July 7th, 2012

A week into July, and the garden slowly changes, showing it's penchant for yellow 

in the mid-summer months.

The first flush of roses is fading fast, and I have snipped away large branches to make breathing room for the  lilies that have been planted at their feet.

The white astilbe is flourishing in front of a vigorous fever few plant

and behind it I am nursing the small Philadelphia Orange that seems to be doing well in the shade.

A red poppy whose seeds came down with some of the compost is preparing

to put on a show, and rival the bee balm for scarlet  splendour.

A white shasta is tucked away in the bottom corner of the raised bed,

where it doesn't seem to be getting enough water

although the canterbury bell growing beside it is doing quite well.

I see that a small depot of the Chinese Underground Railway has become established

in the same quarters, and there will be Chinese Lanterns again in the garden.

Today I cut back the Oriental poppies, and soon the delphinium will be busy making seed.

A nice trimming might produce a few blue stocks in October!!

All of the roses are beginning to look a little ragged after their beautiful June revelry.

They fade and the petals fall on to the newly cut grass, and the

fragrance of the rose and the scent of the grass is heavenly in the early morning.