Foliage day seems to have come round again so soon, so in a break from the rain (on the 18th of this month) I photographed as much as I could, starting with one of my favourites, Rosa glauca which is contrasting with its neighbour, Cotinus.
The foliage round the ditch between the back garden and the woodland. Hadn’t realised until I looked at the photograph, just how many different sorts of foliage were in this area. Pulmonaria, 2 sorts of ferns, astilbe and Bowles golden grass.
The tall, dusky pink, flowered Lamium orvala is on the other side of the bridge into the woodland, keeping company with a couple of ferns and a heuchera.
Contrasting with Hosta Krossa Regal are various astilbe. This is almost astilbe flowering time, so for now we just enjoy the lovely foliage in the bog garden.
Aeonium schwarzkopf is growing bigger by the day. In a fairly large pot, this is something else that has enjoyed all our rain!
Borrowed foliage is sometimes better than the original. The flowers this hydrangea look really good with the foliage of the purple berberis next to it.
Even though the hostas are flowering at the moment, the foliage still looks good, my blackbirds and thrushes are doing a good job!
At the far end of the bog garden, the purple leaved Lobelia Queen Victoria is managing to survive in spite of the slugs, why aren’t my army of helpers working here! It has flopped into the rheum palmatum but they form a nice contrast. Hope it survives to flower!
Astilbes, ferns and alchemilla mollis, joining the hosta in the bog garden.
A shot of the pond area, where is the pond I hear you cry, somewhere behind Lucifer and in front of Miscanthus sinensis Variegata! Everything has exploded and is at least twice the size they should be. At the back right is a Ligularia, back left Sambucus Black Lace, yellow flowers belong to a Mimulus which has gone mad and in the foreground left is Acanthus mollis. I don’t need to mention Crocosmia Lucifer do I?!
Miscanthus sinensis malepartus cascades like a fountain and contrasts with Hypericum prolificum next to it and Alchemilla mollis at its feet. This grass has the most wonderful purple flowers and then turns a beautiful yellow in the autumn.
Brunnera Jack Frost still looking good and the leaves are twice the size they normally are.
Growing in almost nothing on top of the bridge into the woodland is Mileum effusum Aureum with pale golden leaves, they show up nicely in the shade of the woodland.
A branch of the purple smoke bush, Cotinus, has joined company with Euonymous which is climbing the fence next door.
All the rain that we have had to put up with has meant that the foliage in the garden is big and fresh and looking very healthy. The jet stream that has been holding the nice warm weather at bay has now moved much further north and summer started yesterday! We now have blue skies with hot sunshine and the temperatures are soaring!!
Oooooooooh – I really like the cotinus and rosa glauca combination Pauline. The wet stuff has really suited some plants – my brunnera looks better than it did in spring and ferns are relishing it. My lamium orvala does not seem to have coloured up as nicely as yours – will have to check in daylight but I think that mine looks decidedly jaded – almost rusty compared to the delightful shades that the leaves on yours are showing 🙁
Anna, I’ve never noticed the colours on the lamium before, maybe its all the extra moisture we’ve had. As you say, ferns are really enjoying all the extra water, they are huge compared to previous years.
Hi Pauline,
Lovely foliage and photos 🙂
There sure is plenty of foliage this year! Many plants have either grown to giantic proportions or put on a load of growth – my Osmanthus and Cotoneast tree for example, although unfortunately part of my privet hedge is still very weak – I’d previously thought perhaps it was due to lack of rain and it being in a sunny position… I’ll have to consider attempting to put compost around its base to feed it instead.
Shhhh, summer hasn’t started! We don’t want to scare it away! 😉
Working between plants Liz, is like being in a jungle, they are so huge! Only problem, the weeds are just as huge in places, hopefully will get them all sorted in the next few days, thats if it isn’t too hot!!
dear Pauline, all your foliage plants were looking lovely, the pics were lovely – then I saw the Miscanthus sinensis and everything else looked pale and faded. I want that Miscanthus! I lust after that Miscanthus! Its habit! Its colour! This feeling has been coming on gradually ( doctor) but came to a head when I saw the photo above. It’s so big, I’m not sure where it can go in my garden – but I must have it … this blogging business can be dangerously unsettling, can’t it? cheers, catmint
Oh dear Catmint, you have got it bad, I don’t know if there is a known cure apart from buying one!! I think the flower heads are the best of the miscanthus family, a lovely purple colour, and then it dies back so gracefully in the autumn when it turns a beautiful golden colour, what more could I ask for?! I too have been tempted by photos on someone else’s blog, it can be addictive!
Gorgeous foliage there. I’ve been enjoying the warmth and gorgeous sunshine and tackling my garden which had been rather neglected. Some plants have just gone crazy with all the rain. And my aeonium is looking good too. Wouldn’t it be lovely if it could stay like this till the end of October and make up for the start of the year? I know, unlikely, still I can dream.
Our garden too WW, has been neglected with all the rain, just couldn’t get onto all the borders to keep up with the weeds, had to be very careful where I pointed the camera for the photos! Now it is so hot, so it will be my shady borders that get done this afternoon, have to do the sunny ones first thing in the mornings, can see me out there in pjs and wellies!
Hi Pauline, I like all the splashes of burgundy in your garden. That dramatic color can really adds something extra to any garden’s standard shades of green. I have never seen Lamium orvala before. I have several lamiums, but not this one. The rosy-green colored leaves are really nice.
Jennifer, the Lamium orvala grows to about 2ft high, it obviously loves the shade, but I have never known it change colour like this, maybe an overdose of rain!
Lovely rich foliage and stunning colours make it everything look so healthy, bright and vibrant. That is one good thing for me living in the UK we get such good rainfall that the foliage really flourishes from it.
Hi Lilah, thanks for visiting my blog Most people moan about the rain, but honestly, the plants have certainly benefitted this year, shows us how much the plants really need, they are twice the size!
R. glauca with purple cotinus looks amazing and what to say about the other pics? You mix textures brilliantly. The pond doesn’t look like a pond at all but it looks beautiful (whatever it is!) 🙂
Does aeonium enjoy rain? I thought it wanted dry soils… I’ll get one of those black things one day…
Hi Alberto, yes, aeonium does like dry soil, it is in a pot with very well drained soil and in the summer survives on rain, which we have had rather a lot of lately! The heads are getting bigger and bigger which is rather good.The pond is still there, nice and full thanks to the rain, its just that we can’t see it, due to everything growing so much, one day I’m going to have to get in there and start cutting back, but not just yet, too busy enjoying the sunshine!!