Tatton Park 2008:Quirky Containers And Other Things

The last post about Tatton Park shows the other things. There were new displays of Rural Crafts, and Rural Skills. The Floristry competition was held there, but its not something i wanted to see. I visited the rural crafts tent, and the rural skills tent. I bought a frog wall hanger with notepad and pencil.
The penguins greeted us as we entered the grounds.They were meant to be fun in their snowy environment contrasting to the 28 degrees centigrade weather.Their display was called Chill Out and was the British Protected Ornamentals groups.They did the chinese dragon last year im sure..

One half of the chill out Penguins.

Outside the Floral Marquee was this model Elephant. Large Art sculptures and forms were dotted around the grounds. I saw a few of them.The Art dealers, sculptors, painters, and other artists were present between the horticultural sundrys on sale.

One unexpected highlight was the quirky containers competition ran for primary schools within the north west.The amount of ingenuity to make planting containers from whatever was lying around.This one was a piano, with grass on the seat..

Baby plants going for a ride in a pram?

The plants were thirsty here, and displayed in drinking water dispenser.

Daisy the Cow made from milk cartons on a tractor was pulling two carts full of plants..

An old school desk liked the ones I used to sit on..a just william school boy figure sits scarecrow like.

Just for the taste of it..Coke.Held together by sellotape and on a decorated board.you can make containers with many items to hold soil to grow plants in.

Pots, shoes, and bowls on a wooden pallett here.Some parents or teachers are missing a shoe now.

This was cool, a Mad Hatters Tea Set with the plants in the tea cups and sugar bowls.I like the Strawberry table cloth and the drawing in the background.
A lot of the show was focused on children and familys, growing vegetables for the five a day.Its nice to see how well they took on the challenge of a quirky container garden.
These school children may contain a Chelsea flower show garden designer in the future.the seeds were sown at a young age.

These looked so real standing near to the show gardens.Music was played in the bandstand throughout every day of the show.Everywhere you looked art was on display..

Garden ornaments for sale.I love the wild boar and the elfen figures playing some merry music.Every thing you could need to buy for a garden was there. Country Living magazine had its marquee with clothes, jewelry, etc..

A seahorse outside the Rural Crafts tent..

Finally the last photo.Flower power!These large resin models were for sale for painting.The green elephant looks on.The gun has been twisted shut and the flowers protude from the blunt barrell.
I hope that gives an idea of some of what was there at the Tatton Park RHS flower show.The tagline is Ideas that make your garden grow.
There were an awful lot of ideas here in the sunshine.

Tatton Park 2008:Floral Marquis

The floral marquis housed eighty seven different plant nursery's and growers with everything you could possible want for a garden.It was busy and full of people buying plants and toting them around the show ground in plastic bags or trolleys.I waited until the end to buy my two Chili plants.The sun was that fierce outside it would have stressed the plants.The plant creche was available too.On the last day people could buy the display flowers if they agreed a price.Lots had "plant sold" on a piece of paper.These exhibits had been going for five days and most looked fresh as day one.

What a beautiful flower. Its netherworld like and maybe should be on the sea bed floor by coral and tropical fish.I cannot remember what it was either.

Dahlias, I love these flowers. So many beautiful colours and forms from the ancient plant parents.They are made for exhibiting at these flower shows.

An Orchid in flower.My Phalaenopsis is still not flowering and I have had it a year.These Orchid sellers can make masses of them flower just for the show.

A white Echinacea. This is a gorgeous specimen of a flower..

Oriental Lilly's, double Lilly's, Pollen less ones..These are also beautiful when displayed like this.It makes me want to grow masses of the same kind for colourful effect.

The exhibitors always take great care and planning in creating mini displays on the sides of their stalls.These are judged too by the RHS judges and awarded medals.

Look at all the Agapanthus. These were prevalent in the floral marquis, and within the show gardens and back to backs.They have been taken on by British gardeners this well travelled South African plant with firework flowers.

The Gladiolus display.Mine in the garden are only just showing the flower spikes now and are a month away from flowering.These were popular during the sell off at the end of the day.People wanted to carry away a little of the Tatton Park RHS flower show.For a while anyway, the sunshine wilted a lot of them.

Waterside nursery were here this year. I saw them at the Harrogate spring flower show.They had water Lilly's in flower this time.Their display made me want a water container even more in my garden.You can see the containers around the edge of the big water display.

The sumptuous Nasturtium Empress Of India in flower.I want to grow these next year.Maybe in the window box so i can see the lovely flowers.

Peruvian Lilly's in a gorgeous display from Peter Smiths Alstromerias.I love the Inca magic charm of these flowers.They were born to be exhibited or form the central part of a garden.They make fabulous cut flowers too.
That's my fourth post about Tatton Park flower show.Only one more to go.I am on nights so i will write these and post date them.
I hope it inspires people to visit their own flower shows and then share what they have seen, and what they liked.

My Flowering Garden Today

I thought I would stop blogging about Tatton and move my post back to my own garden.It is the thirtieth of July and everything is starting to bloom.It is like garden fireworks by flowers.This is the colourful, densely planted and container lined left border.The view from the kitchen window and the blue chair by the back door.

