Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Colours Of July

My birthday present from Cat was the Lady Emma Hamilton Rose. Its nearly opening its first Rose now. The scent is delicious even from the tightly closed petals. I have watched this grow from the bare stems growing masses of leaves and buds. I will blog it lots as I love the Roses. They are the backbone of the garden.The colours and scents are what make them worth growing.

In the right border this blue and white Anemone is in flower. It was planted with purple, blue, and whites in the right border, and Reds, oranges, and yellows in the left border. A spectrum of colours across the garden.

The Chocolate Cosmos glowing in the sunlight. It was hot today and I was outside most of the day in the garden, and the allotment. The dark petals look crimson in the sunlight and smelled of Belgian chocolates.

My Raspberry Canes are ripening some of the fruit.It is its first year so its not produced masses of fruit yet.Maybe next year.I have eaten Strawberrys every day for the past three days, from Mr Saddiqs neglected ones, and a few big juicy ones from my Strawberry tub planter.I love eating freshly picked soft fruit, when it is warm from the sunshine.

The Teasel flower forming.It is so architectural, and attracts hover flys, flys, ladybirds, ants, and aphids. Not any goldfinches yet, but the seedheads need to dry first.The flower head has turned beige near the top of it, but the cool lime green underneath.

From Hampsons one of a pair of Butterflys. I saw a brilliant Red Butterfly flying across the garden the other day.Alas it never alighted for me to get a photo.The butterflys have been sparse so far.Im waiting for my flowering big guns of the Butterfly Bush, and Purple Cone Flower to bloom to attract the butterflys.Untill then I have my garden ornaments with spring loaded flapping wings.

From the plant stall a Verbena Bonarensis glowing in the sunlight.The camera found the little purple stars hard to focus on when the sun made them glow.I have three of these plants in the right border.They are so tall (nearly six feet tall when fully grown) and have narrow stems that make these flowers appear to dance in the air, suspended over the ground.They look spectacular when planted en masse along a border.Harlow Carr used them in the Rose Revolution borders last year.I think they are there this year too.

The stone Cat and the blue butterfly near to the planter box with the Eryngium and Coleus, underplanted with some busy lizzies.The ghostly gardeners geraniums hang over the stone edging of the left border.Colour and magic in the garden.

The last photo is of Hilarys Orange Geum in her garden.I love the bright colours of this flower, like a fire dance.The shot is blurry with the wind but its full of vitality and energy.
All across the garden there is a spectrum of colours, some blooming away, some getting ready to explode with more colours.Every new summers day brings fresh growth and new vibrant colours.Too many to photograph!
The colours of July will continue to get bigger, brighter, and bolder!Im working nights from tomorrow so posts will slow down again, ready for me to blog rainbow coloured flowers :)

4 comments:

Philosophical Karen said...

Beautiful photos. That Lady Emma Hamilton really stands out with its spectacular colour -- and I'm not normally a rose person.

David (Snappy) said...

Thanks Karen,I hope I can show you the Rose as a seductive flower.One of the first things I bought for the garden were the one pound Rose bushes.Three of the six have flowered now.
The strong fragrant white Margaret Merrill, the Bright crimson Red Devil, and the white blousy Iceberg Rose climber.LEH is the fourth Rose to bloom this year in my small garden.
I still get excited finding little rose buds and watching them grow, then open.I can go out every day expectantly and study the Roses!

Unknown said...

I'm so new to this. I just got a margaret merrill. I will transplant it into a nicer pot. what do you suggest. how much light? also do I need to prune it now. it has one very thick barky cane

David (Snappy) said...

Hi Donna, March is the month to plant bare root Roses into the ground.Dont prune it if it has only got one stem!!
It will do well in a well lit part of the garden that gets sun for some of the day.
hope you share your photos with me if it flowers!