August has been a very mixed month here for weather, lots of rain, and a fair bit of sunshine, but not enough! In spite of this, plants have been flourishing. Shrubs that normally would have dropped their flower buds for next spring because of a lack of rain, are looking very healthy, with a full quota of flower buds, next spring should be very colourful! we should be thankful for all our rain.
The chinese ginger jar has had a summer haircut and stands out nicely from the flowers behind. I think I need some white in the background in the space that has been left when I removed a shrub that was suckering everywhere!
Another area which still needs more plants is in the back garden, again where 2 shrubs were removed when they died. There is still room for another 3 shrubs, but will plant those in the autumn.
This little red/yellow crocosmia suddenly popped up in the bog garden, how it got there I don’t know, but it looks rather nice with the Euphorbia leaves. I would have thought it would be too wet for it here.
The young Hydrangea paniculata is doing well so far, sending out plenty of flowers. Each year it should get better as it is cut back each year in the spring.
Tritonia is looking good in the raised rockery area. The bulbs are spreading, so it is obviously happy, but I will have to split them soon as they are taking over!
Clemaris Pearl d’Azure is flowering merrily on the pergola.
Crocosmia solfaterre has spread nicely at the foot of the blue lacecap hydrangea.
Anyone would think that it is Autumn, Rosa glauca certainly thinks so!
A Red Admiral butterfly on my white buddleja
And a Silver Washed Fritillary butterfly on the same plant.
A Peacock butterfly on the buddleja by the pergola.
Roses keep flowering, on and off, after their first wonderful flush in June.
These are just a few of the flowers blooming in August in the garden here in Devon, England. All our rain has made the garden feel very lush with plenty of flowers and foliage looking very happy.
Thanks must go to Carol at May Dreams Garden for hosting this monthly meme, do please pay her a visit to see other flowers from around the world.
Beautiful, as always, Pauline. Difficult to imagine that you have had more rain down there than we have on the edge of the Welsh hills ! Things are certainly changing. I have a dwarf azalea which is looking quite unhappy, although it get’s all the rainfall that is going 🙂
Thanks Rosemarie. Some of our rain has been of biblical proportions, we almost need to build an ark! What a shame that your azalea isn’t happy, could it be that it is sitting in water after all your rain, they do like good drainage?
Lovely, especially the flowers with butterflies on them!
Happy Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day!
The butterflies bring an extra dimension to the garden Lea, we’ve not seen much of them with all our rain unfortunately.
Your garden does look very lush, green and full of beautiful flowers. We had 57 days without rain and, although we had a day of rain last week, it wasn’t sufficient to allow us to stop watering. Your butterflies are gorgeous and certainly enjoy your buddleja. Happy GBBD!
I can’t imagine 57 days without rain Peter, I’m glad you had some at last and hope you have more soon. I love the bitterflies when they come to the garden, we don’t see them when it is raining though!
Sublime! I have yet to visit Devon but hope to some day! Your garden looks divine.
I hope you manage your visit too, there are so many lovely gardens to visit that are open to the public
Happy GBBD! I sure wish we could have some of your rain. I don’t like shrubs that sucker too much either. Great shots of the butterflies and flowers!
I would willingly send you some rain Alison, but I think the wind is blowing the wrong way, it always seems to come from your direction! I like the butterflies too, they bring the garden alive, fluttering everywhere.
Well, I think everything was perfect!
Jeannie @ GetMeToTheCountry.Blogspot.com
I love the Chinese ginger jar, it may tempt me to try a little topiary myself! That rose is just stunning…..
Do have a go Denise, it is so easy and if you make a mistake, it will always grow again! We don’t have many roses at the moment, but the ones we have are quite beautiful!
Lovely – especially that yellow Crocosmia. Have never seen a yellow one before!
I have 3 different yellow Crocosmias Cathy, some flower earlier than others, I must move some to be near the Agapanthus in the front as they are flowering at the same time.
The ginger jar is a wonderful specimen and very effective in terms of structure, what an interesting combination it makes with the stipa too. Your garden is always full of beautiful blooms and delightful surprises, the rose hips do seem early but they are as beautiful as the butterflies.
I think the ginger jar makes a good full stop to the end of the border round the dead oak Kate. It was looking very shaggy so I took the shears to it the other day, it took me 2 sessions though to complete it, my muscles were aching so much!
What a beautiful garden you have! I enjoyed seeing all the butterflies, especially the peacock, which we don’t have in the U.S. The “ginger jar” is fantastic!
Thank you Rose, I’m glad you enjoyed it. Butterflies have been busy in the sunshine today, it makes such a difference when the sun comes out.
Hi Pauline, Everything looks wonderful to me. I love the blue and pink Hydrangea side by side and the white Buddleia is striking. For me, Butterflies are the best thing that can happen in my flowerbeds…..you certainly have your share. Thank you for the tour!
I agree with you about the butterflies Sally, they are so important in a garden, I’ve had to wait a long time for them this year because of all our rain. I always find more butterflies on the white buddleia than the other coloured ones, the perfume is a lot stronger too, I don’t know if this makes a difference.
Yes, we must be thankful for the rain! Your garden is looking very lush and I love all the butterflies and that beautiful apricot rose.
I love the rain Marian, but we can have too much of a good thing. We now have your hurricane Gerta heading towards us across the Atlantic, so that should make a jolly weekend! The name of the rose, which I forgot at the time is William Morris, such a lovely colour.
Now you have a hurricane on its way!? Sounds like there will be little letup in the rain this year.
Beautiful bloom day. You didn’t get a new camera did you? Your pictures are exceptional this month!
Yes Frank, thanks for sharing it with us! hopefully it won’t have much energy left by the time it reaches our shores, but I think it will make a lively weekend. My camera was new June 2016, so you have been seeing photos taken with it for 15 months now, but thanks anyway!
haha! I always knew I was behind, but 15 months!? Good thing I wasn’t commenting on a haircut!
You’re welcome on the hurricane. I’m sure we can spare a few more before the season is over :/
Your hurricane was rather a damp squib by the time it got to us here, thank goodness. It was worse in the north of the country, but we got away lightly. Please keep any more that develop!
It’s always fun adding new plants, I rarely have room but now the back garden has been devastated I suppose I get to start all over again. I love your ginger jar, and that rose is beautiful. Gorgeous butterflies.xxx
Your back garden Dina, is a wonderful planting opportunity! We had lots more butterflies today, even though it wasn’t very sunny, they are late appearing this year, but making up for it now.
You certainly hit the jackpot when it comes to Hydrangeas. Those white Buddleia are lovely as well. I’ve tried to grow some compact varieties of Butterfly Bush but they don’t do well for me.
I do rather like my hydrangeas Jason, giving blocks of colour all through summer. I haven’t tried dwarf buddleias yet, would the butterflies know to look lower down!?
Well, as my Buddleia tended to die after a couple of years, looking down wouldn’t have done the butterflies much good.
Oh dear!
It is such a pleasure to see your lovely green, lush garden, Pauline. I saw a Silver Washed Fritillary for the first time ever this morning so it is nice to think that we have some similar things in our gardens. I love how you prune the ‘ginger jar’ box it really sets of the planting in that area.
Glad you like the ginger jar Christina, it makes a change from the box balls that are in other parts of the garden.I hadn’t realised that Silver Washed Fritillaries spread over such a wide area, they are lovely butterflies aren’t they.