My Teasel has become a firm favourite of the bee's.the Lavender has not done well, maybe because of the rain and wet conditions this year.The bee's are in my garden constantly, their droning noises and black and yellow bodys are a sound from the summer.They are pollinating the teasel flowers, and hopefully the seed heads will attract the Goldfinches in the Autumn.The plants are awesome too, two metres high, and full of these cone like flower heads.

The Rose Florida Dreams? has three beautiful blousy big flowers on.The scent is orange like and quite delicate.My yellow Rose will have to be bought in the winter bare root ready for planting. Maybe another David Austin?

The Ranunculus look gorgeous. They are like coloured candies in a sweet shop.The bees have alighted on these too.My friendly sunflower scarecrow looks bemused behind them. The flowers are reflexive and curl up tightly shut at night to sleep. I wander what dreams they have?

The second DayLily flower.It lasts only a day, but such elegant beauty.I want more Daylilys next year, maybe grown with some slug protection.

My white Asiatic Lillys have both bloomed.The front flower joined the one that flowered on Sunday.The scent from these is so strong.Its a personel prefernce whether you like the scent of lillys.I love them.They are delicate white, with lime green edging, and the biggest brightest red stamen ever.Even I can smell them from the kitchen door as the wind blows the heavy scent around the garden.I have two more Lillys to bloom yet, my Oriental Stargazers, and the romantic wedding Casablanca Lilly.I hope these white blooms inspire them both.

The Echinacea in flower on a gloomy cloudy day.The butterflys have not found it yet, but i think it needs the pollen to start being produced in the central cone.I have watched these mature from juvenile plants, to the spikey central cone, before the petals form upright, then grow outwards before they get the purple colour.It is a perennial so it should come back next year too.

A Dahlia in flower in the left border.It has survived a slug and snail attack to bloom.Lemon yellow colour.I have three more in Pots, and another two growing in the left border. A sixth Dahlia has not bloomed yet of unknown colour.

Bronze Fennel in flower.These are like yellow lace delicately dancing over the ferny foliage.This plant needs rehoming in the soil when there is a gap for it.

The last photo from my garden is the bee on the Teasel.Colours, scents, and bee's complete the floral fireworks display. Every day in the July garden.

Tatton Park 2008:Show Gardens

This is a small selection from the show gardens category.I found after the back to backs most of these did not inspire me.The theme running through most of these was hard landscaping with plants added.It did not help that the contractors had people walking across the gardens to get quotes for business.The best in show was Chris Beardshaws traditional borders garden.A central feature at the show.It could be seen from three angles long grass lawn with some made herbaceous and perennial planting.It looked like it had been there for years.The bees were buzzing around all the plants and the colours were superb.

The sunlight illuminated the gorgeous flower colours.I'm glad the plants won over the hard landscaping..

The Samaritans garden invited people to walk around it.It had strong vertical structures, water, and a mixture of wild and tamed planting.It was to show that they are available for 365 days a year for people in distress or that are suicidal.The photo shows the people walking around it.

Aqualife used three different shaped pools within a parkland setting.It was so densely planted and was quite hard to photograph.The garden design looks great from above but not as good from ground level.It was a garden for a family, and had quiet secluded areas.

A modern looking garden called Real Life By Brett.I liked the stainless steel pyramids with water cascading down them into the square pools.There is too much stone for my liking.

The Addington Relax And Reflect Garden had these groovy red boxes.It was designed as a series of rooms within a garden.The main feature was a water cascade down clear perspex against the back wall.It has a mixture of strong structural plants and herbaceous plants.

Tales From A Chinese Garden was reflecting on Chinese contribution to all our garden plants. Sixty percent of them originate from China.It has this cool art work in a pool, a waterfall made with tin cans, and a lady playing a traditional Chinese instrument like a horizontal harp.I did like these out of all the show gardens.This was part of the Cheshire year of the garden 08.

Cheshire Al Fresco took part of Southern France and moved it to Tatton Park.I liked the mass planting of Lavender, with the Hollyhock, and Agapanthus.A little basket sat in the middle of the Lavender ready for cutting.Most of the plants were chosen for their drought resistant qualitys which is already more visible in southern France than here.

At The End Of My Garden was designed for the Marie Curie cancer care.It was a cottage garden with a shed, cut wood and an axe.A stream flowed through the middle of the garden.A fallen Oak tree was the seat for reflection near the back of the garden.It was inspired by the work of the Marie Curie nurses caring for teminally ill patients at home, surrounded by the people and things they love.

the Teenage Cancer Trusts Punks Not Dead garden contrasted some spikey wild planting on the left with the formal structure and planting of an Italian garden to the right.It was inspired by an argument between father and son during the 1970's the height of punk rock.

My Own Little Bit Of The Lakes.Another garden inspired by the Lake District.I love the mixture of water and planting.
There were a few good ones, but the majority were not as good as last year.I hope 2009's flower show at Tatton Park will inspire me more.

Tatton Park 2008:Back To Back Gardens

These gardens were the highlight for me of the show along with the bedding plant competition and schools quirky containers.The entrants have nine days to build these smaller gardens but they pack them with so many features,plants, and focal points of interest.I love how they can add objects like teapots, glasses, bottles, to make the gardens more personal.I wander if my small garden made me see all these first.
The first garden was by Madeline and Colette Riley called Ladies That Lunch. It was a garden designed for both the chickens (the ladies) and their owners. It had a mixture of plants grown for both to enjoy. Chicken eggs were in a basket to the left of the photo, and the hut is for the chickens to sleep. At the end the Tree offered shade, and the water but recycles water for the plants and chickens.
A recurrant theme through all the gardens was relaxation and having places to sit to enjoy the mixed planting, sounds, and scents.

