Continuing on from the theme of last week: losing the plot, all is still chaos in the garden. It’s been a busy week. The house is encased in scaffolding. Painters and roofers are everywhere. Good for them that it hasn’t rained, not so good for me. There is watering to be done and weeds to be pulled. It is time to cut back the hardy geraniums and delphiniums, which, once done, will definitely bring the garden back into some sense of order. But then who wants order in the garden? Let the flowers rule!
One
I call these shasta daisies, but I have a distant memory that they have been renamed. Or maybe it is just that they have a formal classification name as well. Of course I didn’t get round to giving them a little bit of support so they have happily sprawled over the path. That path is getting hard to find these days. These have been in the garden, grown from seed, for three years now. Doing well I think.
Two
Suddenly the day lillies have burst forth. I have ‘Golden Chimes’. I can’t quite remember why I chose these. I really have a hankering for ‘Flore Pleno’. But these will do – for now. Day lillies are a sign, for me, that the season is moving on.
Three
Sidalcea also indicate a change over is taking place. This is ‘Stark’s Hybrid’. This came to the garden last year and is beginning to clump up. It should be very good next year. It is in the mallow family and is not too dissimilar to hollyhocks but quite a bit shorter.
Four
Speaking of which, the hollyhocks this year are not quite at the giddy heights of last year but there is still time. They seeded everywhere and I have realised that you need to be quick to pull out any unwanted ones. They develop very long roots that put up quite struggle.
Five
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Whirling Butterflies’ was a feature of SOS posts last year and after spotting it in a garden in France I was convinced that I had to have it here. This is the first summer of flowering and it is not an established clump. It does look beautiful swaying in a breeze, very summery. I have high hopes of this making a bigger impact next year.
Six
There always has to be a rose at this time of year and this week it is ‘Darcey Bussell’. Beautiful scent, fabulous colour and full of flower. What more can you ask for?
For more summer highlights visit Mr P’s garden and you will find yourself meandering down garden paths from around the world. Highly recommended.
From the Albert 1er gardens just off the Promenade des Anglais. A great selection of tropical plants, all of which were unknown to me except under the vague heading of palms or cactus like things. This one did have an information board close by so I can tell you it is Asparagaceae Dasylirion Longissium LEM. or Totem du Mexique. Frost resistant to -12 degrees apparently.
From a sun baked border at the Musee Matisse in Cimiez. A mixture of the familiar and the exotic.
I have long wondered if I should incorporate some grasses into the garden and I love this combination. Does anyone knows what the planting is? I don’t think it would fit the scale of my garden but it was so light and feathery that it did go on the ‘in my dreams’ list!
More beautiful grasses and ? I hope the photo is clear enough for you to put forward suggestions.
A riot of colour to end on. I wish I could get my garden to look like this in September! Maybe this is the result of good deep borders and planting for height. Something for me to consider.
n20gardener 