Reaching for the sky.

Posted on June 23, 2018 by Pauline

Really, I don’t think they’re reaching any more, they’ve got there! I’m talking about my 2 huge climbing roses, Rosa Mulligani which was planted shortly after we moved here and Rosa Wedding Day which was planted to mark our daughter’s wedding. Last year R. Wedding Day hadn’t quite reached the top of the old ash tree, but this morning I noticed a gleam of white right at the top and there it was, basking in the beautiful morning sunlight with a brilliant blue sky behind it.

Lower down the white flowers seem to glow in the dark shade.

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Everything is coming up Roses.

Posted on June 15, 2018 by Pauline

Well almost everything. June is the month for roses and they are billowing everywhere. There are lots of other plants flowering as well, but the roses in most of the borders are stealing the show.

The rose garden is suddenly flowering on all cylinders with hardy geraniums in between.

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EOM View, a little late.

Posted on June 4, 2018 by Pauline

All through May, I have been working hard in the bog garden, the weeds had taken hold last year and were winning the battle. I had to be totally blinkered while weeding, not to get distracted by anything else, just get my head down and weed, weed, weed as the candelabra primulas and other plants were starting to flower. At last I have done it and I can now show you the result. Of course I should have taken “before” photos, but forgot.

The ferns on the left had spread so much that they had completely covered 2 lovely large hostas, they were rescued and the ferns removed from the front of the border. The variegated iris will be moved further back when they have finished flowering, to make room for more primulas which I will sow from seed.

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Not exactly reaching for the sky!

Posted on June 2, 2018 by Pauline

I planted a Clematis montana when our son got married quite a few years ago. I planted it beside an Ash tree, expecting it to climb to the top and then prettily cascade down again. That was the idea anyway, but the clematis had other ideas.

It climbed a little bit, but then flopped down over the Philadelphus coronarius Aureus in front of the ash tree.

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It must be summer.

Posted on May 30, 2018 by Pauline

Yes, it must be summer because all the roses have started flowering and I’ve never known them to flower in May before! Our warm spell is still continuing, although with rain on and off most days now. The garden certainly needs the rain, the gentle drizzle is just what was needed, but some areas of the country are under water again, with widespread floods.

R. Shropshire Lad.

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Where have all the weeds gone?

Posted on May 26, 2018 by Pauline

Slowly but surely the weeds in the bog garden have gradually been pulled out.  I’ve been so busy weeding in the garden that time for blogging has had to take a back seat.  These days I can only manage short bursts of weeding at any one time, but usually manage 3 or 4 sessions each day and its surprising how quickly a border changes completely when the plants aren’t competing for space with all the weeds.

The rhododendron was a retirement present from some of my students. Hostas and ferns make a winning combination.

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May is a wonderful month. GBBD.

Posted on May 17, 2018 by Pauline

I think May is my favourite month, so much is flowering and looking so fresh, trees and shrubs as well as bulbs and perennials.
The most obvious shrubs are the rhodos, azaleas and viburnums, you can’t miss them.

Viburnum plicatum Marieseii on the left with unknown rhodo on the right.

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The sunset border.

Posted on May 10, 2018 by Pauline

The border which has been christened the “sunset border” is flowering beautifully at the moment with pink, yellow, blue, orange, purple and white flowers and foliage, all the colours found in a sunset.

Clematis montana is joining in with the display, this one has climbed a huge oak tree before cascading down like a waterfall.

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Three beauties.

Posted on May 6, 2018 by Pauline

In amongst all the plants that are flowering at the moment, there are three that stand out. One because it is so fleeting, one because it is appreciated as the last of its kind to flower for this year and one because it is so generous with all its flowers.

The first one is beautiful Paeony mlokosewitschii in the front border.

So beautiful.

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Bittersweet memories.

Posted on May 4, 2018 by Pauline

Our daughter in Bristol and I were not looking forward to yesterday, it was a year since the undergardener, my lovely husband and super Dad, passed away. Fortunately it was possible for our daughter to get the day off work and she came down to Devon to spend it with me. It turned out to be a lovely day in the end, going to one of the places which my husband and I loved visiting, Blackbury Camp bluebell wood, which I have prevously written about here. along with its history.

The bluebells are just coming out, they probably need another week of warm weather to be at their best, but they still looked beautiful.

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