The Cider House Rules-Ok was designed by Jacqui Brocklehurst.It shows the corner of a forgotten garden where apple tree's grow.The grass has been left to grow and is packed full of wildflowers.It was designed for children to keep their interest in gardens and nature.It is designed to encourage insects, as well as people.

Another theme was the Lake District which inspired two Show gardens and this one entitled The Lake District Poet's Garden. It is a reflection of the poet William Wordsworth who was a gardener as well as a poety. Andrew Loudon has rebuilt a stone Summer house at the end of the garden with the mixed planting and gravel path.

This garden called Butterfly Journey used butterfly motifs in the planting, the bronze statue, and in the stone brick wall.This was densely planted with a narrow path to the bench under the wall.You can imagine masses of butterflys flying around as you sipped the lemonade.The planting is in colours of white, purple, and blue, the colours that attract butterflys.

The Sculptors Garden won a gold medal for its Liver bird and the softly stated planting. Pines for structure and grasses for movement .The plants make it an imaginative space used to relax and to encourage the sculptor to fashion new works of art. There was a water feature somewhere in here too but I dont remember seeing it!

The Best Back to Back garden in show was this one called 5 A DAy With Hidden Play.It was a contemporary garden with vegetable plants in containers, and herbs on the play den roof.I loved the water feature shooting two streams of water into the air to curve down into the box.It was well watered that plant as every few seconds the water jumped between containers.
It had a secret tunnel, boxes with games in them, and the rings for basketball shooting on the wall.I liked the Japanese blood grass that ran along the edge of the garden.

The garden called Urban Retreat was a traditional courtyard garden that used screening and structure to highlight the planting.The two colours that stand out are burgundy and lime green contrasting to the black planters, and pool.It is a private garden that you can imagine relaxing in.The chair is at the back so you can surround yourself with the plants.It is very calming to look at, even now on the photo.

One of my favourite back to backs was this The Moorcroft Natural Woman Garden.The natural planting, five interlocking circles going down to a sunken seating area.The central moorcroft tile was the highlight of the garden.There is a composter, and the plants are bee and butterfly friendly. I was given a lovely leaflet by the team on this garden with the garden plan and fourty plant list.

The main tile was handcrafted by four of the Moorcroft designers.They are four linking quarters that join together to make a whole one.I will photograph the leaflet for a better picture of the whole tile.

A traditional Allotment garden with a scarecrow stood overlooking.This garden was designed by Paula Keenan with the men of HMP Risley and was called Hope And Aspiration.The planting is an allegory of the journey prisoners take.The first row is wild and unkempt, full of brambles and unwanted weeds.Row by row the prisonor can transform his life.The men grew most of the plants, made the composters, the scarecorw, and the faces peering out onto the garden.

The faces peering out from behind bars, and a chair to sit on to reflect and enjoy the hardwork.

At the end of the rows was a Rose called Hope.I got a leaflet too which said Monty Don was helpful in the garden design as he had worked with the prison service before.The film Green Fingers was based on prisoners exhibiting at Chelsea flower show. The whole garden cost £500 as most of the material was supplied by the men from HMP Risley.

A Garden For Grace.This was done for the Manchester Christie Hospital, a leading cancer centre.They designed a colourful, fragrant garden with water feature and folly to look out of. The plants were chosen for their colours or scents.This was about enjoying the garden and escaping stresses.

This was Mrs Eardsleys Teashop, a traditional cottage garden.This had so much extra things left on the tables and around the garden.It is easily managed and looks great.
Thats my selection of the back to back gardens from Tatton 2008.They were so packed with creative ideas and planting.I look forward to next year too to see what inventive gardens will be there.

Tatton Park 2008:Flower Bed Competion

The show at Tatton Park was the tenth one this year.I went with Hils,Fran,Angela, and Julia from work to see the summer RHS flower show.It was extremely hot, very busy, and was great fun to walk around.The show is set in the grounds of the Tatton Park estate, a rural setting in Cheshire.The show is the only one that has a national flower bed competition.There are nineteen spots for councils and colleges to enter.
This first photo is of the entry from Stoke On Trent city council called let us entertain you, reflecting its birthplace of many entertainers.The musical notes flow around the flowers.the title is a nod to its most famous entertainer Robbie Williams.

The second photo is from the Bury metropolitan coucil display called Reg Harris Cycle Maestro.I love the colours. All the designs were so beautifully put together.Every plant was in perfect condition even on the last day.This was truly art from bedding plants.

The entry from Cheltenham Borough Council was one of my favourites.The Helicopter had over six thousand plants to make it. In 2007 Gloucestershire was hit by floods and the water damaged the Cheltenham display so they withdrew.This year they took the inspiration of the communities and emergency services.Two willow figures are on the right.One in the water and one on the bridge trying to rescue them. It is my hometown and I blogged from there last year after the floods. A lot of thought goes into the reasons behind a flower bed display so they have stories behind them.


From Scotlands Barony college and Dumfries and Galloway council came Rabbie Burns ploughman and poet.It will be 250 years next year since the famous poets birth.Rabbits and mice watch him as he lays beside his plough.The struggle between man and nature was one of his themes.My fav poem is still the one about the mouse, whos nest was upturned by Rabbies plough.

