Returning to the garden after a week in Suffolk was not a pretty sight. The roses were brown or balled up, never going to open and the slugs had been feasting on the young dahlias and china asters. The ailing anemones looked so bad they were swiftly dug up and disposed of. I suspect some kind of wilt disease, the treatment suggested by one website was solarisation of the soil. If only there was some sun to reach into the shady spot were the anemones grew. It feels like that time when early summer moves into late summer. It’s only the first week of July. Whatever happened to mid summer? I think there’s still time for a few lazy sunny days. In the meantime here’s this weeks six.
One
On a happier note. Last year I bought an achillea ‘Terracotta’ which flowered yellow and was not to my liking. This year it has come true to its name and I like it much more.
Two
The astrantias are in full flow now. These are ‘Roma’ which are self seeding. There will be some ruthless thinning at the end of summer.
Three
The hydrangeas seemed late into flower this year but they have come good in the last week or so and of course are happy with the rain. I resisted cutting them back in March, probably not doing it until late April as the weather was so unpredictable. These are variety unknown, a happy inheritance from the previous owner.
Four
It’s definitely a sign that summer is moving on when the penstemons start to flower. These are ‘Sour Grapes’.
Five
The clematis has been colonised by black fly this year but is flowering well. I have spotted several ladybird larvae on the plants so I hope they have been feasting away. There are hundreds of black fly on offer.
Six
A rose to end with. ‘Scepter’d Isle’. After a serious round of dead heading I was very happy to see that some blooms remained to enjoy a few days sun before the rain arrived again.
It’s a gloomy day here so I will have draw on memories of a week by the sea with two gloriously sunny days, a couple of windswept walks and fish and chips – the perfect British holiday. Now it’s back to some gardening – so much more deadheading of roses to be done. One of the plum trees is for the chop – this week or by the end of the month and, fool that I am, I will sow some more carrots – so far only a paltry few have germinated. Enjoy your gardening this week, drop by The Propagator’s place to see the links to all the other SOS posts, and of course there is some sport to be watched.
n20gardener 
Such great plants. Love that terracotta-coloured Achillea, and just look at those hydrangeas, you can really tell they are enjoying all this rain, even if their caretaker isn’t! The Astrantia is also really impressive, I think they like it damp too! Hopefully you’ll get some mid-summer days, we can’t continue like this all summer, can we?
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So hope the weather changes soon, sooo cold today!
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Am enjoying my first evening out in the garden in what feels like a long time. It may not last long!
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I really like the colour combination for the Achillea and the Geranium – it works so well!
The inherited Hydrangea is a nice one.
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Thank you, I inherited a good selection of weeds but also one or two gems for which I am very grateful 🙂
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Hydrangeas already! You are way ahead of me because here they really suffered at the end of winter and are very late. A nice mix of achilleas and geraniums next door
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So much is late or smaller because of cold temps. An interesting year!
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Ah, white hydrangea! We have only a few white ones, of various forms. A few are low florist types. A few behind them are taller landscape types. They are important because one of the landscapes around a small chapel gets exclusively white blooms. I relocated the white ones from other landscapes, and left the colorful sorts where they were. In the future, I will grow coppies of the larger white ones. They are not so common.
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I have one called runaway bride (I think) which is an American variety. White of course!
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Cultivar names can be so weird, even if fitting.
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I had to check and yes it is called Runaway Bride!
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I would be too embarrassed to grow that in my garden, or if I did, I would be too embarrassed to admit to it.
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I’m so glad Terracotta has come true this year. I also bought it last year and it is so close to flowering! That Hydrangea is a beauty. Does it stay white or fade to pink?
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Now you’ve got me thinking- I think it does go a bit pink…not too much though.
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I have an Achillea which should be flowering soon I hope, it is supposed to be a deep red, but who knows! My roses went the same way as yours, in fact some even went mouldy! Yuck! I have two new astrantias this year, I do hope they grow as well as yours have.
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The astrantias took a year or two to muscle in! Good luck with your achillea, I had one called Summer Wine but I haven’t seen it so far this year. Hmmmm.
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Hmmm… indeed. Amazing how many of these plants simply disappear!
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So I am not the only one with mouldy roses, feel relieved 😅
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Far too much rain and humidity for roses. I do hope we can have some drier weather.
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We had our first dry day in a long time today. Mowed the lawn and now lounging in the deckchair, dinner will just have to be late 😉
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