In place of flowers

Belinda at Wildacre has left her Christmas jug of twigs on display http://t.co/Yyd2IU4e. This has made think about the birch twigs I used to display my hand sewn tiny hearts at craft fairs. I cut them down and put them in a cream metal jug. I like the contrast and it suits the room too.

I also have bottle of grasses collected from the garden in the kitchen.

For a touch of summer this bowl contains dried flowers and leaves from my garden

Looking back

2012 has been a strange year for a gardener.  Spring was very dry, summer was the second wettest on record. The wet weather has continued throughout the year. This view through my kitchen window has been a common one.

I managed to lose my bag of seeds so only had my new purchases to sow. I kept hoping I would find it but It still hasn't turned up. I really missed the sweet peas. 

Calendula 'Sherbet Fizz'

Ageratum 'Red Sea'

 I grew the Calendula and Ageratum pictured above. They were for cutting but I was disappointed with both of them. 

Scabious 'Black Night'

Scabious 'Black Night' was different. Larger flower than the other Scabious I have grown. Lasted well in a vase. I loved it and I will grow lots in 2013.

Flowers in the House

Jane is hosting the first anniversary of Flowers in the House.

I have a jug of Rhodanthe manglesii 'Timeless Rose' grown from seed last summer.

 
They were easy to grow and the slugs weren't interested. Even in the garden the flowers feel papery. I grew them next to the path and cut far more than I expected. I think I had about 8 plants.

I dried them in the garage along with Alchemilla mollis, Poppy and Nigella seed heads and Mint.

Flowers in the House

Jane is kindly hosting Flowers in the House today.

This the jug of flowers from last weeks blog. My north facing kitchen no longer gets any sun; the flowers are lasting much longer. My kitchen only gets early morning sun for about three months a year but I didn't think it would make so much difference.

Also on the windowsill are these leaves, berries and hips. They are in a glycerine solution to preserve them. The oak leaves are some I found after the wind last week. A lot of the leaves were too dry but these are taking up the solution. The Rowan leaves are from the tree in my garden. I have no idea how the berries and rose hips will turn out.

This is a hoop I made from oak leaves preserved in glycerine last year. It has lasted really well, I shall be hanging it again this year.

More from the cutting garden

More plants have flowered since my last blog.

This vase was bought for 50p from a charity shop and contains hardy annuals from the garden'

One of the flowers in the vase above is this fab Sweet Pea called 'Midnight'. It has a strong scent and long stems. I highly recommend it.

 Another favourite is 'Nelly Viner'. This is also scented (I cannot see the point of unscented Sweet Peas) and long stems.

I am having trouble keeping Larkspur going. I am wondering if I don't water them enough.

This is a new one for this year, Godetia amoena Memoria. I really like, and it seems to last well in the vase.

I am still waiting for Cosmos 'Dazzler' to flower, as well as the Nigellas.

Rain at last

Since I last blogged we have had rain, for a couple of nights it was very heavy so the garden has had a good drink. It has also been slightly cooler, more like May should be.

The garden is still showing the effects of the mad weather over the past few weeks. The rose 'Gertrude Jekyll' is already in flower and the foxgloves are starting to open but they are half the height they should be. The Lupin 'Gallery Rose' is also starting to flower.


On my kitchen windowsill is a small jug bought yesterday from a charity shop. I've put in some 'Gertrude Jekyll' roses and Aquilegias with some foliage.

'Gertrude Jekyll' Roses with Aquilegias

I've also treated myself to some 'Sarah Bernhardt' peonies. I have recently planted some of these lovely flowers but I think it will be a year or two before I see any blooms.

'Sarah Bernhardt' Peonies

Another plant that has required patience is Ilex aquifolium  'J C van Tol'. This is a holly that is almost spine free. I planted it two years ago and it is in flower for the first time. Hopefully, there will be berries later in the year.

Ilex aquifolium  'J C van Tol'

I have been planting more seedlings for cut flowers. This is a wigwam made from the straight pieces that also grow amongst the contorted stems of Corylus contorta, the Corkscrew Hazel. These straight stems used to really annoy me but now I am happy to have them as they are so useful. I've wrapped string around the poles and planted sweet peas. 

Wigwam made from Hazel

Spring

Everything in the garden has responded to the warm sunshine and rain. My partner took this photograph of our Rowan on 31 March.....

.... I took this photograph today, 3 April.

Acer Palmatum 'Suminagashi' buds

My next door neighbour has a beautiful plum tree in her garden. I can see it from my bedroom window and it's one of the highlights of Spring.

The birds are gathering nesting material from the garden. This cheeky pigeon has finally worked out how to get the fat out of the coconut shell on the Viburnum. His beak is covered in fat.

In my garden in August

All the hardy annuals I've grown are flowering except for the Ammi which has gone over. The ones I'm most pleased with are the Cosmos, Larkspur, Scabious, Clary and Nigella. I'll be growing these again next year. I'm disappointed with the Nicotiana, I thought it was scented but I can't detect any perfume. The Ammi hasn't done as well as I had hoped. I took some to the environmental centre where it is in a warm dry spot and it has done really well. I'll try a different spot next year.

A jug of annuals grown from seed

I have planted a plain and variegated sage for cutting next year. I also bought some mint seedlings back from the environmental centre to grow in a pot. I'm experimenting with different foliage to see what else works.After scouring lists I planted 'White Gold' and 'English Miss' roses but they only last two or three days in a vase. Perhaps that's the best I can hope for in a rose. They are beautiful though and smell lovely.

'English Miss' rose with sweet peas and scented leaves

Elsewhere in my garden, I have Achillea 'Apple Blossom' growing through Stipa tenuissima.This is a planting combination I admired at a garden show a few years ago and it always looks nice.

Achillea 'Apple Blossom growing through Stipa tenuissima

I have been updating my website. I have given it a fresher look and uploaded photographs to my plant lists. I am now finding plants have gone over that I forgot to photograph. I seem to have hardly any of the ferns and they are looking a bit autumnal already. This may be due to the dry weather.

I haven't seen many butterflies this summer. I wonder if the cold winter affected them? The only ones around are Hedge Browns and various Whites. No Red Admirals, Painted Ladies or Peacocks.

Hedge Brown on Sidalcea

The Swifts /Swallows/House Martins ( I have never been able to tell which they are) have departed for warmer climes. The nights are drawing in and the berries on the rowan are red. Still there's more to come in the garden and there is also a local garden show to look forward to on 4 September.