Lancaster City council went with the Bring Me Football theme, as Morecombe football club joined the football league for the first time.The most famous son Eric Morecomb does he dance over the clubs colours.

I liked this flower bed from Mansfield District Council called the Albert Sorby Buxton collection. The man was a painter who painted the Mansfield area in the early twentieth century.The gorgeous scenery has been recreated and a picture frame put up to show what he would have painted.

Blackburn and Darwen Borough Council's flower bed was called Wainwrights love affair.He was a fell walker who loved the Lake District so much he authored books about walking routes across it.People today still walk the routes made by Alfred Wainwright.I love the large boot!

Stockport Councils flower bed is part of their town halls centenary. The town hall was opened in 1908.I love the replica of the townhall.

The Vale Royal Borough council display was mysteriously Yellow Submarine.After the George Harrison inspired garden at Chelsea this continues the flower power pyschedelic theme.It is just fun and very colourful..

The last photo of the opening Tatton 2008 post is Conwy county borough council called Conwy's Butterflies.The colours were so bright and it was so beautifully planted that this display won Best Flower Bed display In Show.
I will post about the rest of the show. The Show and Back To Back gardens, the school childrens Quirky Containers competion, the Floral Marquis, and the Art of Tatton Park.
It is a art in itself trying to decide what to blog. I loved this years flower show.I already have the dates for 2009!

Florida Dreams

I was away for two days with work, staying at Hils, then Tatton Park RHS flower show yesterday.I spent today in the garden, watering, tidying, and looking.These are a selectionfrom my garden today, ten pictures I took today.The first photo is my Rose Suprise, as it was supposed to be yellow. The Pink is so bright, and the rose is fragrant. It looks like a classical English Rose. I should call it Florida dreams as thats where Cat is now..

My Ranunculus have flowered over the past two days when i was away from the house. I have had lots of the plants die off. I do not know if they like dry soil because the rain seemed to rot the ones I planted. They are so delicate the flowers. I have two colours so far. Two pink flowers, and a yellow flower.

Cats Calendulas are flowering beautifully. I am trying to deadhead them as the flowers fade to encourage more. I keep thinking about India, and how these flowers are use in garlands for weddings and celebrations. I wander about the history of the humble Pot Marigold.

My first ever Daylily is the fourth photo today. It is a reddish colour with a yellow centre. It has more buds below, so it should keep flowering. I originally planted three types of Daylily but my resident slug population has decimated two, which are nowhere to be seen in the garden.

The fiery Crocosmia. I love the orange stem and the red flowers. The magical Crocosmia bewitches my camera.You can get the idea of how they look, even with camera problems.

A House Sparrow watching me photograph the Butterflys and flowers today. He is not as timid as the other birds.They fly away if they see me.This one happily eats with me below the feeder.

A Buddeleja in flower twenty feet above the ground. This crazy plant germinated in a drain pipe and is flowering outside the bedroom window. You have to admire a plants tenacity when it flowers in outrageous places. Their cannot be much soil in a down pipe. Its roots must be clinging to the pipe inside. I hope the Butterflys find it this high up in the air.

In the blue pot the Blue Ageratum flowers next to the pastel pink Busy Lizzie.The Ranunculus are growing behind these two types of plants. I love the colours against the green leaves.

The other Ranunculus is the ninth photo. It is a lemon yellow colour and contrasts to the green and blue foliage, and its bigger pink relative.

Flowering at last is the Asclepias or Milkweed.The flowers are so chunky, they are bright orange, with tangerine stamens on top.The flower buds look like red party balloons.This plant has some fungal infection before but has healed itself and is healthy looking and flowering really well.The tenth photo from my garden today.
Tomorrow will be an allotment day, and a chance to blog some Tatton Park photos. It was good to come back to find so much flowering after my break away from it.

Flaming Flowers And Blue Butterfly

The gorgeous fiery flowers of the Heleniums, with the blue butterfly, and crimson Coleus below. It was so hot yesterday when i was working.
The Roses have opened up on the last two Roses that have not flowered. One has an identity crisis and has deepred/ pink coloured petals (instead of the yellow rose on the label that came with it), whilst the climber Zephrine Drouhain has a lighter pink and a lovely orange scent against the brick wall by the backdoor.
My white Asiatic Lillys are nearly open now in a pot by the kitchen door.The Pot Dahlias and Casablanca Lily are close to flowering too.
Cats going away to Florida for two weeks so I will be gardening, working, and doing stuff up at the allotment.The sunshine of Friday was glorious, and I wish I had been outside up at the plot.
I will take photos when im here to show what has flowered over the next sixteen days.
Enjoy your weekends wherever you garden :)

Chocolate Cosmos

The gorgeous Chocolate Cosmos yesterday smelt of Belgian chocolates.Two days at work now before Tatton Park RHS flower show on Sunday.
the camera is ready to take lots of photos, which will hopefully be as sweet as this one..

Teasel Time

The Teasel has started flowering with its lilac and blue coloured flowers. It will hopefully make the seed heads later that the garden birds will come to eat in the autumn.

It flowers a few rows at a time. these flower spikes are so tactile, and feel like a comb when you touch them.The rest of the plant is very sharp and the spines catch me if I stand too close to it.

