#leucanthemum

Six On Saturday: Magic water

/ n20gardener / 11 Comments

I have been fearful of going into the garden of late. Wilting courgettes and parched tomatoes greeted my every appearance. The flower garden drooped and the lawn is brown and crispy. Today we finally have a good downpour of rain which will hopefully last for most of the day. Stored water is replenished and the good soak will help the garden revive. Here’s six from the garden this week.

One

The agapanthus are getting into full swing. These are ‘Midnight Blue’, a slightly darker version. I think they are a little darker than the camera captures them here.

Two

In comparison, I have several clumps of an unknown variety. These came from the old garden nine years ago now and have been faithfully appearing every year since. I’m hoping there’s no agapanthus gall midge to worry about for a few more years.

Three

The hollyhocks are a good example of a plant that is growing shorter and with smaller flowers this year. Perhaps the magic water will give them a surge of growth.

Four

On the other hand the leucanthemum superbum are having a riotous time. They have probably grown taller than any year since they were grown from seed some eight years ago. Much loved by hoverflies and apart from the need for vigilant staking they are trouble free.

Five

These white phlox also came from the old garden and have been moved around this garden a few times. They have done particularly well in this sunnier spot and have not suffered as much from the drought as my magenta phlox.

Six

The hibiscus ‘Red Heart’ was planted a couple of years back to replace a box that had succumbed to blight and caterpillars. The box was a blob that I inherited. This is a far more interesting plant to fill the space.

Oh dear, there seems to be a lull in the downpour. I hope there is more to come. I do have beans and raspberries to pick so a little break in the rain can be welcomed. The first courgettes are coming through and the potatoes continue to supply in reasonable quantity. It’s a quieter weekend for me so I plan to read more SOS posts and catch up with the gardening world from Jim’s Garden Ruminations website. Happy gardening to you all.

Six On Saturday: A supermarket rescue and other joys

/ n20gardener / 16 Comments

August is the month for destruction at the supermarket flower section. Rows of sad, wilting plants reduced in price, past their best but holding out the glimmer of hope for a rescue. For a pound I was tempted and brought one home. It was submerged in water and left in a shady place to rehydrate. Thankfully it did and here it is.

One

Leucanthemum ‘Broadway Lights’. I would have taken more but the others really did look past all hope.

Two

August brings the arrival of the late summer flowers.  This year this includes some late sown plants, the first of which is this cleome.  I have about a dozen of these dotted round in the gaps that also seem to appear at this time of year.  Some I pinched out to achieve a bushier plant with more flower heads, this one was left to grow straight up.

Three

My zinnias, that have been promising to deliver for weeks, have finally made it into flower.  More much appreciated magenta pink, although it looks more red here.

Four

This year I dug up several bits of the rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’ to give to friends and to plant elsewhere in the garden.  The main plant has responded with even more vigour and makes a striking focal point for the late summer border.

Five

I have been waiting for sometime for the supposedly thuggish anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’ to live up to its reputation and spread itself widely over the shady end of the garden.  It’s in year three and finally looks as though it is about to make an effort.  Perhaps this year the weather has been a little kinder.

Six

Rose of the week is ‘Scepter’d Isle, every time it flowered this year the rains fell and its lovely flowers were ruined.  Finally it can show off its elegant form, but briefly I fear as the wind and rain of today is giving it a good thrashing.

The winds are picking up here, all the pots that stand on a wall have been moved down to the ground and the fig tree is swaying wildly in the winds.  I wonder what will be left standing for next week’s six.  Seems like the perfect day to catch with some SOS reading.  All the links can be found on The Propagator’s blog and reading his contribution is a good place to start.  Wishing you and all your gardens a safe weekend.