First of all let me thank you all for the comments you have made on my previous Tree Following Post. I am currently having intermittent broadband issues, it's been a bit of a hit or a miss if we are getting a connection this last few days. It seems to have rectified itself today but until I try to upload etc I can't be sure.
Because of the issues I will try to keep this post short and sweet! Blooms continue to be a good bit behind the last couple of years, I had hope that they'd have caught up by now but it seems the plants have other ideas. It will be interesting to read if others here in the UK, particularly in northern parts are experiencing similar.
Blooms in the top border have finally made an appearance. Those Alliums have been in bloom for a while and the rest are now playing catch up. The long awaited blooms of Papaver orientale Patty's Plum have finally appeared. I think the name Patty's Plum is stretching it just a tad. I'm not sure I'd describe the colour as plum. There are many more buds to open. Lupins, Aquilegia and Cirsium getting in on the act too. The Pyracantha blooms on the back fence, as does Clematis montanta Marjorie.
In need of work, the narrow section of the long border is full to bursting with Geum Bell Bank and Alchemilla mollis. Whilst Geum Bell Bank is a lovely lookng flower, it's colour is a bit wishy washy for this section of the garden.
In the corner I hope to transform into a small woodland area one day, yet more Alchemilla mollis, Lamprocapnos spectabalis and the variegated Iris pseuodoacorus are currently fill the space. Aquilegia vulgaris Purple Emperor in the background is just about finished blooming. It's looking rather scruffy now.
Over the shadier side, the candelabra Primula are just about finished, as is Lamium orvala. Lupin The Page to the left of the screen is looking particularly good right now, it's strong scent is a bonus too. The small yellow bloom in the centre is Trollius acaulis, a dwarf globe flower. Corydalis Heavenly Blue planted earlier in the year is settling right in. I long for the days those fences are not so visible.
Through the arch, still on the shadier side of the garden, this bed is a real eclectic mix of plants.
I widened this border last autumn and moved plants around in a bit of a hurry, work is needed to balance it off a bit. The only Heuchera, H. Binoche left in the garden now picks up the colour of the blooms of both Astrantia Moulin Rouge and Ruby Wedding. In this border, the blues come from the Corydalis and Polemonium. A couple of hardy Geraniums are almost in bloom too. Clematis Scartho Gem at the far right is blooming it's heart out. This is a reliable group 2 clematis that I find does not suffer wilt as can the others that I have gradually removed from the garden.

On the sunnier side of the gravelled area is still rather green. An unknown blue hardy Geranium is blooming alongside the first blooms of Clematis The Vagabond (another reliable group 2 variety). The white flowered catmint, Nepeta x faassenii Alba and yet more Allium Purple Sensation are also blooming here. The variegated honeysuckly Lonicera x italica Harlequin is blooming in the corner, the scent is gorgeous yet the blooms just kind of fade into the background of the brown fence.
The side garden right now Aconitums and Peonies await their turn. I am hoping that since all the peonies are so late they might have escaped the worst of the wind and rain and their blooms just might not suffer quite as much as they would in a normal year. We shall see. The variegated Rhododendron Goldflimmer is standing out right now, Along with some Geranium sylvaticum Alba. The peachy coloured faded blooms of pink rhoddie are at that scruffy looking stage.
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Rhododendron Goldflimmer |
Out of shot and in the middle of all this the Zantedeschia aethiopica flowered this year. Threatened with removal should they not buck up their ideas last year. They obviously took heed. I like it when a plant reacts positively to my threats.
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Zantedeschia aethiopica |
I bet there are masses of you with roses and other summer delights blooming this bloom day post but right now in my garden, there is only a tiny glimpse of what I hope will become a proper floral display of the roses in the front garden. Yes, this is it, the only rose bud with even the remotest hint of impending colour.
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Rosa Port Sunlight |
Readers will know that the front garden is the subject of my EOMV posts and some of you might remember that all the Iris I brought along from my brother's garden have been very slow to get going in my garden. 3 years in fact. This year it's a real mixture of pleasure and disappointment. All the individual plants have opened to be the same variety. For weeks I inspected each of the buds for signs of impending colour but eventually all 6 plants that have bloomed have turned out to be the same. There are still around 5 plants that are foliage only so in the coming years I might just get something different. According to the British Iris Society, the plants I have are possibly I. Indian Chief.. The colour is not disappointing, they all fit in perfectly with the colour scheme out there, so all's good in that respect. But, there's always a but, isn't there? The pale lemon dwarf Iris are just too pale and need to find an alternative home in autumn. Another disappointment is of the 25 dutch Iris (I. Bronze Beauty) I planted back in autumn, only 6 of those bulbs have come through. The first one to open is certainly not a bronze beauty either! As you can see, it's clearly very blue!
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Geum Totally Tangerine, Alchemilla erythropoda, Erysimum Fragrant Star and bearded Iris Annuals Sanvitalia Aztec Gold and Begonia Burning Embers temporarily fill gaps for the summer |
I got round to finding a replacement for the Geranium renardii that did not fit in with my scheme. The plugs of Begonia Burning Embers I purchased back in February and brought on on the kitchen windowsill had been destined to be grown in a pot by the front door but then decided that they'd do a better job here in the ground. I'm sure the more observant amongst you will notice those gorgeous red blooms too. I just could not resist those when I was in a GC on Saturday. Alstroemeria Princess Kate needs a permanent spot in the ground but for now, I'll keep her in the pot until I find the right spot for her when the roses are in bloom. There will be plenty more to say on the planting out here at the end of the month.
Lastly, a close up shot of Alstroemeria Princess Kate. The fact that she was purchased on the very same day that our very own Princess Kate had her first official engagement after the birth of Princess Charlotte is a mere coincidence. I hope she like it here!
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Alstroemeria Princess Kath |
It's time now to pop over to
May Dream Gardens and see what's blooming in your garden right now. Thanks for reading and have a great week!