The plant is now about two metres tall with thirty two of the flower spikes.I have seen ladybirds, beetles, bee's, and hoverflys on the plant.I got it from Harlow Carr originally.One plant is still at the basal leaf stage and has not grown really well.
The second one is in the photo and is taller than me.It has beautiful architectural qualityys because of its height and great flower spikes.
There is a popularity to plant cultivated wild flowers to attract native wildlife into a garden.

Dance Of The Bee's

The garden has been alive for months now with the sound of the bee's buzzing as they fly to collect all the nectar they can from the flowers.The Catnip Sixhills Giant, Cerinthes, and Monkshood in the garden, and the white flowers of the Privet have been the most productive for the visiting bee's.

I had to put the camera in the ait to capture these two photos. An English summer would not be the same without masses of bee's.Their black and yellow bodys and black obsidian eyes, with whirring wings always make me smile.They have done the pollination of flowers for tens of thousands of years, but every visit I see makes me smile.

These bee's are like stripey costumed dancers flying from flower to flower tirelessly seeking out the nectar, and collecting pollen on their furry bodys and legs. Untill the recent stories of colony collapse disorder they were unsung heros.
I planted as many Bee loving plants as I could find in order to attract them. I have Purple Cone Flowers, Sedum, Cornflowers, Lavender, and California Poppies still to flower yet.They will serenade the Bees, and other flying insects into doing a summer dance.
There is lots of honey being made somewhere nearby which my garden has contributed to.

Oranges, Lemons,And Green Gifts

In bloom today plants that have been given to me from people I know.The Butterfly Flower came from matchstick seeds from Fran.I love these Chilean flowers with their harlequin faces, and orchid-ish looks.These have surpassed my expectations with their flowering.I thought the glued seeds would not germinate well, but they did.

My birthday present from Cat.The superb Apricot coloured Lady Emma Hamilton rose, still in bloom.The flowers smell gorgeous, and the fragrance actually alters as the Rose bloom ages.I can smell oranges and lemons, and honey too.Good looks and great scent.What a present!

The Garden today showing the path to the Rose bench.The bottom left planter has seeds given to me by Hils.A lot of my plants have come from Hilarys greenhouse, and the plant stall in Walton.

The left hand border with Ageratum and Busy Lizzies, Geraniums, Calendulas, French Marigolds, Cerinthes, Roses, Camellia, mixed grasses.. overlooked by the Viburnum Tinus in the top right hand corner.The red flowering Crocosmia add some summer heat to the border.

A Calendula from Cheltenham.I found these plants in Mums border, still self seeding away.I love the warm colours of these plants, and the claw like seed head that can lie dormant in the soil for years.She hated them but I always tried to replant them in new displays.They do not take kindly to being moved from their chosen spot.I dug the whole root ball up and moved them to Yorkshire..

More Calendulas, these are from Cats garden.I took some dried seeds and plant a Z shaped line.Only two lots have come out this year.I like the two tone effect of a deep orange and a lemon yellow.When Cat moves to a new house I can give her some Calendula seeds to grow again.
All the plants we collect and are given have stories, and makes us more connected to where we grow them.Keep sakes, pass alongs, and gifts keep the garden full of stories, and the plants full of personality.
More posts after my long day tomorrow.Sigh, back to work...

Garden Spirit

Upside down drinking the flowers nectar.The bees love these flowers too.High above my garden the white flowers adorn the green hedging.

I had to stand on the Rose bench to get high enough to photograph him.The second photo is a bit blurry, but the butterfly flew off after the two shots.
They are so beautiful in the wing colours.They fly off easily and dissapear over the hedge.
I hope that he is the first of many as the Summer continues. I have Butterfly bushes growing to attract them into the garden.
They are garden spirits the Butterflys, and always bring a warm glow to your heart on a sunny summers day.

Back To Daylight

I'm back in daylight hours after my three night shifts.I was tired out and not energetic enough to post.I have not missed two days blogging in a row for ages!
The garden was bathed in sunshine today for the first time in weeks.
I sat on the Rose bench enjoying the sun, the birds, and the insects.
This unknown beetle was sunbathing on the Catnip Six Hills giant.I photographed a Butterfly today as well but it was high in the privet.
I wander if the wet weather has stopped them flying about.I have lots of bee's visiting my garden but only a few butterflys so far this year...
I am going back to Tatton Park RHS flower show on Sunday for the closing day. I hope the weather is as nice on Sunday as it was today.
My camera will be there to photograph some highlights of the show. I need to go to the allotment tomorrow to see if my Courgettes are marrows, and to see how the plants are doing.
The garden is full of flowers, birds, bees, and insects.

Snappys Flower In Bloom

Some Astrantia Major in flower from a few days ago.Do they look familiar?
The clue is at the top of the blog page.

I like to take ideas from all the gardens I have seen, both public and private.These beautys I saw first at Harlow Carr in June 2007.
I looked everywhere for the perennial roots and finally found some.They said they were red flowering, but have turned out white with lime green edging, and pink pin cushions within.Next year this plant should flower even more spectacularly.
A lot of my plants are perennials that should come back again with more vigour and more flowers.
The Monkshood, Chocolate Cosmos, Echinaceas, Eryngiums, Day Lily D'Oro, Crocosmia, and the Astrantia Major are seven perennials that should flower year after year, and be split eventually to pass along to other gardeners.
Its raining again.The wet weather continues putting flowers behind time with the cool and damp.Two more nights to go for me.
The Astrantia is Snappys archetypal flower.

