Wild Swan

‘Bay Tree’ Paint

Tomato ‘Tigerella’

Lobelia

Rudbeckia

Jasmine ‘Clotted Cream’

Back to my garden this week for a quick look around. I have been doing a bit of work in it over the past couple of weeks whenever I have had a spare moment. Both raised beds have been weeded thoroughly (though not thoroughly enough it appears) especially the removal of Forget-me-not seedlings of which there are millions. Why don’t I have more success with the seeds I want to grow? Not that I dislike the FMNs, I don’t, I love their colour, but I don’t need quite so many! The smelly Eryngium have been removed and replanted out in the ‘Wild Garden’ i.e. the car park and two roses planted in their place. The Bee and Butterfly bed has also been semi-cleared and a new Leucanthemum superbum planted. Apparently this can also have a ‘distinct’ odour. I will keep you informed.  The two Crocosmia have been pulled out at the side of the conservatory as they were far too big. Several corms have been replanted in the ‘Wild Garden’. Next year could be interesting in that space! The Cosmos are coming to an end and a lot of my pots are looking a bit scruffy. And more bulbs have been ordered.

1. Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Little Goldstar’. I hummed and hawed about the ‘Goldsturm’ but eventually decided on this shorter version which is supposed to have up to 80 flowers through August and September. Attractive to bees and butterflies and hardy and perennial. What’s not to love?
   
2. Lobelia ‘Asda’. A no name version but a pretty deep pink and only a fiver. This one is quite compact too unlike my towering L. Hadspen Purple
   
   
3. The hated Jasmine officinale ‘Clotted Cream’ which I cut down savagely two years ago and carefully pruned last year to inhibit growth, still managed to grow back way too much! More flowers though and they are lovely, I just wish this climber was less invasive and had more flowers in ratio to foliage. In a couple of weeks time I shall be chopping it away again, leaving two out of five stems this time, not three as I did last autumn.
   
4. Japanese Anemones – two new ones joined me this year. ‘Pamina’ with lovely dark pink double flowers and ‘Wild Swan’. Each pure white petal has a distinct grey-violet-blue streak along the reverse which is lovely in the morning and evening when the flowers are closed. These have been planted in the raised bed at the back of the garden which is shadier than the raised herb bed.
   
   

   Wild Swan

   

   Wild Swan

   

   Pamina
5. Tomatoes. I have grown six different types of tomatoes this year and all have produced. Some better than others and all have grown a bit too tall for my conservatory. Next year I think I shall only grow a couple of plants and probably stick to the wonderful ‘Gardeners Delight’ which was exceptionally heavy cropping a couple of years ago.
   
   

   Tomato ‘Caran’

   

   Tomato ‘Tigerella’

   

   ‘Sungold’ and ‘Velocity’
6. Conservatory / Orangery. Nearly a year since I had the roof removed and replaced on this building and it has been a bit of a nightmare. The roof itself is lovely, but we have been tormented by rain coming in on what was the external wall. After several visits by the builder and much sucking of teeth, we hope that we have solved the problem, but only time and rain and wind will tell. A new door and cill sill to replace some rotting wood and finally we have painted the outside – a very pale green – which suits the house and garden I think. Next job, the interior! But that will have to wait until all the tomatoes have been harvested and I can give the inside a thorough wash down!
   
   

   ‘Bay Tree’ Paint

   

It has been a tad windy (again) up here this week with several showers one of which arrived before the paint had properly dried resulting in some spotting on the cills. (Yes it really can be spelled that way, or at least in the building trade, but most of us probably use sill) resulting in another coat of paint. And I suspect maybe another once I know that we are going to have a couple of consecutive dry days!

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.

Six on Saturday