Six on Saturday

Posted on July 1, 2023 by davidsgardendiary

It’s the height of summer and everything in the garden is jostling for position, pushing and pulling or reaching for the skies like this Veronicastrum ‘Lavendelturm’ which is peaking over Veronica longifolia at the back of the border.

The same border is fronted by this tall Lysimachia ephemerum which always causes a stir when visitors see it. Firstly, they can’t believe it is a Lysimachia, and secondly because of its elegance and beauty. It is tall, 150cm or more, with glaucus foliage and spikes of pure white florets which, despite the name, go on for several weeks.

This unusual and diminutive Persicaria microcephala arrived with a health warning as it has a reputation for spreading uncontrollably under the right conditions. Fortunately, I don’t have the ‘right conditions’ which is a moist fertile soil. My dry clay soil should slow its progress outwards and instead, form a nice mound of pointy foliage topped with pretty white flowers.

My ‘go to’ downpipe concealer is this climbing foxglove, Lophospermum erubescens, which a kind friend gave me many years ago and which, owing to its propensity to drop seeds everywhere, has stayed with me ever since. I have given up trying to overwinter the mother plant as it never seems to do as well in subsequent years so instead, I simply dig up one of the myriad seedlings it kindly provides and overwinter that instead. This is one I dug up in October and is now 8′ tall. It produces hundreds of pretty pink foxglove shaped flowers and felty, heart shaped leaves which go on for months. Highly recommended.

Alstroemeria ‘Summer Break’ found last winter tough going and has only just produced its first flowers which is much later than its companion ‘Indian Summer’ which has been flowering for several weeks already. However, the flowers are so exquisite that she is forgiven for her tardiness.

Very tricky to photograph, this Verbena officinalis ‘Bampton’ sits in a dark corner of the rose garden next to a path which is where it seems to enjoy life with its feet under the paving, rather like V. bonariensis does. I have given lots of volunteer seedlings away this year to people who either don’t know it or can’t grow it, which I find astonishing. It is now officially classified as a weed in my garden! Contrary to its hot, arid origins, this plant prefers to be in the shade and needs quite a moist soil, perhaps because it was found in Bampton in Devon!

Just had to end this week’s Six on a rose, and what a rose! ‘Camille Pissarro’ at his absolute crazy, zany impressionist best!

Have a great weekend

David

Six on Saturday

Posted on June 24, 2023 by davidsgardendiary

“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” even if it is supposed to be apricot and turns out to be pink! This was supposed to be ‘Eden’s Apricot Blaise’ but no matter, it is still beautiful.

‘Camille Pissarro’ however, does exactly what it says on the tin. Named in honour of the French impressionist painter, it reminds me of raspberry ripple ice cream!

Phlomis russeliana wanders throughout my garden, popping up here and there in places where it feels comfortable. It always seems to grow better that way so I generally leave it alone. A valuable plant for dry parts of the garden where other things might struggle. It does produce a lot of seed though!

The same is true of my little forest of Lychnis coronaria ‘Alba’ which discovers where it wants to grow and tries to completely colonise the area with hundreds of seedlings. I have lost count of how many plants I have dug out and given away, or composted! Much more refined than the garish cerise Lychnis usually seen and much admired by garden visitors. A pig to deadhead though!

This is tricky to photograph due to the background but looks better if you click on the photo to enlarge it. Full marks to anyone who spotted the tall colourful flower spikes of Delphinium requienii, or Requin’s Larkspur. A species in the Ranunculaceae family which doesn’t get attacked by slugs and snails like ordinary Delphiniums do. Given to me by a friend two years ago, it now self seeds profusely in this little patch and mingles with chicory and scabious to produce a colourful border of blues and purples.

The latest addition to my National Collection of Tradescantias is ‘Temptation’, and I just couldn’t resist! Hints of pink in the three petals, dark pink filaments surrounding six stamens topped with bright yellow pollen anthers, rare and beautiful.

Have a great weekend

David

Six on Saturday

Posted on June 11, 2022 by davidsgardendiary

It’s Rose time! ‘Camille Pissarro’ looking a bit like raspberry ripple ice cream. Certainly good enough to eat!

The rose garden in early morning sunshine. The different scents of roses and sweet peas plus the constant sound of pollinators buzzing around collecting pollen and nectar makes it a magical place for an early morning cuppa.

Bulb pots emptied and replanted with summer bedding plants. Bulbs dried in the greenhouse and ready to be stored in paper bags in the shed until September.

Nigella damascena in full flower now and looking good with the acid yellow feverfew. These two are both prolific self seeders and I find myself taking out more than I keep, otherwise they would be everywhere. I like to garden with a light touch and try to make it look as natural as possible, particularly in the cottage garden borders.

The little pink fox grape, Vitis labrusca ‘Isabella’ is covered in bunches of tiny flowers which should, in theory, become delicious purple grapes in September. I had just one bunch last year but winter pruning and another year’s maturity has resulted in incredible growth. It almost beggars belief how much growth these grapevines can put on in a single season, some of the new stems are already a metre long.

Finally, a friend of mine asked me to try to get Fuchsia ‘Lady in Black’ cuttings to root in my Hydropod propagator as she has tried conventional methods without success, Looks like we have liftoff!

Have a great weekend

David