Windowbox And Birds

Two Blue Tits in the garden this afternoon.I am back on nights so not much is happening.I tidied up the windowbox removing the gone over Virginia Stock and Scented Night Stock. I planted some busy lizzies, and a Coleus Black Knight, between the Dutch Iris that are growing on in the windowbox still.
The pots and debris underneath have been cleared up. I saw the first Blackbird in months today eating the fruit off the bird table.
The Robin was singing his heart out today, chirruping away on the fence posts and on the bird table, thrusting his red breast out.
The House Sparrow mob descended several times. I counted twenty three of them on one photo.They are so manic, flying, and hopping, jostling one another for the bird food.
I have three nights, which means the birds can enjoy the garden without me disturbing them.I will sit on the Rose bench daily though after the night shift and listen to the bird sing.

Chilli Passion

Todays late night post will be about my Chilli plants. I have six growing in pots outside now. It has been sunny enough for them to get some boosting sunlight.The first photo is of a sweet pepper that is going red. I read as the fruits develop over time the sugar content rises, that improves the taste and flavour. It was a chocolate brown colour a few days ago and has suprised me with the chameleon like change of fruit colour.

This picture shows my Apache Chilli plant, a dwarf Chilli plant for patio containers. It shows a flower in bloom at the top, a flower bud nearly opening to the right, and a fruit (Chilli) forming to the left.
I moved all my Chilli/Pepper plants outside for the summer to see if the fresh air, sunshine, wind, rain and buzzing insects would induce them to fruit better. I had some success with hand pollinating using a cotton bud, but a lot of flower drop too. It is experimental to see if the natural process can make more Chillis and Peppers without as much flower drop.

The next generation: Cayenne Chillis, Jalapeno Chillis, Sweet Pepper California and Yolo plants growing in front of the greenhouse. I also have six Hot Pepper Ring O Fire plants growing outside too. These five varieties have been raised from seeds this year.
A sixth type I grew from store bought Chillis marked Zambian Serenade. I harvested some seeds, dried them and planted them. I have flowers but no Chillis growing yet!
Another Chilli question I googled was are Chilli/Pepper plants annuals? The ones that are fruiting now are 12 months old now. I grew them from seeds bought at Tatton Park flower show last July from the Robinsons stand. I read if they are kept inside over winter then they can last 2 to 3 seasons.

The two Cayenne Chilli plants have given me sixteen Chillis so far. They start off this nice green colour and ripen to orange then red.They are hot to taste!
I have read that Chilli plants can drop flowers if they are stressed. I think if the flower has not successfully been pollinated then it also drops.
This year has been so educational watching these plants develop, and watching the flowers turn into Chillis or Sweet Peppers. It makes me want to buy more varieties of seeds and to grow a selection of the fruits. My wish list would include Habanero, Scotch Bonnett, andHungarian Hotwax to name a few. I read that the humble Habanero has whole recipie books given over to using it in cooking.
I have found a passion for growing Chillis this year.They have found a place in my gardeners green heart.

Sanctuary

After the blog post about pollinators yesterday I saw this wasp on the Helianthus this afternoon after I got up late. He was covered in pollen on his legs and thorax. He walked around the flower as i tried to get a good photo.
I love the fiery colours of the Helianthus flower. There are masses more buds too that have not opened yet.
Hopefully these will continue to attract flying insects into my garden.
I love these wildlife encounters, fifteen foot from my back door.Its lovely when gardens can become wildlife sanctuarys, so all forms of life can meet in the neutral garden.

Borage And Bees

These are some photos from the allotment this afternoon. I was suprised that despite all the rain the plot was not as boggy as it used to be. The combination of plants, and dug over soil has improved the drainage. The vegetable plants are growing beautifully and the weeds are slowing up in their attempt to grow in my beds. I grew some Borage in pots and planted them with Cat between the Pea's and French Beans. The Bee's, wasps, and hoverflys were buzzing around the Borages blue flowers today.Bee's and Borage..

The flowers hang down so the Bees had to fly up then cling on upside down. Their is masses of Borage now. I need to buy an icecube tray to freeze some of the flowers in ice cubes to flavour squash drinks. I do not know what else to do with my mass of Borage plants, although I read you can eat the coarse leaves as a salad leaf, it was slightly cucumber-ish in flavour.
The poor French Beans are dwarfed by the Borage. I cut an alley between two rows of Borage to let the light in for the French Beans. I have more FB germinating now from a later planting.

This is the Pea/French Bean/Borage/Spinach bed. The Peas are to the right, the French Beans are in the middle and at the far left of the Borage. The flower buds are a spectacual mass of pendulous pink buds. The Blue flowers look like Tomato plant flowers except for the colouring.
I spent two and a half hours weeding and turning the soil around the plants to aid drainage. The rain had caused it to harden and cap off. Turning it with a fork causes the water to drain to the plant roots and not sit on the surface.
I picked two and a half pounds of Courgettes today. I need some recipie ideas of what to do with them..

The blue flower illuminated by the light of the cloudy day. It did not rain today.The pollinators have been busy at the allotment. Flowers are in bloom all around the site.

