HAPPY CHRISTMAS 2017

Wishing you a Merry Christmas.

 I did not have any winter photos this year but wanted to celebrate the Dahlias which flowered well into November giving us months of colour at a time of year when most plants have finished flowering.

Best wishes for a Happy New Year.

HANGING BASKETS IN JULY

Yes I know it is August now but these were July photos and as with most things in my life I am running behind. Where does the time go? 

This years surfinia petunias were chosen in darkish shades of purple and red with pale fuschia and mixed geraniums and blue trailing lobellia they have worked very well so I must consider that for future years.

It is difficult to see where the hanging basket stops trailing and the geraniums growing below stop flowering.

I have chosen Surfinia petunias for several years now because they are by far the best performers for flowering and they also perform better with a weekly feed as well as daily watering if not twice daily on really hot days.

One of the baskets that adorn the gate posts  these are always much admired by passing pedestrians especially when their dogs stop for a drink.

This one in the back garden from the washing line post.

A close up look because the camera doesn't always do the flowers justice especially in my hands.

Lovely fuschia in the baskets by the front door so a close up look as you pass by.

 There is an unusual petunia at the back pale pink due to the lack of choices at the garden center but I probably wouldn't choose them again.

I was given four troughs with paler colour combinations to look after from my daughter so not quite the same colour combinations as I chose but very pretty and add to the variety.

THE JOYS OF GARDENING

I love this time of the year. A view across my vegetable garden or is it Rose and flower garden, you choose.

So delighted with my catmint. Nepata six hills giant, it works so well in the box with the roses and so much less work than the annual cosmos, lupins and other plants I tried over the years. Also brilliant at supressing weeds.

New Dawn

Francis E Lester

Viticella Venosa Violacea

White Flower Carpet struggling a bit.

Giant Scabious -Cephalaria gigantea

Blush Rambler a delightful rose often flowers later than my other ramblers.

Yes it is a vegetable bed.

And a rose bed

Mayor of Casterbridge rose and as you see I always fail to prepare the scene by chopping out spent flowers - if only there was more time.

Sweet Juliet grown on tripods due to their height.

Rosa Mundi a spur from my Dad's garden.

Cornelia

Cottage rose one of my first David Austin roses which was moved three times before I found somewhere it was happy - I have successfully taken cuttings which are shared with my daughters.

Another love Delphiniums best grown together for ease of care.

Another glimpse of Blush Rambler - any volunteers to pull out Bindweed gratefully accepted.

Mayor of Casterbridge again

Rosa Gallica again a spur from my Dad's garden

Veilchenblau such an unusual colour flower quite a curiosity piece for visitors.

Comtesse du Bouchard

Regala Lillies

Arum lillies

Comtesse du Bouchard

A final glimpse before going indoors. Hope you enjoyed my garden.

EARLY JUNE IN THE GARDEN

I have been trying to sort out settings because previous photos when enlarged lost clarity so this post is on original size and very much better definition. The down side being that to see all the photo on the landscape ones then you need to click on the image.

Just to remind you this is the vegetable area in my rose garden.

Experiments taking cuttings.

These seem to have taken fingers crossed for success.

Someone on a garden Facebook group Friendly Gardeners was saying that willow shoots in water helped cuttings to root so I tried a number. Of course most of above roots are willow.

But here is a root from the Coronilla glauca 'Citrina'  I don't have a photo of mine in flower but click on the name for a link to Thompson and Morgan.Interesting that it was the newer growth not the hard wood that rooted. I must take some more cuttings.

This lovely archway is in my neighbour's garden. It is so nice to have neighbours who share your love of gardening and it is such a delightful garden.