With all the hot weather that we have been having, everything seems to be flowering at once, but in the heat, plants are going over faster than normal and I seem to spend most of my time deadheading to keep the borders looking presentable. Thank goodness the weather this week is cooler for the plants and me.
Clematis Pagoda
This clematis has done ever so well this year, I’ve never known it to have so many flowers before.
Trachelospermum asiaticum.
This was bought as T. jasminoides. but the flowers are cream rather than white, the perfume is still absolutely fantastic though. This is climbing up the pergola.
A few roses.
There are so many roses flowering at the moment, I have chosen just three to represent them all. Top left is Evelyn, one of the many David Austin roses that we have, with a sublime perfume. Top right is Rosa glauca with very simple, pretty flowers and gorgeous foliage and along the bottom is Rosa Bonica which just flowers and flowers and flowers…..and doesn’t know when to stop!
Astilbe
This is now time for the Astilbe to be flowering. Accompanying it by the wall of the alpine scree is Saxifrage stolonifera.
A close up of Saxifrage stolonifera
The large lower petals shiver in any passing breeze and the whole plant seems to be dancing.
Hydrangea.
This Hydrangea came to us with my Mum when she came to live here. She had it in a pot and it was pink, it has taken a good few years, but without me doing anything, except plant it in the garden, it is now blue!
Hydrangea.
Another Hydrangea shrub further along the border is another of Mum’s pink ones that is changing colour, a few more years and it should be the same blue as the one above.
Regale and trumpet lilies
Perfume is in the air whenever I walk past one of the borders with these lilies in them. I have grown them in pots, as it is easier to deal with Red Lily Beetle and so that I can just drop them into the borders, wherever I feel they need another flowering plant.
By the gate going into the pond area is Amsonia orientalis.
Philadelphus Belle Etoile
Wowing me with it’s perfume every time I walk past is this Philadelphus with a tiny blotch of maroon at the base of each petal.
Mimulus
By the pond, Mimulus has gone mad, it is everywhere, drastic action is needed! Some can be moved to the bog to fill a few spaces, but I must remember to deadhead it so that it doesn’t take over again.
Fuchsia.
Hardy Fuchsia Delta Sarah is growing as never before because I forgot to cut her back in the spring! She is much better with cutting back, now she is lolling and flopping everywhere!
Penstemon Garnet
This is such a good penstemon, so reliable and so easy to grow from cuttings. We have a few clumps in the garden here, all grown from this plant.
Leucanthemum “Wirral Supreme”
This is still growing in its pot, but it has rooted through into the soil, so it will have to wait for the autumn now, before I can plant it in the border. Bought because it reminds me that once we lived on the Wirral, a strip of land between the River Mersey and the River Dee.
Acanthus mollis.
By the pond, Acanthus mollis has just started flowering. So far, we have had enough rain to keep the huge leaves turgid, last summer they were wilting with the lack of rain.
Conkers.
Not flowers, I know, but this Horse Chestnut tree is covered with small conkers, I hope this doesn’t mean something sinister as usually it doesn’t have very many. I hope it isn’t reproducing before it dies!
Double Geranium.
Most of the plants that I have planted in the garden here have single flowers for bees and butterflies, however, sometimes I plant something just for me! This double geranium is so pretty, I just couldn’t resist it.
Hemerocallis
My last post was about all the day lilies in the garden, these four weren’t flowering when it came time to publish, but they’re here now!
Iris ensata.
My ensata Iris are the last Iris to flower here. They are beautiful flowers and brighten up the back of the bog garden.
Iris and Zantedescia aethiopica.
The shape of the iris contrasts with the Zantedescia aethiopica next to it. I think though that it might look better if some of my blue Iris ensata was next to the Zantedescia, and then the white iris could join the rest of the blue one where there are plenty on the other side of the carving of the Creation.
Iris ensata.
These iris like a good moist soil, so the bog garden is ideal for them. I have a new pink one but so far it hasn’t flowered yet, maybe next year.
Digitalis grandiflora.
I think the grandiflora in this foxgloves name must refer to the size of the flowers because it is only short in stature, barely 18 inches.
Alpine scree.
This tiny rose was given to me many years ago by a visiting friend, it is so tiny in all its parts, only about 9 inches tall, but so beautiful. I thought, where can I plant it where it won’t be swamped by larger plants, and decided that the scree was the best place for it. It was given a handful of better soil and hasn’t looked back, it seems very happy there.
Alstroemaria.
Two alstroemerias in the border by the field, I love all the subtle shades in the bottom one.
