Thursday 1 August 2013

End of the month view ... bit late !



The garden has changed over the last couple of weeks, the palette becoming richer and darker, gone, for the most part, are the frothy pastels, and in have come the reds and oranges of high summer. The greens have darkened and foliage has fully matured. In some cases it has 'gone over' so I am cutting back savagely, propping up and tieing in. Some of the beds are looking a little tired, as they have a bit of an interim period before the late summer flowers really take off.

Right down at the bottom of the garden is the wildlife pond ... which has gone crazy with pondweed, frogbit and marginals. It is full of newtlets and baby sticklebacks at the moment. My next job should be wading in and pulling out armfuls of oxygenators, but I want to wait until the newts have matured.


The few fruit trees in the mini orchard are growing weeny fruit, and the wild flower meadow is ... well ... untidy to say the least.


It looks a lot better in the photo than in real life ! It has been beaten down by the heavy showers, and is actually irritating me greatly, as it has not lived up to expectations, for the second year running.


The veggies and soft fruit are all doing well, in this fantastic mix of hot sun and significant showers. Plus, you can't make out the weeds from here !


Through the arch, covered in Golden Hop, into the sub tropical garden, where again, everything is loving the weather and growing very strongly, still.


This is the border to the right of the arch, and it is at its best.The Tree fern is happy as are the ferns, but for some reason the Ricinus have not grown anything like as tall as they normally do (I grow them from seed).


Another shot in the sub tropical garden showing the Gunnera and Trachycarpus palms, which seem totally hardy (so far ...)


A shot of my favourite place ... my hammock! Seen through Crocosmia Lucifer.



Through the Bus Shelter garden, where I have tried very hard to introduce more colour this year. The Festuca is a lovely glaucous blue, and the day lilies are a bright gold splash.


This head is a new addition to the garden and is beginning to blend in now. It stands in a fernery by the Top pond.


This bed contains lots of varied foliage, like Rodgersia, hostas, ferns and at the back 'Lysimachia Sky Rocket'.


Mixed planting in the beds, including 'Eucomis Bi - colour' and a newly planted rose 'The Fairy'.


'Helen's Garden'  looked much more exciting when the new 'Charles De Mills' hedge was flowering ! It has lots of Marigolds and Dahlias flowering now.


Daylilies provide a splash of colour, as do Phlox ... but they clash terribly ! I will move the Phlox in Autumn, as my eyes just can't take it ! It is a particularly noxious salmon pink ... it has to go !


Moving closer to the house, the garden becomes a little more formal, and there are lots of pots. This is a new little seating area we did this year. Sitters have to avoid the wicked Gunnera leaves though !


Pots ... showing our brand new Agapanthus, beginning to flower for the very first time.


More pots !


More pots ... shot through lovely Molinea grasses!


More ... nearly done !



So that's it ! Time for a sit down with a cold beer in the shade !

Once refreshed, head over to Helen's garden and see her 'End of the month view at :


There are lots of other interesting gardens to link to from there !