Short back and sides

I think now is a good time for me to wander round my kingdom and take stock of what needs doing.  There are a few flowering shrubs that have finished showing off and could do with a haircut.  By cutting back after they have flowered it helps to keep them in their place and also ensures a good supply of flowers for next year.  These include Deutzias, Philadelphus and Kolwitzia.  Also removing the seed heads of Delphiniums, Salvias and Foxgloves will encourage a second flowering if you are lucky.

Pictured above:  Buddleia 'Black Prince'

Paradise Planting

I have a plan, or at least I will have, when I have thought it through.  My veg plot is a little too formal for my liking; serviceable but too rigid.  To make it a little more like a paradise garden I have to mix up the planting a bit.  So for next year I have decided to make a patchwork veg garden rather than straight rows.  Then I can include more flowers in with the veg. So here's the plan:-

To sow purple headed alliums amongst the leeks (same family)
Purple Aquilegias with the red cabbage
Marigolds with the curly kale
Cornflowers with the fennel and carrots
California poppies with the onions
and
Blue anchusa with the purple leaved sage

What do you think - sounds like a plan.  That's all I've come up with so far.  As George Eliot the writer says
"No finical separation between flower and kitchen garden, no monotony of enjoyment for one sense to the exclusion of an other; but a charming paradisiacal mingling of all that was pleasant to the eyes and good for food.

Just by manipulating the rows of vegetables themselves, thinking about contrasts between the shape and texture of their foliage, you can make the plot start to sing.  Although flavour is the prime concern of any fruit or vegetable, experiment with more decorative varieties.  Can't wait to get started!

Pictured above:  Rose 'Compassion'

Colourful Cosmos

Cosmos 'Sensation' is a simple yet beautiful flower.  It is a moderately fast-growing, bushy, erect annual.  I grow it every year - some years it grows better than others, and although it is only meant to grow to about 3ft. it can reach 5ft.  It has feathery mid-green leaves and daisy-like flower heads - perfect for picking as it lasts a long time in a vase.  It comes in shades of red, pink and white and flowers from early summer to early autumn.  This year is a bad growing year, possibly due to weather conditions, but nevertheless, it still deserves a place in the garden.

This is the swelling fruit of a Squash 'Patty Pan' I think, not really sure as the name tag has come adrift somewhere; together with Butternut Squash and Courgettes 'Gold Rush'  and  'Green Bush' I should have enough to keep me going.  They are all grown in the same patch about 3ft. apart to give them plenty of room to spread their wings.  Last year I attempted to grow the squash up frames to save space but the fruit became so heavy that the frames collapsed.  Not one of my better ideas.  The squash 'Sweet Dumpling' is not faring so well - it is in a container, but has hardly grown since I planted it - maybe it's late starter, we'll just have to wait and see.

Ghastly Greenfly

In my garden and the allotment I have planted lots of Sweet Peas which are at their best at the moment.  The ones planted in the ground are doing fine with no problems, but the ones I have grown in a container are covered in greenfly.  Does this mean that the plants are stressed and that has attracted the greenfly - I don't know - but I gave them a good spray with a friendly bug killer this morning in the hope of saving them from devastation.

I grow three varieties of  Sage (Salvia Officinalis) in the garden in my herb beds.  The one pictured above is Tricolour.  This half-hardy cultivar has mild-flavoured green leaves with pink and white margins.  The other decorative Sage is:-

Icterina which is a gold variegated Sage with leaves that are mottled green and gold with a mild flavour.  The third variety that I have is just your basic one, which is used for cooking.

There are several other varieties that I would like to get hold off but I have never seen for sale and they are Pineapple, Red Rooted, Clary, Prostratus and a Purple Sage.  I keep looking in the seed catalogues but they are obviously not as popular as the more common ones that you see.  The funny thing is, that I have had the above varieties for a number of years, even though they are meant to be half-hardy, but they have never flowered.  Not even the common one has flowered, but perhaps it is because I keep them trimmed back so that they don't get too woody.

One of the joys of cycling to my allotment early in the morning is passing by the churchyard in the village.  At this time of year the Lime trees are in flower - the flowers are extremely fragrant and the noise of the bees that are attracted to them  is like a constant hum.  The worlds' most valued honey is made from Lime blossom.  The other name for the Lime tree is Linden or Basswood which refers to the linen-like bass fibres below the bark, once used as cordage (cords or rope, used in rigging of ships).

