#daylily

Six On Saturday: The bees are back in town

/ n20gardener / 16 Comments

I think perhaps this is the first SOS of the summer where I have been struck by the quantity of bees humming through the borders. The sun is shining and the warmth has brought the bees out to forage. It is the best sound of summer. Here’s six from the garden this week.

One

Bee on the allium sphaerocephalon, so much easier to call it drumstick allium. I reported last year that after three years in the garden these had finally asserted themselves and they continue to do well here this year.

Two

I have no idea what this plant is, but it is hosting another bee, hence it’s inclusion. This was inherited, growing in an old wall. It generally does very little at all but this year it has flowered. I like it for clothing wall whether it flowers or not.

Three

The agapanthus that are left to overwinter in the borders have been putting on a show, they are on the turn now but this one, ‘Midnight Star’ deserves an outing for it’s darker blue colouring and of course the bee.

Four

This clematis in bud is included because it has fought back from being ripped off the rose arch and from early season slug attack. There is only one stem, twining its way round the new obelisk but there is promise for next year.

Five

Another in bud flower. The only bud on two clumps of day lilies. They obviously need dividing. But they do suffer from gall midge so I am in two minds about whether to give the ground over to something else.

Six

Out in the front garden it is time for the annual pink/blue/purple hydrangea show. Quite an eye catcher, entirely trouble free and barely ever watered. Winner!

This is time of year when I add another year to the time spent in this garden. I’m up to eight years now and this year I feel the garden has got away from me. September will be a time for dividing, moving and reconsidering. I’ll be having another go at imposing some order on the chaos. I know that July is a turning point for the garden and I shouldn’t judge too harshly but I can see things that have to be dealt with. I’ll continue the fight against the weeds this weekend, most of which are flowering riotously! But as the weather is forecast to be sunny I’ll also enjoy the good things. I hope you do too!

Jim is host of the SOS meme and shares the participant’s guide on his Garden Ruminations website. He also shows an impressive range of plants each week, well worth taking a look.

Six On Saturday: Those flowers keep coming

/ n20gardener / 19 Comments

Spoilt for choice this week. Those second half of summer flowers are coming through and a handsome downpour of rain on Tuesday perked everything up. Here’s my six for this week.

One

This is a plant I never would have chosen to add to the garden. It graces the front garden under a bay window and its intense blue really is quite an eye catcher. I still can’t decide if I like it but it is an inheritance I won’t be rejecting. Lacecap hydrangea btw!

Two

This is a hydrangea I did choose for the garden. It is hydrangea macrophylla ‘Blushing Bride’. I’ve looked this one up and I find that it is that it is part of the Endless Summer range and can flower on old and new wood. Thereby giving flowers from June to October. Well I never!

Three

Hurrah. A Winter survivor. Some penstemons were lost but this is a very healthy looking specimen. If I remember rightly it is ‘Plum Jerkum’ but please correct me if I’m wrong.

Four

I think it is obligatory at this time of year to show a pollen soaked bee in a hollyhock flower. I am happy to oblige.

Five

Here’s my collection of allium sphaerocephalon. Unspellable, unpronounceable and previously a little underwhelming. This year, after about four years in the ground, they have bulked up and their stems can now happily support the flower head. I’ve looked these up as well and belatedly see that they could look good against a backdrop of ornamental grasses. Here they work with gaura and day lilies. Not too bad.

Six

Speaking of day lilies, here is my only other variety. ‘Golden Chimes’ is its name, it’s been in the garden a few years now and about every other year it is divided and spread around a little more.

I’ve had to make a few decisions this week. Gone for the aging choisya, gone for two skimmias and gone for a euphorbia mellifera that I thought would pull through. One border looks a little thin now! On the plus side I spotted new growth from some dahlia tubers left in the ground and a salvia microphylla, aka Blackcurrant sage, has also woken up. I’m looking forward to a few more showers today to keep the hydrangeas happy. I hope the gardening space provides happiness for you this weekend too. Jim, our host, has a fabulous selection to share. Stop by for a visit and drop in on the other SOS bloggers for more gardening delights.

Six On Saturday: Wilful nature

/ n20gardener / 14 Comments

Plan as I might nature always has the final say. This week a fond farewell was said to two box shrubs as caterpillars triumphed. White foxgloves have turned out to be purple. Salvia mainacht did not survive the mild winter and slugs have reduced the number of delphiniums this year. The result is gaps in the border and new planting opportunities. There are careful choices to be made. But there are still six things to enjoy in the June borders.

One

I stay with delphiniums in spite of the risk of slug demolition. Their stately spires are a sight to behold. My most slug resistant clump is one that came from a division from the family garden – Dad’s delphiniums. These are a mix of those and some grown from seed.

Two

The white foxgloves may be almost absent this year but the seeds of the Apricot foxgloves sown last year have come through to flowering and what a soft gentle apricot they are. I hope they can resist becoming muddied by the abundant purple foxgloves.

Three

Wilful nature loves to grow geraniums here. Several varieties self-seed with great generosity. This one is g.psilostomen which has appeared under the roses. Nature often knows best.

Four

This beautiful pink geranium is easy to divide and so there are several corners were its veined flowers give soft edges to the borders. This is geranium sanguineum var. striatum

Five

Nature has also decreed that the lovely daylily ‘Good Shepherd’ is on its way out. Gall midge struck last year. This year it looked so much healthier with a good showing of buds but the midge was lurking and within days the buds shrivelled and turned black. Those that did open are a shadow of the former selves. The advice is to pick of all the infested buds which I fear will leave me with none. Something else will have to be found to fill the space.

Six

So far the penstemons continue to reward without problems. This is a division of ‘Garnet’ (I think, or could it be ‘Firebird’) that I planted in a sunny spot. It’s looking fabulous although I may be in danger of overdoing the hot pinks here.

Nature has been sending in the squirrels to attempt to deconstruct the bird feeder and then to eat the unripe figs. Parakeets descended to take up where the squirrels failed. Fledgling goldfinches and blue tits came to feed but magpies have cruelly been taking baby birds from nests and the fox has appeared several times as I deadhead the roses. It’s all getting a bit much. A garden that looks so peaceful and tranquil is just jumping with action! But I guess that is what is so wonderful. It all takes place on the doorstep and keeps us on our toes. The veg patch has begun to deliver: lettuce and cucumbers and the first of the potatoes will be dug any day now. A sunny weekend beckons so I will be out again sharing ‘my space’ with who ever else is around.

Mr P shares his garden and the links to other SOS posts so stop by and enjoy more stories from June gardens. Have a fun weekend.