Well this week, temperatures have been a bit lower, and we've had a bit of rain, so plants that were struggling are looking a bit happier. Because of the near drought conditions, the black fly on my Cardoons are atrocious, I'm getting up a stepladder and trying to wash them off with soapy water, and the blue tits are trying to help, but it feels like a losing battle. When the flowers open, I'll certainly include them in my #SOS.
I'm finding that even if I don't choose a particular plant, someone else has, and I'm discovering names for plants I hadn't put names to before, so my Sisyrinchium I discover from Janet Latham is called 'Quaint and Queer'. It was originally bought from Midney Gardens, one of my favourite places. I'd recommend #SOS to anyone who loves gardens and gardening.
But onto my choice of 6, starting with a geranium whose name I don't know, it spreads outwards and is a delight, it's a relatively long flowering one with delightful cut leaves:
Next is Nepeta 'Six Hills Giant', I bought this one because it's tough and good for bees, and has proved so. I gave it a Chelsea chop last year and it sulked, so this year, I'm not doing that. I'm also interested in Nepeta Grandiflora 'Summer Magic' as enjoyed by Ian and Teresa Moss.
Next up is Penstemon 'Evelyn' chosen for it's tiny flowers and general vigour. Bees do however find the trumpets too small to get into and puncture the base of the flower.
Another pink flower right beside the penstemon is Linaria 'Canon Went' again thank you to Janet Latham for the name. Purple linaria look like weeds, but I love the pink ones.
The odd one out in this six, is the fox tail lily or Eremurus I bought a pink one and an orange one, the other has died, but this is looking great just now.
And my sixth is Pimpinella major Rosea, it's a delight, comes up every year, and lives in quite a shady corner.
So here's my six together, I love the way the collage makes them magically slightly different.
Before you go, please have a look at the host, The Propagator's choice for this week. He's all about Geraniums, and has a great selection on his blog
In the meantime, it's hard to keep up with gardens at this time of year, but we are still getting more hours each day to spend out there!
I'm finding that even if I don't choose a particular plant, someone else has, and I'm discovering names for plants I hadn't put names to before, so my Sisyrinchium I discover from Janet Latham is called 'Quaint and Queer'. It was originally bought from Midney Gardens, one of my favourite places. I'd recommend #SOS to anyone who loves gardens and gardening.
But onto my choice of 6, starting with a geranium whose name I don't know, it spreads outwards and is a delight, it's a relatively long flowering one with delightful cut leaves:
In the meantime, it's hard to keep up with gardens at this time of year, but we are still getting more hours each day to spend out there!
I am unfamiliar with what a "Chelsea Chop" is, but I cut my catmints and catnips to ground level after they flower (some already have been done, like Walker's Low), and they always bloom a second time in summer.
ReplyDeleteI love how bees "nectar rob!" Big fat bees do it because they don't fit, and honey bees have actually learned by watching, and now they use the holes.
The 'Chelsea chop' is done just around the time of Chelsea flower show to things like sedums which tend to grow big and lanky. In th eRHS magazine, I have just read about the 'Hampton Hack' which is a trim for Salvias around the time Hampton Court flower show which normally takes place at the beginning of July, to prevent them getting too leggy, and encourage flowering late into the year.
ReplyDeleteYes the nectar rob is fascinating to watch.
ReplyDelete