Buddleja.
All the buddlejas in the garden are now flowering, but with the cooler weather, where are the butterflies?
Clematis Etoile violette.
Clematis viticella Etoille Violette has escaped the confines of its obolisk and made an escape bid up the dead oak and Rosa Mulligani. I think I forgot to prune this one in the spring!
General view in the back garden.
A general view to finish with, showing, from the left,Clematis Pagoda, Geranium Spinners seedling,the white flowers of Saxifrage stolonifera, red Astilbe, then various small flowers on the alpine scree, backed by Perovskia which has just started flowering.
Many thanks go to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting the GBBD meme each month, please pay her a visit to see what is flowering in other gardens around the world.
A love the Rosa glauca, such simple flowers but so gorgeous. That double geranium is really nice too. And as the for the Clematis, fab!
I like Rosa glauca’s simplicity too Annie, it makes such a change from all the others. I’m rather pleased with the clematis, so many lovely flowers but I think I’ll have to buy a larger obelisk as it has grown too tall for the one already there.
Glad you felt you could add something just for your own pleasure Pauline! Iris ensata is really lovely, as are all of your flowers.
I do sometimes buy plants just for me Susie, but quite often the plants that the wildlife like are the ones that appeal to me too. I only discovered Iris ensata a few years ago and they extend the iris season by another month, but they do like boggy soil which fortunately we have.
I love the the Clematis Pagoda, my friend has it and I always drool when I see it. A lovely selection of lilies. You are lucky to have so many roses still in bloom, mine are mostly past their best. I love the fabulously scented Trachelospermum, mine is covered in pollen beetle, don’ t you get them down there? I love Digitalis grandiflora did you grow it from seed? I have grown Digitalis Trojana his year which is pretty too.
A lot of the David Austin roses are having a rest Chloris, but others are keeping going. We have pollen beetle on other flowers, but so far I’ve not noticed them on the Trachelospermum, it was mainly the poppies that were affected. No, I didn’t grow Digitalis grandiflora from seed, but will be saving some to try this year, I haven’t heard of D.Trojana and will look forward to seeing a photo of it on your blog!
So many beautiful plants! I love the astilbe by the rock wall; the colour is just superb. Your double geranium is splendid…my (supposedly) hardy fuchsias that I grew from cuttings have been cut back completely by the cold this year, they may return, but at least I can enjoy yours in flower!
Penstemon are such a great plant – even when the rest of the garden is dying from heat or cold, or poor soils, they are still flowering away as though nothing has happened!
Thanks Matt, I find that Penstemons are almost bomb proof, make such a good show in the garden and are so easy to increase from cuttings. We have quite a few hardy fuchsias here, thankfully we don’t get very hard winters here so they make it through allright.
I am behind with reading posts so must go back and read about your hemerocallis. Your ‘Pagoda’ clematis is gorgeous – and I must find somewhere for Rosa Bonica too!Your double geranium looks like ‘Summer Skies’ – so pretty, isn’t it? Thanks for sharing all your blooms
I’m so pleased with C Pagoda this year, she has never flowered so well before Cathy. I’m finding July this year is so full of flowers, it’s amazing to see all the borders flowering on all cylinders!
You are being modest when you say July is “busting out all over”, exploding might be a better word! Such a range and variety of beautiful flowers, and the wider views make me wonder how you were able to single out just a few blooms.
The iris are my favorites (although the roses and geranium could easily fill in as well). One day I will plant a few of the Japanese types again. They’re not as bulletproof as some of the others but they are definitely worth it!
You have so many fragrances going on now as well… but the comment which stood out most for me was when you mentioned your unplanted Shasta daisy had rooted in. I’m so glad I’m not the only one with a few unplanted things waiting for a permanent home!
I agree Frank, we do have rather a lot of flowers at the moment! I think Iris is such a wonderful family, they have so many varieties that like my heavy soil, some even preferring boggy soil which of course I’m able to give them, so why do I try to grow the ones that demand good drainage?
You’re certainly not the only gardener that has plenty of plants in the pending file, When I buy them, I know just where they are to go, but then get side tracked into doing something else, usually everything gets planted by autumn, but the poor Shasta Daisy has been over a year in its pot, I completely forgot about it!
Hi Pauline,
You have a rainbow of color! Everything is so beautiful. I love the double geranium and, of course, any and all Clematis. Your Penstemon is gorgeous! Although I love them, I’ve never had luck growing them:(. Enjoy your cool weather!
Happy Gardening!
