and the livin’ is easy…
Back in Cornwall for this week’s six and after a week away in nearby Somerset most of my week has been spent in the garden, weeding and pulling out the FMNs, visiting a nursery for compost for the tomatoes and peppers, and potting up some summer annuals. The weather has been warm with some rain mostly through the early hours, though I have still had to take the hose to the containers.
1) Star of the garden this week has to be the lovely Clematis Nelly Moser. I gave her a light prune in the autumn, back to a good pair of buds, and then let her wind her way through the Chilean Lantern tree. Not the best colour combination I must admit, but both were here before me. There must be at least 35 buds on this clematis this year.
2) And of course the tree in question must feature, looking the best it has been in the five years I have lived here. Crinodendron hookerianum, known as the Chilean lantern tree looks quite exotic. It loves humidity and shade so this corner of the Woodland Border suits it well, especially since I lifted the crown of the Goat Willow trees under which it grows.
3) More plants which have excelled this week are these Lupins. Remember those free plants from a couple of years ago which mostly got eaten by the S&S? Well the survivors are taking over now! Bees love them, so they will stay.
4) Another plant which has gone mad is this Nepeta JUNIOR WALKER ‘Novanepjun’ which is supposed to be compact growing to 0.4 height x 0.4 spread. It is in the dappled shade border and has spread to over 1m. Again the bees are loving it, but at the end of the flowering period I am going to have to split this, though where I put any divisions is anyone’s guess!
5) Rosa Fighting Temeraire has opened and is looking good. Lots of buds. I love the change of colours in this rather loose rose, the peachy/apricot-pink and yellow around the stamens emerge from a deep pink bud. Gertrude Jekyll is also flowering and my red patio rose, but I’ll show you those another week.
6) And now for a new plant. This alpine is a dwarf snapdragon, Chaenorhinum origanifolium ‘Blue Dream’. It is smothered in small purple snapdragon flowers and supposedly hardy. Another flower for the bees.
It will be planted in my new gravel area – you can see the cardboard is down to kill off the grass in the header photo. This area will not have any weed membrane, but will be planted with grasses and perennials and some annuals, that will hopefully self-seed, before being mulched with pebbles. I have decided to leave a very small patch of lawn around the rotary dryer – for the daisies of course – and some bare-foot walking.
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 
The dwarf snapdragon is new to me and looks very desirable. Another one on the list!
Your clematis is gorgeous.
It is pretty spectacular with flowers the size of a dinner plate!
Always a treat to wander through your garden, Jude. Pleased to hear that you managed a week away in lovely Somerset.
Thanks Suzanne. It was a mixed week weather-wise but great to get away and have a change of scenery.
Soooooo lovely! Thank you for this burst of colour and breath of fresh air!
You are very welcome Ju-Lyn 😊
The Clematis really is a star!! It’s a beauty. I don’t know the Chilean lantern is really pretty; it’s not one that I know. As for the lupins…. Wow! I love their colours. I will try and source some seed for next year’s plantings. I do not know the Crinodendron either but is so pretty! You have a lovely variety of colour in your garden Jude.
Your garden is looking gorgeous – especially Nelly Moser. (Clematis is one of my favourite plants but my results with them vary.) The dwarf snapdragon is something I’d like for here – it’s a bonus that it’s good for bees.
I have a few clematis, not as many as the Prop, but not all as amazing as Nelly.
Your clematis Nelly Moser is looking great. I’ve got a young one and I’m hoping for a display like yours in years to come. Fighting Temeraire is a great name for a rose – conjures up all those lovely sunset colours.
I have no idea how long Nelly has been here, but I did cut her almost to the ground a couple of years ago as the only flowers were high up in the trees. No flowers the following year, but much better last spring and then a light pruning only. Might be time to cut right back again after this.
Love your lupines! Mind are a bit sluggish this year, but I’m hoping to add to their little patch. The dwarf snapdragons are interesting, so I’ll look for those, too.
My lupins are actually getting a bit too big! They are in the herb garden, but I have nowhere to move them to.
Wow, truly fabulous.
You’re even further ahead of me though. My garden must be nearly a month behind you now. It’s like looking in an old fashioned gardening book and checking out the different stages across England.
Weird. And yet in Somerset it seemed like the middle of summer in their gardens.
Lovely selection. I’m seeing so many amazing lupins while mine are attacked by aphids. Need to research ways to tackle. Or hijack some ladybirds.
I rarely see ladybirds here. The plant suffering worst from aphids is my Bronze fennel, it is looking really bad and may need to come out.
I still have fennel self seeding from two years ago. I removed it as it didn’t quite fit with surrounding plants but desperate to return.
I also pulled one out a few years ago, before it flowered as it was too big and in the wrong place in my herb bed. I do like them though so I bought this new one and planted it where it wouldn’t bother anything, but it has struggled to get going. Maybe an unhealthy plant that I bought?