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.