My Runner Bean plants have baby runners on now from recently pollinated scarlet flowers. The French Beans are starting to flower with delicate white flowers in the middle of the bee central Borage.

A Strawberry plant flower on the edge of the Courgette and Gem Squash bed.These plants need a permenant home in the Autumn.I want a large Strawberry bed, as picking them and eating them has been one of the highlights of the allotment
Growing plants that need pollination to grow the fruit/veg makes you more aware of the bee's, wasps, hoverflys and flys. All those insects I saw today that fly from plant to plant cross pollinating.The Barratt road allotments are a rich place for all the flying insects that seek nectar from flowers.

Signs Of Summer

A field of wild Poppies between Wetherby and Harrogate. I rolled the window down and took the photo as we waited in traffic to get to the great Yorkshire show last Thursday.
Its another sign of summer for me along with the buzzing of bee's and warm sunshine.
I have had a lazy day just watching the birds in the garden, looking at all the flowers and buds on plants that have not flowered yet.
The right border looks good with pale blue Catnip Sixhills Giant flowering next to the Lilac coloured Buddeleja, and the White scented Freesias flowering over the green edging onto the path.The purple Salvias continue to flower beneath the blue and purple, along with the Blue tinged Cerinthes and purple stars of the Verbena Bonarensis.
The left border has two toned French Marigolds, Bright Orange Calendulas, and the Apricot coloured Lady Emma Hamilton. My white Astrantias are in bloom under the purple coloured Cranesbill Geraniums.
The sun has been shining today, and the rain never came. It has been a perfect Sunday gardening day. Just time to smell the Roses and admire the flowers.

Rose Bloom Saturday

The Rose Fred Loads in flower.This Rose only has the one flower bud so i have to photograph it. Next year my Roses might be more productive with the amount of flowers.
After Iceberg, Margaret Merrill, Red Devil, and Lady Emma Hamilton this Fred Loads is the fifth Rose to flower.
Two more need to bloom yet.The Pink fragrant climber Zephrine Drouhain, and another Rose called Miss Harp!
the Roses have given me a lot of pleasure this year.Cat says I need a bigger garden with a Rose border.She may be right..

Great Yorkshire Show 2008

An unusual post for me in that there are no flowers, vegetables, or gardens.I thought I would share some of my day. Eleven photos, this beauty is a very strokable sheep who was photogenic.

I went on the last day of the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate yesterday. It was the one hundred and fiftieth show. the show was using all of the space within the showground, so it was a good days walking miles from one end to the other, and back again. The Spring flower show used about half of the space I guess.
Me,Cat, and her sons arrived just after ten o'clock. A man on stilts with a red jacket and union jack umbrella made the crowd practise "hip hip Hurray" for the Queens arrival. I knew she was going to visit the GYS but did not know what day she was coming to see it.
Five minutes later Her Majesty the Queen drove slowly past in a Limo, followed by Prince Phillip in another car. I was awestruck after ten minutes on the showground. I have never seen the Queen except on the Tv on Christmas day..I have seen her now!
This horse was a member of the West Yorkshire police force. The mounted police had a throng of people talking to them and stroking the horses. The police horses were so placid, and attentive, as they got their noses stroked.
There was a lot of highly visible police, armed officers, and army presence due to the Royal family visiting.

One of the attractions was a Yorkshire Eye. It took the people into the air for birds eye views of the Yorkshire showground. It was also a good land mark as we tried to orientate ourself with the guidebook map.The wheel was at the north end of the show ground.

The GYS is primarily an agricultural show that shows off farm animals for competition between breeders, owners, and farmers. Cattle, Sheep,Goats,Pigs, horses, and ponys.
We started with the Poultry competition. Hundreds of pure breeds in many colours, shapes, and sizes.The judges walked about when we were there.The noise of so many Cockerals crowing was deafening!

On the side of a truck was a collection of Rams and Sheep with an Australian sheep shearer showing how it was done.I loved how he turned a black sheep onto its side, and relaxed it so the front legs were floppy when he lifted and dropped them.As the black sheep chilled he sheared away and joked on a microphone.I bet his skills are in demand wherever there are sheep farms.He can shear three hundred sheep a day!

The dog and geese. Like the British classic TV "one man and his dog" this was a small version of the sheepdog trial. The two dogs helped round the ducks and geese up from one end of the arena to the other, controlled by the ladys whistle.
The first dog was called Maisy.The lady shouted Come her Maisy to the dog, and a little four year old girl ran from the other side of the arena.The crowd shouted that little girl is called Maisy too.She heard the lady and ran to her!She said you have the same name as my dog :)
In the end the geese went into a mini pen erected out of shot. It was touch and go though as both the ducks and geese have strong minds when it comes to walking around the arena. The dog in the photo (Maisy) was so eager when she was sat tied up she looked across with ears pricked up ready to round them up.
A true working dog and an image that always reminds me of the Yorkshire Dales.The two dogs were going later this year to the one man and his dog competition. On rainy windswept hills with the pen so far away from the start that you can barely see it. Just the dog obeying the whistles and the sheep running away!The display reminded me of the James Herriot vet books.

A sheep in the enclosures down near one end of the showground. The wool on these animals was so soft. I bent over stroking one who just looked at me tiredly.These were being displayed, and had rosettes and ribbons hung proudly up on the back of the straw lined pens.It must be a day out for them, and all the pampering they get to make them beautiful for competition, before being taken to the show. A lot of hard work and love goes into all the animals we saw.

