my photos

NEW ADDITIONS FOR AN AUTUMN GARDEN

Isn't it a beauty, it's a Helenium Sahins Early Flowerer, it's really tall, and it's going to look lovely in my garden.

It's featured in this The Telegraph article, which also gives suggestions for plants to choose as companions too.

I may well need another trip to the wonderful Jack Dunckley's Birchfield at Henfield!

This nursery is a plant lover's dream.



I've quite a few Heucheras around the garden, but this is my first Heucherella, called Golden Zebra.

What a great plant name!



Miscanthus sinensis Morning Light, a name just perfect for this beautiful grass.

I love grasses.

I really hope there's no rain tomorrow, so I can get my new additions settled in.

o

my photos

RAIN STOPS PLAY IN JUNE

Would you believe at the end of May I was praying for rain?

Well my prayer was pretty much answered. After an exceptionally dry month in May, June has seen its fair share of heavy showers, with hail and a cracking good thunderstorm thrown in.

The garden's enjoyed endless soakings, and the water-butts are full.

Pretty yellow Lysamachia above (my Dad calls it Bombsite 'cos as a kid he remembers it growing on unused and neglected spaces).



A beautiful bronze Comma butterfly perching on Euphorbia seed-heads.

With a list of to-do jobs as long as your arm, this kind of weather can seriously hold you up.

With much to do and limited time, you begin to wonder whether you're ever going to get anything done?

Panic!

It's only by having time off work, and a spell of fine weather, I've been able to make some kind of headway.



There's been a lot of cutting back to do of early Summer perennials, to make room for annuals like Cosmos, Cerinthe and Calendula, which I've grown from seed.

Whatever size garden you have, there's never enough space!

I wouldn't say no to a few more day lilies, like the one above.



Here's that Comma again, this time on the seaside-loving shrub Escallonia.

I've also noticed a rather handsome pair of Red Admirals taking nectar from Giant Scabious, and big hairy caterpillars that I've yet to identify?

There's a rather cute pair of baby blackbirds around too, getting pretty tubby with their endless feasting on Amelanchier berries, and sultanas!

I love my garden, and all those who love it too.


o

 my photo

BERBERIS DARWINII

Nectar heaven for Red-tailed Bumblebees (bombus lapidarius)!

o

all images from The Daily Telegraph and Crocus websites

TAKING INSPIRATION

Every year I take pockets of inspiration from the spectacular gardens being shown at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Some plants which stood out and caught me in the eye this year are ones featured in the Gold medal winning garden designed by Andy Sturgeon for The Daily Telegraph. This garden creating colour and light, also won Best in Show.

For a 360 degree view of the garden, click here.

This is the first commission Andy has taken on since suffering the sadness of losing his partner, and mother to his three children, who passed away suddenly in her sleep last Summer.

The beautiful blue Salvia nemorosa Caradonna above was one of her favourites, and since I started gardening it's been a firm favourite of mine too. With it's electric blue flowers, it's a great value plant which will go on long into the Autumn, and will only be knocked back at the first sign of frost.



How pleased was I to see other heart-skipping favourite plants of mine chosen for the garden too.

Having always loved bearded Iris after inheriting a lovely white variety in my own garden, I've so far resisted the temptation to add any more.

Will I be able to resist the dusky and demure delights of Iris Action Time above?

Beautiful, just like my maternal Nan who was named Iris.



Or, the orangy pinkness of Verbascum Clementine?

I've been wanting to add more of this plant to my garden.

o

Or, the ghostly white of Eryngium Miss Wilmott?

o

I've coveted a big clump of this after seeing it used at Denman's Garden in Fontwell near Arundel, a local garden to me, and home of garden designer John Brooks.

o

I've had quick look and all these plants, and more, are available on-line!

o

Tempting enough for you?

o

my photos

RASPBERRY AND ORANGE SQUASH

Raspberry ~ pink Bergenia flower.



Orange ~ buds of Berberis.



Squash ~ seeds I sowed today.

o

my photo
o
HEMEROCALLIS
o
In my garden Hemerocallis, the Day Lily, is at its best in July. Positioned in a sunny position, it provides a daily succession of orange flowers; each single one withering by the end of the day.
o
The name Hemerocallis comes from the Greek words, day and beautiful.
oo
Many other types of plant have a second flush later on in the year. I wish this one did; it would sit perfectly alongside the Autumnal pink, copper and red colours of the Dahlia.
o

o
Illustration, 1885

o

my photos

BLOOMS OF TENERIFE

Above, a beautiful Hibiscus flower.



The African Tulip Tree with its flame-red flowers.

my photo

GEUM

Princess Juliana, a dark-green, furry leaved, clump forming perennial. The flower, in its second flush, sits on a wiry stem, is hot orange, which adds much needed colour to the front of the border in late summer.

A little gem!

my photos

PLANT COMBINATIONS ONE

From time to time in my garden I accidentially stumble upon a great plant and colour combination. Above you can see steely blue sea holly (eryngium), which is a warm colour, growing alongside vivid orange crocosmia, which is a cool colour, coming from opposite sides of the colour wheel, but equally winning one's attention.

A colour from one side forms a contrast with a colour on the opposite side of the colour wheel. The most intense contrasts are between colours that lie directly opposite one another, ie blue with orange.

The Gardener's Book of Colour is one of my favourites. Andrew Lawson with his artist's eye and scientist's training, shines a new light on using colour in the garden. Authoritative and accessible, this book will stimulate your imagination and put exciting new ideas within your grasp. It is a book no gardener will want to put down, which includes me!

my photos

PINK

These are a selection of pink plants from my recent trip to Ramster gardens. The rhododendron above reminds me of strawberry ripple ice-cream.



I think this pink azalea would go very well with a dark purple flower, any ideas?



This rhododendron looks lovely against the burgundy of the Japanese maple.



I love colour clashes in a garden. I like to see hot pink with orange.

my photo

BERBERIS DARWINII

Also known as Barberry, this evergreen shrub was discovered in South America by Charles Darwin in 1835. If you want colour in your garden at this time of year, this is the shrub to have. It bears masses of small clusters of the brightest orange of flowers, and very often has a second flush in the Autumn.

Mine stands alone, but used as a full hedge its thorniness is a great deterrent, adding security to the garden. It requires careful pruning, as it has spiny holly-like leaves which will tear your hands to shreds if you are not wearing thick leather gardening gloves. This is one occasion when I do wear gloves, people who know me know that I would rather get dirt up my fingernails, although saying that, those latex disposable gloves come in handy for various tasks around the garden!

A great use for the prunings, is to lay them over your freshly dug over beds to keep the neighbours' cats off, don't get me wrong, I love cats, but my garden is not to be used as a WC for all and sundry!