Dry Garden

I have been surprised to see plants reappearing that I have tried to grow in the past but lost. As they are plants that like dry conditions I can only presume the dry weather over the past few months has encouraged seed to grow.

Dorycnium hirsutum

The first and biggest surprise is Dorycnium hirsutum. I bought this plant several years ago but lost it after a couple of years. As it is a mediterranean plant it was doomed really.  I am really pleased to see it back. The leaves are grey with a soft velvety feel. The pea type flowers turn into dark seed pods which can be heard popping in late summer. A seed must have lasted and produced this lovely plant.

Verbena bonariensis is a favourite late summer flower. There are several seedlings in the garden.I also have a poppy seedling.

Viburnum plictatum 'Grandiflorum' in May

On the negative side, there seems to be a casualty of the dry conditions. Viburnum plicatum 'Grandiflorum' came into leaf and flower in May as usual. However, it now looks like the photograph below. I am so disappointed.

 

Finally, the one Stipa tenuissima to survive last winter is looking really good. There are also seedlings everywhere.

Geranium 'Blue Cloud' through Stipa tenuissima

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.

Spring into Summer

The garden is starting to look very summery. The geraniums are looking good, the roses are coming out and the bird babies are visiting the garden.

Mother feeding baby Great Tit. I took this through the window

The view from the kitchen door

Digitalis purpurea, Digitalis purpurea Alba and Geranium psilostemon next to Cotoneaster franchetti

Unknown Snapdragon (Antirrhinum)

A couple of years ago a Snapdragon appeared in the garden. Although I wasn't keen on the colour, I left it to grow. It re-appeared the following year when I pulled it out. I bought the plant pictured above from a farmers market last year. Despite the winter it is thriving. I have tried to grow snapdragons from seed sown in the spring but didn't have much success. I think I will try again but sow them later in the year to over-winter.

Rosa glauca

This is a favourite rose. I first saw it when I was researching plants for a drought tolerant garden I was working on. I loved the blue grey foliage, the small pink flowers and the rose hips in autumn and winter.

 Rosa glauca hips

I have been enjoying the TV coverage of the Chelsea Flower Show this week. My favourite show gardens were the Laurent-Perrier garden by Luciano Giubbilei and The Daily Telegraph garden by Cleve West. I loved the planting in both of these gardens.

This week in the garden

The garden has a look of early summer, I keep having to remind myself it is still only May.

A shower of rain overnight has made the Alchemilla look very pretty. The raindrops resemble little glass beads.

Alchemilla mollis

I am fond of Hardy geraniums (Cranesbills) and so are the bees. The blue flowers look good with the Alchemilla, and most have nice leaves.

Geranium possibly magnificum.

 

Geranium, possibly 'Johnsons Blue'

I recently bought this rose bowl from a charity shop. It has a wire top to hold up the flowers. Its very pretty but it has occurred to me that it is best for a table centre rather than my window sill.

Rosa 'Aloha' and Alchemilla mollis.

I always have a small vase for any bits and pieces. In the photograph, there is pink 'Pimpernella' which I trod on and broke in the garden, a Sweet William (Dianthus) which broke from a bunch bought for me, and tiny alchemilla stems from those in the rose bowl above. The foliage is from Jaminum nudiflorum, it has been in the vase for weeks.