My Garden This Week – Part 2

Posted on June 20, 2013 by davidsgardendiary

Osteospermum ‘Cannington Roy’, remarkably hardy and has overwintered for two years successfully in the gravel margin between the path and house wall. Incredibly floriferous and will keep on going until November if it is deadheaded continuously.

Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’ against Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’, a fetching combination and lucky accident! A good ‘doer’ compared to a lot of others; strong, tall and has clumped up well in poor dry soil in full sun.

Astrantia major with pink and blue hardy geraniums, a perfect combination. This Astrantia pops up in various places where it is happy so I leave it and let it flourish. It seems to like the company of other ground cover plants which probably keep the soil cool and moist.

A scented leaf pelargonium with an exquisite scarlet colour, almost fluorescent.

I have no idea what this Iris sibirica is called but it is simply beautiful. The seamless blend of white, cream and yellow is perfect in every detail.

Yes I know it’s only a daisy but this Erigeron karvinskianus has my respect and admiration for it’s sheer tenacity and determination to succeed in the face of adversity. It manages to get it’s seed into every crack and crevice and is slowly but surely colonising the four corners of my garden.

This remarkable bi-coloured Foxglove, Digitalis grandiflora, opens creamy yellow and gradually turns light pink creating this lovely two colour effect. I will collect seed from it but I doubt if it will come true again.

Reds

Posted on June 14, 2013 by davidsgardendiary

Garvinea ‘Rachel’

There is something about red. I just love it. I seem to be drawn to it. It is warm and ripe and hot. I have a lot of reds in the garden. Here are just a few.

Salvia microphylla ‘Royal Bumble’

This pretty Salvia is in flower at the moment right outside the garden room window alongside the popular ‘Hot Lips’.

Red Pelargonium

Pelargoniums are such a reliable performer in a hot summer and I always buy a few to put in pots around the patio.

I love big blousy red poppies

And red dahlias…this is ‘Redskin’

And Geum ‘Mrs Bradshaw’ a chance seedling introduced by Perry’s nursery in Enfield

You might have read about my love of chillies and this particular Cayenne variety which grows so well in my greenhouse

Yum Yum!

And finally, our scrumptious and reliable autumn raspberry ‘Brice’ .

Just can’t resist red!

Just because…….

Posted on June 12, 2013 by davidsgardendiary

I am looking at colour combinations which, until recently, I was hopeless at. My wonderful wife would say I am still hopeless but I am striving to improve. I would plant anything with anything without a thought for how it would look. I tend to look at plants individually rather than in groups. However, all that has to change in my ongoing search for enlightenment.

I downloaded a colour wheel and taught myself what should go together so that I could plant borders and pots with some co-ordination. I wouldn’t ordinarily put orange and wine red together but the Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’ and Cotinus coggygria seem to blend together well. Perhaps this colour combining thing really works! Normally I would have kept orange with yellow and green but because it is next to red on the wheel it is ok.

Perhaps it’s the blues, purples and whites of the geraniums and the yellow/green of the Tellima which soften the whole thing and bring it together in a cohesive combination.

Any thoughts???