Garden Report 2007 - 16

Again there had been a long break without me being able to get out into the garden. The weather this week has been better, and after all our visitors had departed I have managed to start to get it back under control. I have been out for a couple of hours each afternoon from Tuesday through Friday weeding, cutting back the aquilegias, and pulling out the poppies and the purple/pink plants with the grey/green foliage (no idea what they are) before they set seed, as they do tend to take over. Anne asked me to try to save her a pink one despite my warnings, and hopefully the one that I trimmed and potted up will survive. Starting from the rockery end I have caught up to where I got to from the other end in my last stint. It is looking a lot neater now, but I still need to do the top where nettles are coming back through and there is one area where the bind-weed is taking over.

Shrubs

New from the last report I have three hydrangeas in flower. This blue one as at the top left of the high bank.

There is a pale pink one half way up the left of the high bank.

This rather magnificent deep pink one is really only visible from the window of the upstairs spare bedroom. It obviously is thriving on neglect as I have only managed to climb up there twice since we moved in to pull out the weeds, nettles and brambles.

The potentillas are still flowering well. The spiraeas are beginning to go over now.

Climbers

I don't know if I should count this clematis as a climber as it is resolutely ignoring the trellis. However, it is flowering...

I need to get up the high bank and find/rescue the clematis I had planted up there. It had been making its way up one of the large alliums that were planted around it, until the strong winds flattened it.

Janet gave me this everlasting pea last year. It had such a large root that I could not easily dig a deep enough planting hole for it and ended up mounding soil around it as best I could. It does not seem to have minded and is now thriving.

Bulbs/Corms

I could hardly believe it when I saw the cyclamens I have in a pot near the house were flowering.

A few of the schizostylus, which are supposed to be autumn flowering, are also being slightly premature.

The allium sphaerocephalon have now taken over from their larger flowered relatives. I had been rather concerned about these when they first came through as they looked so spindly that I thought they would not flower this year, but they have done me proud.

I am expecting a load more bulbs from J Parker to arrive possibly at the end of this month or early next. I just hope the weather is compatible with getting them in...


Perennials

This is another of the day lilies that I brought up with me. It must be a good couple of months later flowering than the lemon-yellow one at the top of the drive.

The two jasiones from the J Parker cheapo collection are both flowing now. Also putting in flowering performances are one of the chrysanthemums, one of the achilleas (deep pink colour which should not have been a surprise since it was called Cerise Queen) and what I think is the lychnis - deep scarlet.

The ground cover star this time round is the sedum which is provided large carpets to deep pink.