat Austin, here with Achillea Terracotta, as in Monday’s vase.

A few peonies are hanging on

and a similarly flowered poppy has arrived of her own volition.

A plant I’ve rarely featured is this Phlomis italica – a lovely soft pink in the Swing Beds.

Talking of pink, plenty of Pinks in the Lavender bed, with Erysimum ‘Red Jep’ in the bacjground. I’m excited that four cuttings I took of this Erysimum earlier in the year have now taken, but I think I should take a few more – I love it!

In pots the Clematis ‘Princess Di’ is now flowering together with the Perlargonium ‘Surcouf’.  the Princess looks happier than she’s ever been, I’m not sure whether that’s because I’ve been more assiduous with the watering, or whether the Pelargonium is so large it’s now shading the princess’ roots.

This is a rather loud combo by the steps up to the house – a Diascia, Heuchera and Calibrachoa.

The Gazanias in the old bath are such good doers – and are far more forgiving about forgotten watering than many other inhabitants!

Also in pots, would you believe four different dahlias blooming in June!

I haven’t quite worked out which is which as they’ve taken me by surprise, but assuming they’ll still be featuring next month, I should have worked it out by then….

Annuals are starting to get going, like Cosmos Psyche White,

Malope

and C. Antiquity.

Three lots of blue spires, the sister’s Penstemon (grown from a cutting, discussed here), Lavender, edging the steps and (I think) Veronicastrum

And to finish a couple of plants not yet blooming, but fingers crossed they will be by next weekend’s opening – Allium sphaerocephalon

and Agapanthus.  Wish me luck!

With thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens who hosts everyone’s GBBD.

In a vase on Monday – Peachy pair

Today I thought I’d deviate from the recent pinks and blues and go peachy.

The rose is Rosa Pat Austin, named by David Austin for his wife.  She’s looking fabulous at the moment with numerous big, blousy blooms warming up the Bronze Bed.

Conversely there was only one bloom of Achillea ‘Terracotta’ which had coloured up (the umbels start green and then colour with age) but as it had flopped over I thought I’d sacrifice it for the vase.

Whether the Achillea will colour up in situ in time to join the roses before they start to fade only time will tell, but I thought I’d capture the moment in miniature today.

Thanks to Cathy who hosts In a Vase on Monday.

And thanks to my lovely sister too, who not only bought this vase as a previous gift, but also for sending me a parcel to open on Sunday, my birthday, with further well chosen pressies, together with the promise of a sisterly night out too.  Thanks for making such a fuss of me sis, no-one else did!

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – May 2017

I’ve just looked back at my GBBD post from a year ago and it’s all tulips with a few Narcissi – today’s is roses, poppies and pelargoniums.  What a mad spring!

The rose above is ‘Pat Austin’, the one below a bit of a family joke as I’m not a fan of red and so, when a builder chopped it back to ground level a few years ago I didn’t mourn.  However, since then it’s come back bigger and stronger, so I’ve given it a grudging acceptance.

And here’s ‘St Swithun,’ finally looking well established on the pergola. 

There are a few more roses already in bud  so I’m starting to fret they’ll all be long gone by the garden opening at the end of June!

This little Cistus is also looking more summery than the calendar – but then so was today’s sunshine.

Having rested for only a couple of months the Leptospermum is back again.

By the front steps I’ve popped some bought Osteospermums into the big bath.  I like how the centres pick up the colour of the Pelagoniums behind.

Another daisy flower is the Erigeron karvinskianus growing in the crack at the bottom of the steps.  

Also near the steps is a lovely inherited Genista.

The first year we were here it flowered at the same time as the Callistemon, it’s planted next to and together they were quite a sight, but again this year it’s not to be.

Two Alliums flowering now.  The one on the left is called ‘Violet Beauty’ and was planted in the Drive Bed to flower with a similarly coloured tulip.  Not only did they not flower together last year, but this year only about three of the tulips returned, and not many more of the Alliums.

The one on the right is good old ‘Purple Sensation’ (being apparently strangled by the foliage of Allium Sphaerocephalon)

I bought a new Geum recently, ‘Prinses Juliana’ (the one on the right), to go in the Bronze Bed with ‘Pat’ (the rose).  I was perfectly happy with it until I read Sarah Raven talking about G. Totally Tangerine (the one on the left, which I had already in a pot on the barrow).  From these photos they don’t look that different, but she’s right, Totally Tangerine is a softer more subtle colour, and definitely a better match for Pat.  Darn!

More orange from this lovely little plant we brought back from Madeira just a week or so before I started this blog.  It hasn’t flowered for years but I’m delighted to see it blooming again.  I did find the name at one stage but have now lost it again.  Any clues?

Looking across the Lavender Bed to the Mid Century bed beyond I like how the Gladioli spires are repeated by the Foxgloves.

 

I love this little poppy.  I’ve gone a bit mad for them and have planted plenty, some grown from seed (including this one) and some bought as plugs.  Let’s hope it works!

