The Garden, midsumer

August 4th, 2013

 

 A late lily - double perfection

 



The phlox made a lovely showing on the Altar, along with some yellow daisies

 

 

The Barn Flower chose to worship against the bright blue sky.  It is doing well for its first year planting.

 

In amongst the raspberries the Rudabeckia stakes its claim.

 

 

I have cleared the side bed of all the greedy violets that do not flower, but gobble up

each and every available space - it looks much neater now.

Finally, some beautifully scented potted nicotiana - fragrant in the evening, - and below, a nice spot to sit and enjoy the coolness that comes with the setting sun.

The Rose of Sharon proves once again that there is nothing like a good pruning

to produce gorgeous blooms

 

and at the gate, a cheery yellow greeting



 

A hot July, - a hot, hot July, - but the first of August

has brought a little respite

and I look for the second flush of roses, and must remark

on the early persistence of the new Wisteria Vine that already

has a strangle hold on the back fence.

 

 

 

 

The first part of July in the Garden

July 16th, 2013

June was cool and showery - July, so far, has been fairly warm, hovering most afternoons around 30 degrees centigrade. so it's early morning for me as far as maintenance goes.  And for the last week I have been able to hear the morning song of the birds.  It is quiet in the back garden and a lovely place to have the first cup of coffee, and then to fill the cup with raspberries for breakfast.  The pale berries have been a good size, and bearing well.  The red berries are later, - smaller, but sweet.

All the June flowers have faded and gone - the roses, the delphinium, the foxgloves.  I am hoping the foxglove will reseed so I can truly say I have been successful at growing them.  I have cut back the delphinium so they will hopefully bloom again in the fall, and of course expect an August flush of roses. 

All is now yellows and oranges as we approach mid summer, - the rudabeckia, the day lilies, the barnflowers, and eventually the sun flowers, although none are yet in bloom .

At the beginning of the month the lilies were gorgeous.  The ones I brought from the garden on the hill were not as large as usual, but very prolific.

 
 

The red and the pinks and the yellows that were in the garden when we moved here were lovely, but rather overgrown by the roses and the quince bush, both of which will have to be severely pruned.

Of course the star of the show was the exotic Spider Lily which I planted in pots with a dahlia and some alistras, which is yet to bloom.

 

 

 

 

 

The back garden is really very inviting and quite quiet and enclosed.  Of course the whole property is very enclosed and private, but there is always the side fence to lean on and talk to neighbours.

  The Bergamot does not make the same brilliant show as it did on the hill, but that is because there are not as many of them.  In time they will dominate the top half of the raised bed, and hopefully attract more hummingbirds to feed.

 

 The Shasta daisies have been quite untidy, leaning into the sunflowers and the wisteria vine against the fence, but they have been very large and saucy with their

yellow button centres. 

 

 

At the front the Rose of Sharon is responding nicely to the good pruning Frank gave it.

 

and here is my crop of potatoes!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and one last picture, - the nicotiana in small pots, ready to scent the spot where I sit.

 

 

Waiting for the Sunflowers and the Barn flower to come into its own!

The end of June in the Garden

 June 28th, 2013

Suddenly our cool rainy weather has been displaced by a hot summery High and soon all the wrapped up hoses will have to be stretched out and the sprinklers will start their hot weather schedule.

It has been such a treat for the flowers - everything has been so exuberantly verdant!

 

 

Gorgeous roses, but coming to the end of the first flush now.

 

 

 

 

and out in the back garden the Mister Lincoln and A. Darby got all tangled up

with the white delphiniums that grew so tall they were vulnerable

to the wind and stormy weather and were bent all hither and yon

 

 

The Lilies are coming into bloom,   magnificent long buds

that have slowly opened during this day.

 The purple clematis by the front gate have covered it in great profusion.

 

 

and all the pots are doing famously

 

 

Soon yellow will be the predominant colour in the garden as all the

rudebeckia and yellow daisies

turn their faces to the sunshine

 

 

We will see how everything manages with the warm weather of July.