Weekends and weeks have been busy and the garden has received only fleeting attention. The forecast of heavy rain for Friday saw me up early to sprinkle rose feed around so that the rain would do the watering in job. I managed one afternoon of ruthless cutting back and hardly made a dent in the job. I need to clear the borders to allow the later performing flowers to have their space. It’s easy to feel that there is a mountain to climb but even in that one afternoon there was so much loveliness to enjoy.
One
I planted an awful lot of allium sphaerocephalon last year but I don’t quite have the affect I wanted #neverhappy! But of course I am happy – they are full of bees and are keeping the colour in the garden going. I have no idea how the name is pronounced so I may be using the common name of round headed garlic. Much simpler.
Two
The geranium’ Brookside’ are the biggest culprit for taking up space, stunning when they climb over the early roses but once the flowers go they have to be cut back. They are well established and cutting them back is a major job. My compost heap is heaping up. Each year I dither about getting a shredder but as the garden has been restocked and matured it is obvious to me that this is my next purchase.
Three
I had to get my priorities right today. The deluge of rain has filled the water butts again but with the forecast of more to come I needed to pump the contents of one butt down to the end of the garden to fill the large water tank. I think it holds about 800 litres and is my go to for keeping the veg plot watered. While that was filling up I took the rest of my photos, serendipitiously benefited from the combination of sun and raindrops. This osteospermum is a workhorse in a sunny corner and deserves a mention.
Four
I have given up trying to protect the soft fruits from the birds. I have had a few good pickings of gooseberries, blackcurrants and whitecurrants and I have taken off the netting to share the rest with nature. The whitecurrants look beautiful on the branch but remind me of fish eggs once in the colandar.
Five
I managed to get the last tray of annuals in the ground this morning. I sowed cosmos late so there is not a flower to be seen but the nicotiana also sown late have come in to flower and the combination of heat and rain will no doubt do them both some good.
Six
The rose of the week is Jaqueline du Pre. I really enjoy this one for its difference. It was flattened by the overnight rain but by crawling around on the grass and propping it up on some other branches I managed to get a half decent photo. I spotted an interesting salvia this week – Salvia × sylvestris ‘Schneehügel’ – a white variety. I am going to add this in around the rose. Just can’t stop myself.
I know someone else who can’t be stopped, yes Mr P. Go visit and see what’s happening there and around the world. Seems like the rain can’t be stopped either, its just started again. My empty water butt will be filling up nicely. Happy days.
n20gardener 
Me neither I don’t know how to pronounce the name of this allium Sphae….. So I find that “drumstick allium” is quite appropriate!
The 15 minutes of heavy rain filled my tanks a bit, enough tuntil my return from vacation mid August if it does not rain. Automatic watering and drippers will do the job.
Nice last white rose… simple and elegant.
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We are due some of Europe’s very hot weather this week so I can see I will be using it all up again soon. But it’s more rain than last year.
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Agree with you about the perennial geraniums. They have wonderful flowers but you have to keep them in check.
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I am so glad I found this weekly flower share. I love adding new varieties and seeing them in actual gardens is so much better than garden centers. Are water butts what I know as rain barrels?
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Thank you, I agree with you. Its sharing the flowers and how they actually grow in our gardens. And yes, water butts = rain barrels.
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Done my cutting back of geraniums. They were set to take over the path.
I’ve tried drumstick alliums a few times and I think I’ve always ended up digging them up by accident before they flower. Really should mark where my bulbs are.
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Drumstick alliums is even easier to remember!!
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The Jaqueline du pre rose is stunning. No wonder you’re captivated by it!
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I invested in a shredder a couple of years ago. Worth it’s weight in gold
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I’ll go with “drumstick allium” too. First year I have some in my garden and they are lovely! Like blackcurrant lollies and the white-tailed and red-tailed bumblebees love them.
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Defo get a shredder, and defo get a rotating drum shredder not a spinning blade. The latter jam repeatedly, the former has changed my life! How sad. My geraniums, new this year, have mostly taken off so I can only imagine how enthusiastic they get once established.
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Thanks for the steer to a rotating drum. I’ve cleared all the geraniums now and the heap is piled high.
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Gooseberries and currants do not seem like they would be easy. Because they had never been available in nurseries here, I had assumed that they would not get enough chill. Then, out of the blue, they became available a few years ago. I got three currants and two gooseberries, and they seem to be doing quite well. For now, I don’t mind that birds take the berries, just because there are not enough to do anything with anyway. When they plants get bigger, I will be more protective with them. The native gooseberries and currants are not very productive.
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