Just a quick, late one today to share another ‘table trio’ and my new table runner made in the Basque region and bought last week in Biarritz.
I deliberately bought a runner (and napkins) with an orange stripe as the long table sits right next to the Bronze Bed and so the orange flowers feel completely at home.
Why don’t you pop over to Rambling in the Garden to see what others have in their vases this Bank Holiday Monday?
Finally some time this weekend to fiddle with flowers!
I spent a lovely hour making a few arrangements including the kitchen one above. Sedum heads were joined by an exuberant mix of Dahlias ‘Zundert Mystery Fox’ and ‘Happy Single Date’
as well as Rosa ‘Pat Austin’.
More Dahlias was plonked in the relatively new small glass trough – ‘Roxy’ and ‘Hillcrest Royal’ together with Cosmos ‘Rubenza’
And lastly, a trio of sherbet pink blooms for the long oak table.
These contained a random mix of bits and pieces to accompany the Rosa ‘Jubilee Celebration’ including a few odd sweet peas (‘Prince Edward’ the dark one below), Antirrhinum ‘Orange Wonder’, Panicum ‘Frosted Explosion’, Diascia personata
together with mint leaves and even a peachy Pelargonium.
As ever I’m joining Cathy at Rambling in the Garden who hosts the IaVoM meme. Why don’t you pop over to see who else has been fiddling with flowers today?
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!
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
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.
![IMG_2099[1]](https://duverdiary.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/img_20991.jpg?w=625)
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.![IMG_2101[1]](https://duverdiary.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/img_21011.jpg?w=625)
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.![IMG_2100[1]](https://duverdiary.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/img_21001.jpg?w=625)
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!
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.