At the back of the Swing Beds these Nicotiana mutablis are now over a metre tall.  I’m still a bit confused as to whether they self seeded, as they seemed to get going so early, it’s more like they overwintered,  There a definitely a few kicking about in seed trays that seem to have survived, so I’m thinking I should plant them out too.

There are a few Pelargoniums blooming now, including this one bought at our local Boot Fair and hence nameless.  It’s one of my favourites and I’m forever taking cuttings to increase my stock.

And this is another favourite – Surcouf, in the twin pots on the decking.  They’ve gone mad this year!

In the greenhouse the Sweet Peas are also going bonkers and I’ve picked a proper big bunch this weekend.

To finish I think my favourite bloom today.  This is Erysimum ‘Red Jep’ which I fell in love with when I saw it at Hyde Hall.  I found just one supplier and bought them online last year, but I note this year Sarah Raven has them too!  I’ve taken a few cuttings but I really must take more as already they’re looking a little woody at the base so I’m not sure how long they’ll continue to look so good.

With thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens who hosts everyone’s GBBD.

 

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – August 2016

Finally, a showing from some of this year’s annuals – the one above, Zinnia elegans ‘Luminosa.’

I purchased a number of seeds back in October thinking I would repeat the last two years’ practice of using a corner of a neighbouring walled garden as a cutting garden, but I’ve been just too busy to and so have tried to squeeze everything in here.  And whilst it hasn’t been entirely successful, the annuals are starting to fill out in their various (not always ideal) spots.

In the Grass Bed I have Ammi visnaga ‘Green Mist’, Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Fizzy White’, Calendula officinalis ‘Touch of Red Buff’ and some self seeded nasturtiums from last year.

In the troughs I have the shorter Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Sonata White’ and the Salvia that was so successful in the cutting garden last year, Salvia horminum ‘Oxford Blue’.  In the cutting garden these turned into wonderful big bushes, I’m not sure they’ll ever get that big here as I always struggle to keep the troughs adequately watered.

In the Swing Beds these Antirrhinum majus ‘The Rose’ are finally getting going, but I’m not convinced about the colour, finding it a bit sickly.  

At the back of these beds I had planned to plant some tall dahlias but then decided they weren’t the right colour and so instead have planted an annual tobacco plant, Nicotiana mutablis. This one has both white and pink flowers on the same plants and grows to 1.2m.  It was planted out very late and so far this is the only plant to have flowered.  I’m hoping that by the end of the summer there will be quite a ‘froth’ of these but it may be I have left it just too late.

And in the Mid Century bed these Antirrinum, A. majus nanum ‘Black Prince’ are also blooming now and to my mind are a far better colour than the pink.

Away from the annuals, I have a some good repeating roses – R. St Swithun, 

R. Munstead Wood,

R. Jubilee Celebration

and R. Pat Austin

And plenty of dahlias still going, I’d like to say ‘strong’ but after the over purchasing earlier this year, I’ve ended up with a number in pots and they’re not too happy, so perhaps I’ll just stick with ‘going’.  Many have succumbed to powdery mildew and one has a whole colony of blackfly, which I’m not prepared to spray, so am currently praying for ladybirds!

The old favourite D. Happy Single Date (much darker when the blooms are young) has its roots firmly in the Bronze Bed and is thriving, 

D. Fifteen Love (pertinent as Andy Murray is currently playing in the Olympic Gold medal match as I type), doing OK in a pot, 

D. Bacardi, also doing pretty well in the two greenhouse pots,

D. Hillcrest Royal (very mildewed)

D. Tamburo, also rather mildewed 

and D. La Recoleta, with a very nasty case of blackfly.

But to finish, a shot of my seed grown Agapanthus lining the back of the strawberry bed.  Not the greatest photo, but you get the idea.

With thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens who hosts everyone’s GBBD.

In a vase on Monday – and now one for the OH

As you know, I work in London every week, but the other half has a consultancy that means that he too sometimes needs to be in London, and so it was last Monday.

As I had a relatively quiet Monday (helped by an IT issue which made my work rather tricky!) I decided to arrange some flowers for the OH to see on his return home on Tuesday, by which time I’d be in London.  I decided to go with a big, blousey, rosy arrangement (not masculine at all, perhaps I was arranging for me too?) and here it is.

Apart from rose leaves, the foliage was provided by green Sedum heads.

The roses were R. ‘Jubilee Celebration’,

inherited rose by the front steps,

and R. ‘Pat Austin.’

I’m delighted to report that the OH both noticed and appreciated my works.  Hurrah!

With many thanks to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden who hosts this lovely meme.

End of month view – June 2016

What with my Northumberland jaunt, last weekend’s party and working in London every week, I’ve calculated that I’ve spent only ten whole days chez Duver Diary during June (and four of those working) and, whilst certain wonderful things carry on despite my neglect (roses, lavender, self seeded this and that) I do have a definite sense of the garden getting away from me.  If you look closely in the photo below, for example, you’ll see convolvulus growing up rosebay willow herb, surrounded by a fringe of couch grass.  So please don’t!

