Flowers in the House

Jane is hosting Flowers in the House.  These are the flowers on my window sill. Just a bit of this and a bit of that from the garden until the annuals flower.

 I also have bits that haven't quite finished flowering that I can't bear to throw out yet.

These chrysanthemums are three weeks old, they were part of a bouquet given to me as a gift.

These flowers were picked a week ago. 

 Poppy heads are waiting to be hung up to dry for winter use.

Today in the garden

Today is the hottest day of the year, in to the high 20's c. Lots of sun and a blue sky.

I'll take you on a walk around the garden to look at a few highlights for late June.

Rosa 'English Miss'

The roses have all been flowering well. This 'English Miss' rose is one I bought from a local greengrocer for a pittance. It has a lovely scent. I have also found it lasts well in a vase, around 5 days.

Lavender

Lavenders don't usually do well in my clay north facing soil. I have lost count of the number I have lost. I planted this one next to a path and placed stones at the bottom of the planting hole to try to improve drainage. It must have worked because it came through the winter as did another lavender I have.

Astrantia, possibly 'Snowstar'

Astrantias are a favourite of mine. This is one of three in the garden. One of its common names is 'Hatties pincushion'.

Feverfew

I was given this Feverfew a few months ago. I think it is probably  Tanacetum parthenium. It has pretty leaves as well as flowers.

Rhodanthe 'Timeless Rose'

This is the first of my cutting garden plants to flower. I have grown this Rhodanthe for drying. The odd thing is it has very papery flowers already. Very pretty and delicate.

woodpecker

Before I finish I must tell you about the pair of woodpeckers visiting our garden. They appeared a couple of weeks ago and we wondered if they were passing through but they have visited the fat feeder in the Rowan every day.

Tomorrow Jane at smallbutcharming is hosting Flowers in the House. Always a treat to look at everyone's flowers.

A visit to a garden show

I went to the BBC Gardeners World Live show last week. Show gardens; displays and best of all, the RHS Floral Marquee full of small nurseries. Here are some of my highlights.

These two show gardens caught my eye. The Bodgery ....

...and 'Remember the Dream'. This had lovely planting. I like these obelisks.

I enjoyed the Birmingham Borders. This is a section for horticultural students and new garden designers. They are very tiny. 'A Sensory Retreat' was a quiet beautiful garden.

This was called 'Tea and Tranquility'

I also bought a few plants.

Snapdragons seem to like my garden. I saw this in the Floral Marquee. I was so happy to have the last one, I forgot to make sure there was a label. I can't remember the name or which nursery I bought it from.

I am so pleased to have found Erodium manescavii. This will replace the one I lost during the winter. Its a great plant with divided textured leaves and flowers which keep going until the frosts.

Briza media 'Russells' is a variegated form of 'Quaking Grass'. The 'flower' stem got broken on the way home but I am sure there will be more to replace it. Very delicate and pretty.

Another fern to add to my collection, Arachniodes standishii. The nursery said they rarely have enough stock to have some to sell. I have never heard of it. I am not sure where it is going to be planted yet.

Finally, I bought a hardy geranium from Hardy's, g.pyrenaicum 'Isparta'. It has round scalloped leaves with small lilac flowers on long stems.

Flowers in the House

Jane at smalbutcharming is hosting Flowers in the House.

 Nearly all the roses in the garden are out. This bowl has Gertrude Jekyll, Felicia, Aloha, The Mayflower, English Miss and Sweet Juliet. They are all scented, with Gertrude Jekyll being the best.

I like Sweet William (Dianthus). I sowed seed last summer to have some in the garden but a combination of too late in the year and the winter meant they didn't do very well. I bought these from the supermarket.

 My partner took this photograph of a Chrysanthemum, part of a bunch given to me by my sister.

I still have a little jug of broken bits.