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 !


18 comments:

  1. Such a lovely show of a garden thank you for sharing on my forum Jane.

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  2. Wow!! Now thats a BIG backyard! Gongratulations!!

    http://luciasecretgarden.blogspot.com/

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  3. Thanks Lucia - I don't get out much !

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  4. Love the converted sewing machine! We have one too but it's in the house. Never would have thought to put it in the garden but now you have me thinking...

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    1. Someone gave us it as they happened to have two !

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  5. Beautiful garden! I love the tropical feel of your borders. That sweet pink daylily in the first photo, partnered with the blue Agapanthus is just stunning. And of course, the tree ferns... the one plant I really wish I could grow in my Zone 8 garden. I've got a small one I will bring inside for the winter but I wish it looked as cool as yours. Great post.

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  6. Thankyou Grace. We have to nurture our Tree ferns and they come inside for the winter too !

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  7. I absolutely love your garden! It is so lush and happy. It feels authentic and much loved. Bus Shelter garden? Too cool! We've decided against a pond for several boring but very valid reasons so I'll just have to enjoy yours virtually. :o)

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    1. Thanks for comments ! What a shame about the pond ! What changed your mind ?

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  8. Excellent--all of it! Actually, I think it looks fresh and lush and you've maintained it so well. Thanks for the inspiration--I need to do a lot of deadheading and freshening this weekend, myself. I especially like the idea of the cold beer as a reward at the end.

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    1. Cold beer makes it all worthwhile ! The deadheading is an endless task, but I do quite enjoy it as it gives you time to really focus on individual plants.

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  9. Your garden looks really gorgeous. The sub tropical garden is like a paradise. And the head among the ferns and hedera is he your husband, son or lover? Haha.

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    1. Thank you Janneke ! No family resemblance I'm afraid !

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  10. Such a beautiful garden - bordering on tropical and yet full of lovely annuals. I love the tree fern and other ground covering ferns

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    1. Thanks Stiletto. Ferns are really plants for lazy people - they require no work at all ! They look good all the time. They require no staking/ deadheading/ cutting back. Fantastic !

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  11. I follow a lot of garden blogs. I am always finding something new and something I can "put" into my own garden rooms. I like the style of your areas. Very much the taste I try using here on the shores of Lake Michigan in USA. Thanks so much for the great tour of your property. I will be returning. JC

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    1. Thanks for your comments JC. I will pop over and visit you too !

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Thanks for visiting and reading.
I really welcome comments and have learned much from them, over the years of leaning over the virtual garden gate ...