Taking a circuit round the garden from this point takes us first to the troughs.  These still have the very leggy Matthiola incana that I can’t bring myself to bin, but these have now been joined by seedlings of the (slightly shorter than ‘Purity’) white Cosmos, Cosmos ‘Sonata White’  and Salvia horminum ‘Oxford Blue.’  I’m hoping it’s going to fill out into a wall of blue and white, but it’s very early days and I do think this trough, being south facing and metal, does suffer if the weather’s warm (some chance!).  And no, I didn’t line the front panel with polysterene as you’re apparently supposed to. 

On to the veg patch and the most obvious ‘crop’ below is the Sweet Peas, definitely not edible!  Otherwise, from front to back, I have (under fleece) Purple Sprouting Broccoli ‘Early Purple Sprouting’,  and Cavolo nero ‘Black Magic’, and then Chard ‘Pink Flamingo’, Mange tout ‘Shiraz’, Dwarf French bean ‘Safari’ and Runner Bean ‘Lady Di’.  And running along the front edge (right of photo) Courgettes ‘El Greco’ and ‘Gold Rush’.  I think these are all new varieties to me except ‘Lady Di’ and ‘Goldrush’ so it will be interesting to see how they all do – and how they all taste.

On the left, out of site, in the highest raised bed, I planted Squash ‘Sweet Dumpling’.  This bed isn’t easy, as whatever’s there has to compete with the bay trees which were there first and obviously suck out lots of water.  I thought planting upturned bottles together with each plant and watering directly to the roots should solve this problem.  I was a little worried that I only had one plastic bottle kicking about and so was going to have to go on a San Pelligrino binge, but no!  Slugs ate all but one plant, so turns out my single bottle will be sufficient…

Meanwhile, if anyone has any bright ideas as to what veg would be happy in a very dry, south facing raised bed, please let me know, because there’s plenty of space now!

In front of the main veg patch is a smaller bed holding strawberries and rhubarb.  I planted out some Agapanthus I’d grown from seed along the back wall last year as I thought they’d enjoy a good cook against the south facing wall.  And look – over a dozen flower heads.  So exciting!

The Swing Beds definitely need a sort out.  Since their creation in 2011 it’s taken some time for them to fill up, but now, all of a sudden, I feel they’ve got rather unbalanced, with certain thugs taking over at the expenses of other things.  I definitely have too much of the pink geranium along the front, so I need to thin that out.  And then I also have a number of annuals I’ve grown from seed which need to be slotted in.

I live in hope that this weekend might provide time for a BIG SORT OUT, but we’ll see…

The grass bed has been completely dug over and emptied (apart from the Stipa) and has also been planted with annuals.  I’ve taken inspiration for the first year we were here, when I simply planted Cosmos in this bed.  This year I’ve included Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Fizzy White’ but have added Ammi visnaga ‘Green Mist’ to the mix.  I’m hoping for a white/green froth to echo the cow parsley in the field opposite.  We’ll see.

And in the interim, I’ve planted a few marigolds I had kicking around along the front edge.

I have been quite busy planting up pots post the big bulb throw out, but the one below is a new one, one of a matching pair given as a gift from my sister.  The concrete post is by the old (empty) chicken shed and the metal chicken normally sits on it but, as she’s not attached, she spends most of her time blown onto the ground.  I think she looks rather more settled amongst the pelargoniums and ipomaea!

In the Mid Century bed the Rosa ‘Falstaff’ is getting established on the obelisk, but you might remember I had good success with Rhodochiton atrosanguineus here last year, and I have now also planted some seedlings to see if they’ll cohabit with the rose.

There are a couple of pleasing combinations here – Dahlia ‘La Recoleta’ together with Dianthus ‘Sooty’

and Digitalis ‘Mertonensis’ with (rather flopped) Rosa ‘Jubilee Celebration.’   (I do wish ‘Mertonensis’ was taller – I’d have it everywhere)

On the other side of the garden the Oak Bed has now developed into a wall of shrubbery – the Cercis in particular has really filled out this year.

Closer to the house the Bronze Bed, new last year, is also exhibiting a rather floppy rose – Rosa ‘Pat Austin’.  I’m sure she wasn’t this tall last year and I pruned her pretty hard.

She may be a rather ungainly girl, but she’s certainly pretty.

In the greenhouse I’ve finally planted out my tomatoes, cucumbers and aubergines, but I couldn’t bear to pull out the Sweet Peas as they’re still flowering really well, so the toms have been relegated to each end of the bed. 

There are still a few seedlings kicking around inside the greenhouse – see below a third wave of Sweet Peas – but that is nothing

….compared to all this lot outside!  Roll on the weekend….

With many thanks to Helen at the Patient Gardener for hosting our End of Month views.