Come sit on the ‘Zen’ patio and enjoy a cold glass of Sauvignon Blanc with me this week and we’ll have a look at what’s flowering here at the moment. The patio is directly off the conservatory/orangery and has one shady side (next door’s barn + two Goat Willow trees) and one side facing south which is in full sun most of the day during the summer. This is where I place my Aeoniums and Jade Plant and Pelargoniums. It is also the side where the Butler’s sink is though that keeps getting shaded by the Japanese anemones that grow here. Down the side of the conservatory you can see two large clumps of Crocosmia which are just about to flower. On the shady north-side are pots of Violas, Impatiens, Regal Pelargoniums and scented-leaved pelargoniums and several Auricula.
The Sunny Side of the Patio
- I bought several named Violas this year as I was impressed with some I bought from the supermarket. They should last a few years if I remember to cut them back in August and again in October. They are growing in individual pots and three of the five are doing well, the other two have been badly eaten by slugs.
Morwenna
Fiona and Delicia
Elaine Quinn and Isabel - Some of the more exotic plants include Kangaroo Paw, Aeonium ‘Zwartkop’ and Phygelius x rectus ‘African Queen‘ (Cape Fuchsia) which has profuse clusters of fuchsia-like, salmon-orange flowers adorned with a yellow throat.
Aeonium and Pelargonium
Phygelius
Kangaroo Paw
Phygelius
Jade Plant and Kangaroo Paw - I also have filled two of my blue glazed pots that had tulips in during the spring with Cosmos Apollo Mix. Pink, white and a deep pink along with scented pelargoniums.
Cosmos
- On the shady side you will find the Hosta (now rather chewed despite daily searches for snails) and the Fatsia Japonica as well as hardy geraniums in the raised wall. This is where the wooden wind chime is hung too, which creates a gentle sound.
- In the butler’s sink are mostly spring flowering plants, but this Lewesia has only recently stopped flowering. I didn’t know what colour it would be when I bought it from Secret Gardens, but it turned out to be white. I would have preferred one of the orange or pink ones, but it is still pretty.
- And this pretty blue Moroccan style lantern has been with me for a few years spending the summer months outside. As you can see the Sweet William are still flowering on!
It’s a colourful spot and quite a sun-trap, but you can always move into the shade if you need to. I like to spend time sitting out here reading a book when I am not busy dead-heading flowers or pulling up weeds or watering the pots. There are more pots, but as the Prop only allows us Six on Saturday I have had to restrain myself. Maybe we’ll have a look at six more another week.
As always, if you want a peek over other people’s garden walls then please pop over to our host, the lovely Jon, AKA ‘The Propagator’ where you find links to many more wonderful garden enthusiasts from all over the world.
See here for the participant’s guide.
Cornwall in Colours 
Lovely Jude. I must up my pot game. I have quite a few but would like some larger pots to vary the planting a bit (and to lessen the watering required)
Large pots are lovely, but the terracotta and glazed ones are expensive and I find they are too heavy for me to lift now.
Wow, Jude. With a garden like this, you must be busy all summer long! So very pretty. I love that blue lantern. It adds a POW to all the greenery around it.
It’s the quiet period now really, just dead-heading and watering and generally tidying up. A gardener’s work is never done! Planning the bulb planting now 🙂
Ohhh. Every fall I think I should be planning to put down bulbs. It never occurred to me that I should be doing the planning in mid-summer!
Yup! Get the bulb catalogue out now!