After all the cold, wet weather that we have been having recently, the last week or so with rising temperatures and hot sunshine has made such a difference in the garden. Buds that have been tighly shut and waiting patiently for some warmer weather are now starting to open and the garden is looking colourful once more.
Come for a wander with me, starting on the front drive, English Iris, Iris latifolia, are expanding into the gravel drive. I must try and remember to move some of them once flowering is over.
Lovely flowers, pity each one doesn’t last very long, but when there are so many of them, it doesn’t seem to matter.
Looking across the rose garden between the house and garage, to the border by the greenhouse.
This is the border that I keep saying will become my late summer border, but when it looks so pretty at this time of year, I haven’t the heart to pull it all out and start again!
It starts flowering with snowdrops, cowslips and primroses and continues with forget me nots, red campion, aquilegias and polemonium, all of which have put themselves here without any help from me.
Azalea Homebush is now fully out, looking lovely with Viburnum plicatum Mariesii, no wonder I like photographing it!
Looking across the circle to the back garden.
The grass in this area is now being grown as my flowery meadow.Derek the gardener is here at the moment cutting paths round and through the longer grass.
The next time I photograph the grass you shound be able to see cut paths through it. He also says he will clip my Chinese Ginger Jar, I think I’d better draw him a picture of one!
The bog garden has woken up at last with candelabra primulas, astilbes and hostas.
My lovely Rodgersia podophylla is now putting up its beautiful bronze leaves, with a few flower buds. The leaves eventually turn green, but I love them at this lovely crinkled stage.
Roses are starting to open, this is Rosa Geoff Hamilton. I have the situation where roses are starting to flower before a lot of my rhododendrons…strange.
My huge hosta that was moved from the front last year is doing very well and has recovered from being slashed by the hailstones a fortnight ago.
Looking from the woodland through to the circle across the rockery.
I must include my Allium Purple Sensation even though I have already shown them to you, as they are looking so gorgeous!
My Chaenomeles is still flowering, 7 months after it started, such a wonderful plant.
The Fuchsia magellanica that is planted with it has just started to flower, this is the first time they have both been flowering together.
There are quite a lot more flowers now enjoying the warmer weather in June, but I will save those for Saturday, I hope you enjoyed your wander with me, even though it was raining, is your garden responding to the warmer weather?
Everything is looking so inviting Pauline! Hope your rain has settled down. We’re still needing it here. Driest spring here on record.
Be careful what you wish for Susie, there I was in April needing rain and got a deluge in May! Thank goodness, the weather seems to be almost back on track and the plants are looking happier.
That combination of the Viburnum and the Azalea is so beautiful Pauline. And I love your ‘late summer border to be’ and can understand your reluctance to pull it all out and start over. So much happening on your garden Pauline. This time of year there is something new every day!
Thank you Denise, I feel those 2 shrubs grab all the attention at the moment. You’re so right, there is something new for me to find each morning when I go for my early morning wander, a wonderful time of year.
I love bursting borders too, Pauline – thanks for sharing yours! Intriguing to read that your rhododendrons are behind your roses. My few rhodos are blooming or have bloomed as ‘normal’ and the roses are just starting
I have just got back Cathy, from a weekend away at my daughter’s in Bristol and my rhododendrons have put a spurt on and the roses have too! I have come back to a garden full of gorgeous flowers!
The warmer weather is just wonderful, my garden is waking up too. What a delightful wander, the Iris are just beautiful, lucky you having so many. I love the would-be summer border, I wouldn’t be able to pull all those plants out either, nature sure gets it right!
I do hope you keep a sharp eye on Derek when he clips your Chinese Ginger Jar! I remember it well.
Derek has done very well with the ginger jar Dina, my next post shows what a good job he made of it! There are so many flowers to admire at the moment, but so many weeds that need attention too unfortuntaely, will I ever catch up? x