The garden is certainly colourful at the moment Sally, every border is awash with flowers. What a shame you can’t grow Penstemon, is it your summer heat or winter cold that they don’t like, I wonder?
I’m surprised to see your rosa glauca is flowering now, mine finished a long time ago. But it is a lovely rose, I agree. I don’t know what temperatures you have been having, here it’s been bad. between 27-34 C for over three weeks now and not a drop of rain. I’m just keeping things alive hoping that it will rain tonight as promised. One good things with all the heat, the roses are as healthy as ever with hardly any disease anywhere. I never spray with chemicals, so they don’t always look so great, the foliage that is, but this year it’s very diffeerent.
There are still quite a few buds to open on Rosa glauca Helle, it really only gets early morning sun where it is, so I think it probably started flowering later than yours. We have also had it cooler than you recently, when the temperatures go up, the plants and I just flop! We have had lots of rain promised, but it always seems to miss us, however next week seems to be very wet so the plants will enjoy it and I can catch up on the housework!
Wow – what an abundance – your garden looks beautiful, Pauline! I adore the Saxifrage flowers – they look like little orchids! I read somewhere, that Hydrangeas take about three years to adjust their color to the amount of aluminum sulfate naturally occurring in their soil. You must have quite a bit of it for such a transformation to occur!
We have two hydrangeas right next to the house Anna and they have stayed pink, I think the mortar between the bricks keeps them pink. We have other lacecap varieties further away and they are a beautiful blue too. You’re right the saxifrage flower does look like a tiny orchid, they are so pretty when dancing in the breeze.
Your garden is abundant with blooms Pauline, amazing! P. Belle Etiole is very close to the washing line here in my garden and at this time of the year, hanging out the washing is an absolute pleasure!
Those Saxifrage flowers are incredible. Beauty from something so small. We often miss the beauty of tiny blooms but seeing them close up like this shows the marvels that they actually are.
There is a lot flowering at the moment Angie, deadheading takes a long time these days! How wonderful to have P. Belle Etoile next to your washing line, that turns a chore into a wonderful experience!
I love the tiny saxifrage flowers, they are so pretty!
Looks like we have similar tastes Pauline, except your garden looks to be at least 20 times bigger than mine! I’ve come here via ‘Rambling in the garden’ and will return to find out more about your beautiful garden. The leaves of my Rosa glauca (grown from seed) always gets eaten by caterpillar moths but as it happens after the flowers and the hips aren’t affected I don’t mind. I love your white Iris ensata and your final photograph shows the most wonderful composition of plants.
Lovely to hear from you Sarah, it’s always good to hear from someone new!
What a shame that the caterpillar moths eat your R.glauca leaves, as the leaves are so beautiful and one of the main reasons I grow it. I really like the white Iris ensata, I prefer it to the blue one, but they are all beautiful, no matter the colour.
The garden is lovely! I love hydrangeas very much!
Cheers, Sandra
Thanks Sandra! So glad you like hydrangeas, a lot of people think they are rather old fashioned plants, but I feel they provide so much colour all the way through the summer. I like the lacecap varieties best, they are only just starting to show their colour, but they will all be still flowering into October. Not bad!
What a glorious show! I have to say I enjoyed everything, how lucky you are to have so many gems! BTW…..what is the name of the little pink rose, the third in the rose section? I have one growing, I didn’t plant it so am at a loss a to where it came from!xxx
From what I remember Dina, there were three roses, top left was a double David Austin rose, top right, is this the one you mean, is the simple single Rosa glauca, with little pink flowers and lovely blueish foliage, or the one across the bottom which was R. Bonica. If it was R.glauca, it could be a bird that has deposited the seed as this one would come true from seed as it is a species and not a hybrid. Hope this helps.
Your garden is a refreshment to the eyes with so many wonderful blooms. Love your blue Iris ensata! I am a bit surprised that your philadelphus is blooming now. Mine blooms in May!
July is certainly a wonderful time in the garden Deb, with flowers everywhere. I think our Philadelphus usually flowers in June, we are still a little behind because of our weather, we have had a few really cold spells, maybe we will catch up one day!
Fabulous July blooms Pauline. Clematis ‘Pagoda’ is most eye-catching in a subtle way. I’m most envious of your clump of acanthus. My plant has only ever flowered once.
Thanks Anna, I like C.Pagoda simply because it is so different from a lot of the others, lots of pretty flowers, but as you say, very subtle. The Acanthus is spreading each year, we keep having to take the spade to it and give it a good chopping back, it must like our heavy clay soil !