Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day July 2014

Time again to look at what's in flower in my small Plymouth garden for Garden Bloggers' Bloom day.  So, on July 15th 2014, here's some of what's in bloom.

I illustrated Abutilon 'Patrick Synge' last month and it's now been joined by Abutilon 'Waltz' on the house wall.  This will take a little while longer to build a substantial framework but it's already adding decoration to the rear garden.  Flowering will last for months, an important consideration in a small garden.

Abutilon 'Waltz'

Trachelospermum jasminoides on the wall by the back gate is in full flower now.  Pot grown and supported on a home made bamboo trellis, it scents the air for yards around.

Trachelospermum jasminoides

As does Brugmansia aurea when 4:00 pm rolls around.  Without heated glass I've given up trying to keep these over winter so buy a new plant every year.  I'll not have the mass display of big old plants but even half a dozen of the big trumpet flowers are impressive garden features.

Brugmansia aurea

Red seems to be a prominent feature of the rear garden at this time of year.  Fiery in the case of Crocosmia 'Lucifer', bright scarlet with Hemerocallis 'Berlin Red', orange shaded with Begonia boliviensis 'Bonfire', red and purple with Fuchsia 'Mrs Popple' and an indescribable hue with the English rose 'Summer Song'.

Crocosmia 'Lucifer'

Begonia boliviensis 'Bonfire'

Fuchsia 'Mrs Popple'

Hemerocallis 'Berlin Red'

English rose 'Summer Song'

I should, I suppose, add Salvia microphylla 'Hot Lips' to this group but what the books don't tell you is that the pink and white colouration isn't entirely stable.  It's always illustrated as below but flowers can vary from pure red-pink through to pure white. Hardy here in Plymouth, it flowers for months on end.

Salvia microphylla 'Hot Lips'

Complementing the red and pink flowers are the blues.  I illustrated Convolvulus sabatius last month but its now been joined by Hydrangea 'Blue Wave' and Ceratostigma willmottianum.

Hydrangea 'Blue wave'

Ceratostigma willmottianum

Another hydrangea is deciding whether to turn blue or stay a sort of purple-red.  Sold to me as 'Midnight Blue' it's actually the black stemmed hydrangea 'Nigra'.  I'm not that impressed.  It's a gawky thing, only the new growth has black stems and, unlike my 'MMe Emile Mouillere', flowers on overwintered buds rather than new growth so doesn't have the same long season impact in a small garden.

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Nigra'

Passiflora caerulea  popped open the first flower of the season a few days ago but there are none open today so I can't include it.  August or September, perhaps.  There's loads of fat buds. 

Lower down I've still got orange and yellow forms of Meconopsis cambrica in flower, a few hardy geraniums and various other odds and ends. 

And a bowl full of orange African marigolds in the centre of the garden table.  I'll leave you with a glimpse of it overlooking the rear garden.

Part of the rear garden, July 2014

As ever, my thanks to May Dreams Gardens for hosting the Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day meme.  Head over there to see what's flowering in many more gardens round the world. 

Garden Bloggers' Bloom's day June 2014

It always amazes me how quickly the 15th of the month rolls around and June 15th 2014 has been no exception.  So welcome to what's in flower in my small Plymouth garden this month.

Less than you might expect.  A number of plants are either just over or yet to come and I've got a bit of a gap.  It doesn't help that I rank good foliage higher than flowering abundance.  But, having said that there is a good bit of colour and interest as we approach midsummer.

Pride of place in the front garden goes to Sambucus nigra 'Black Lace'.  This elegant cut leaved black elder is full of flower right now.  Yes, I should cut it back hard to enjoy the finest foliage - but why bother when it can produce this:

Sambucus nigra 'Black Lace'

Close to it my Chilean Lantern tree, Crinodendron hookerianum, is also flowering well.

Crinodendron hookerianum

The main displays in the rear garden come from the clump of calla lilies, Zantedeschia aethiopica 'Crowborough' - the hardiest and most drought tolerant variety; my white, almost perpetually flowering Hydrangea 'Madame Emile Mouillere'; the flowering maple Abutilon 'Patrick Synge' which has threaded it's way through my Acca sellowiana; and a pair of ornamental onions, Allium christophii and A.moly.  I really must get some different Allium varieties for next year, they really do fill an early June gap.