It's A Jungle Out There!

I may have mentioned before that the area of the allotment garden where I used to keep my hens has been allowed to grow wild in the hope of it returning to a small wild flower meadow.  The trouble with this is that certain wild plants have taken over, namely, Goosegrass, which is a member of ther Bedstraw family.  This plant is a far-straggling weedy annual that grows to 4ft. long, readily clinging to clothing by the tiny down-turned prickles on its fruits, stems and leaves.  It has covered everything; grown up the wire fences, climbed up into the fruit trees, and generally made a nuisance of itself.

I chose a really hot day to try and get rid of it all wearing gloves but not covering my arms - the result of which is that my arms are now covered in a nasty rash that is very sore.  It is easy to pull out, and sticks together in thick swathes - I accumulated enough to make a large 'haystack' that would fill an average shed.  Of course, as I pulled it, all the seed heads fell off, so it will re-appear next year and the whole process will begin again.

As I was clearing up to go home for a welcome bath, as I had become a hot, sweaty mess, I heard a screaming- type noise and went to investigate.  One of the cats from the neighbouring property was in the long grass with something in its mouth.  On closer inspection I saw it was a baby rabbit that was doing the screaming.  I instinctively went after it to try and make it drop the poor thing, but it ran into the hedgerow out of reach.  I know it is in a cats' nature to do these things, and when it is a rat I don't mind so much - well you know where I'm going with this.  So it is a jungle out there in more ways than one.

The June Review

I thought I'd review the borders at the end of each month to see how they change over the year - a good reference for me as to what needs changing/adding/moving next year.  I think you would need to click on to the picture to enlarge it for the full effect.  This is my sunniest border with Lavenders at the front Erysiums and Salvias in the centre and Delphiniums at the back plus Verbena Bonariensis threading through.  The biggest eyesore that doesn't fit in with the overall scheme of things now is the Anthemis which has grown too tall and is definitely now in the wrong place.

This border is in the centre of the garden on the shady side, but it does get late afternoon sun.  It is relatively new and most of the plants in it were only planted this year, after we removed a leylandii hedge that was used as a wind break, as the garden backs on to open fields.  Removing the hedge has opened out the vista of the garden and released more ground for something a bit more pleasant to look at.  Various shrubs  fill the back of this area with a plum and apple tree included plus Apple Mint which has a soft grey, downy leaf which has been left to roam through the planting.

This is the Dahlia bed which is in full swing at the moment underplanted with Nasturtiums which are just coming into flower.

This is one of the raised veg. beds which has been taken over by Californian Poppies, in the space that is left there are Chives, Pinks, Tomatoes, Lettuce, Spring Onions and Climbing French Beans, which are growing up a metal arch.

The Brassica bed is doing well Cabbages are hearting up the Cauliflowers now have small heads, and free of caterpillars, so far, plus no slug damage.  Miracle of miracles. 

The onions in the final bed have all gone to seed, lack of water I think - but, the onions at the allotment look splendid, growing by the day.  The red onions give a real shot of colour along the row, I have not been too successful with red ones before, but this year it looks as though I may have cracked it.

The Friday Flower Collection

A Rose By Any Other Name. . .
Rosa 'Gertrude Jekyll' to be exact.  I bought this David Austen rose yesterday; the fragrance as I walked past it, drew me in.  It has a quartered-rosette and a pinky-blue flower.  Beautiful.  As the name of my home is Rosebank I feel I should include as many roses as I can in the garden - but alas, space is at a premium, and they should be planted somewhere accessible so you can bury your nose right in and inhale the delicate perfume.

All the Dahlias are now in flower.  They range from yellow 'lily', pale pink 'pom-pom', bright pink 'cactus' to deep red.  I will be able to pick them right through the summer, but I am leaving them for a while just to enjoy the bright splash of clashing colour, that I wouldn't allow anywhere else in the garden.

The Ipomoea hederacea (Morning Glory) has just started to climb and flower.  Last year I had a spectacular display twining round a bamboo obelisk.  I sowed the pale blue variety which didn't do very well, but I prefer this purple one with the dark red stripe; I will post pictures when it really gets going.  Another one I grow is Convolvulus which is the same family but with a much smaller flower

A delightful lavender colour called 'Heavenly Blue'.  I grow this in pots of mixed planting and it trails over the edge.  Some years I have been able to keep them over-winter, but it is really an annual.  I may try taking cuttings this year as insurance.