Allium christophii

Hydrangea 'Madame Emile Mouillere'

Abutilon 'Patrick Synge'

Lower down some of the hardy geraniums are flowering.  Most of mine flower a little later but Geranium endressii and G.x magnificum are showing up well today.

Geranium endressii

Geranium x magnificum

June is the time for a couple of little bulbs.  Freesia laxa is slowly - too slowly - taking up the space I've reserved for it in a narrow little border alongside my Yucca bed.  I year or so ago I complained that I'd only got a red flowered Ixia left.  I've added more bulbs since then.  Not all have survived but at least I've got a cream one now.

Ixia hybrid

Freesia laxa

I mentioned for the last Garden Bloggers' Bloom's Day that four of my five Phormiums were putting up flower spikes.  'Tricolor' is the only one to have actually flowered so far, a quintet of tall, branched sprays which have produced a host of attractive yellow flowers.  No way could I fit the entire spray into a 900px long photo and have any image quality so here's a close up of a few of the flowers.

Phormium 'Tricolor' flowers

Perennials that are also flowering are Meconopsis cambrica, Saxifraga stolonifera, Fuchsia 'Mrs Popple', F.magellanica 'Alba'. F.splendens 'Karl Hartweg', and F.'Genii'.  Add to those a goodly number of bedding plants grown in pots - there's no room in the ground - and the garden, despite its foliage orientation - is looking quite colourful.  And in a couple of days, when my day lilies open their fat buds, Rosa 'Summer Song' opens its red buds, Trachelospermum jasminoides flowers by the entrance to the rear garden, and another of my hydrangeas opens its sterile mophead flowers it will be more colourful still.

Always remembering, of course, that green - in all its shades - is also a colour.

As ever, my thanks to May Dreams Gardens for hosting the Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day meme.  Head over there to see what's flowering in many more gardens round the world. 

Down in the Jungle

Maria often describes our garden as a jungle.  It's not - certainly not compared to the aptly named Jungle at Heligan, near Mevagissey in Cornwall.

The story of the rediscovery and restoration of Heligan after years under rampant growth has oft times been told.  I've even heard it from Tim Smit, the main inspiration behind the restored garden - a most impressive public speaker - and a fine tale it is.  But not one for here.  Others do it better.

I've visited Heligan a fair few times since it's initial re-opening.  It's only an hour away.  It's been fascinating to see the restoration of the decorative and productive sides of the main garden.  But I have to confess the main attraction for me is the Jungle, a steep sided valley with pools and a small river at the base, penetrated by boardwalks and bark paths, and densely planted with big leaved plants.  Tree ferns, Trachycarpus palms, Sequoia, Gunnera, bamboos, Musa and many others forming an almost sub-tropical rainforest type structure.  My idea of a garden.

First sight is impressive - but also deceptive.  Rhododendrons and tree ferns round a small lake, the view framed by a Trachycarpus fortunei palm.

But then you move into the jungle and things get even more rainforest like.

Dicksonia antarctica under massive rhododendrons

Water is everywhere, framed by bamboos and tree ferns

Waterside plantings of massive leaved Gunnera and Lysichiton are dwarfed by tree ferns and bamboos

And Iris pseudacorus is dwarfed by the tall stems of Trachycarpus fortunei and fronds of the tree ferns in a drier patch.

 

One of my favourite views has to be looking down from the bark and wooden steps down to a slab crossing over the connecting stream between the lakes.

Or, if you fancy something a little more 'interesting', how about a trip over the rope bridge.  Apparently it's not going to be there for long.  As Maria said after her journey across, 'That's another one off the bucket list."  The camera was in the bag for the crossing.  You need both hands!

Another couple of shots taken in May last year to finish up with.

Now, how do I get all that in a 250 yd sq / 220 metre sq of garden?  Ideas on large denomination banknotes, please.

As always, click the pictures to embiggen.