A baby Highland Cow chilling in a stall of one of the many full Cattle sheds along Stock Avenue. the adults have large horns and shaggy coats that keep them warm in the bitter Highland cold. I have seen these around Banchory in the Scottish Highlands when I was at uni. Some of the Cows were huge, and I saw later how difficult it is to lead them on a rope when they were being paraded before the judging of the various cattle classes.There were hundreds of cows and bulls tied up in the cattle sheds.

A Holstein cow with lovely eyes, for all the American readers who know about dairy farms. These looked mainly white with black spots, and looked leaner than our Fresian Cows. (I read that Holstein now means dairy cows from American stock, and Fresians means dairy cows from European stock, but they are interbred often).
Most of the milk cartons in the UK have a picture of a fresian cow chewing the grass contentedly..

The Cattle Parade from outside the main ring. Some of these cows were feisty and not at all happy at being led on a rope. Some pulled the leaders along for a walk!A chirpy announcer went through the cows names and who owned them.Some had the Ribbons around their midriffs, and rosettes on their halters.They were being judged as they walked or when they arrived.

Apart from the farm animals there were ferrets, dogs, hounds for hunting, alpacas, and these birds of prey.This Eagle looks like an American Screaming Eagle as he swooped down for the piece of meat.They displayed two Harris Hawks, a smaller Falcon, a vulture called Edith, and this eagle.I used to live near a falconry centre in Gloucestershire.These birds were so well looked after and trained beautifully.The Falcon swooped down at about a hundred miles an hour and tried to grab the moving bait.The speed and acrobatics were breathtaking.

The final photo shows one of the professional horse riders practising before the final Cock O the North showjumping event in the main arena.We watched a little of the action in the light rain. I wish they had put it on earlier as we had to leave to get back to Wakefield.The Horses here were beautiful and as well turned out as the riders.I have always liked Horses so seeing them reminded me. I will try to watch the Olympic showjumping from Beijing when its on.
Every day of the show that ran from Tuesday to Thursday was packed with events, competitions, bands, and displays. A whole plethora of organisations was there with information like the RSPB, cats protection league, the countryside alliance, national Farmers unions, etc. The Army had a spot in the showground with a kids assault course, a death slide jump, and paint gun target practise. there were over 900 stalls in the showground.
Traditional rural skills were demonstrated for the public, as well as fashion, and cooking! There was so much to see. With so many events taking place simultaneously its impossible to see it all.
I think they said 130,000 visitors go across the three days. It was packed with visitors yesterday, and blessed with dry conditions for most of the day. It was a celebration of farming, the countryside, country skills, and animals.
I loved seeing the Queen for a moment, and all the animals. It was also Cats birthday on the tenth of July! A memorable day, and not a flower in sight. I hope its a pleasant change for Snappy away from gardens and allotments!

Open Gardens

I watched a programme last night called Open Gardens on the BBC i player. It was presented by the Gardeners World presenter Carol Klein.
Members of the public in the UK were trying to get entry into the Yellow book, an annual handbook for the National Garden Scheme:
http://www.ngs.org.uk/gen/history.aspx
Four hundred of the best, most innovative peoples gardens are opened for a day to raise money for charity.
Regional judges come around and scrutinise the peoples gardens, to see if they are of high enough standard, without too many glaring faults, and are safe enough for the paying public to visit.
Eight hundred people had applied for a place in the yellow book, with only four hundred reaching the judges standards.
These are peoples private gardens, being opened to the paying public for a few days a year.
I think that in America, some Citys have a similar scheme to open private gardens.The NGS scheme raises money for charitys and has done since 1927.
It says on the website that the garden must keep people interested for 45 minutes including refreshments.
Would you be brave enough to let people pay to come into your private garden? For me my garden is a reflection of me, and designed to please me. My garden (it is only visible from the back gate and nobody except the neighbours ever walks past) is seldom seen, and from the front of the house there is no clue to the lush green of the massed planting at the back.
Only people who I have invited in have seen it in person. Although I guess blogging the garden and all its flowers is opening it up to the world.
The NGS scheme blurs the difference between Public gardens and Private ones. Does blogging count as a worldwide open garden scheme where visitors can drop in and take a look, and leave comments if they desired?

Ps (The photo is of a deliciously scented Chocolate Cosmos..Am off to bed soon..its the Great Yorkshire Show today in Harrogate!Expect a few animal photos :)

Tomato Race And Vegetable Musings

The first photo is of my Tomato Ailsa Craig, It is in a race with the Tomato Money Maker in the garden trying to grow the first red Tomato of 2008.
I think Chilli plants and Tomato plants are my weakness, I will look for new varieties for next year.I am already planning the 2009 harvest crops..

From the allotment today the first two Onions (Red Baron, and Stuttgart),some Strawberrys, Rhubarb, and ten Courgettes. The biggest one on the left filled the seed tray. I guess all the rain has helped keep the plants well watered.The experimental Courgettes with no pop bottles or black covering have not done as well.The baby courgettes showed signs of gnawing! Teeth marks had stripped two of the courgettes. Do Mice like Courgettes?

The colourful Runner Bean Polestar is flowering on the two most advanced plants. The other fourteen are in various stages of growth. I weeded the Runner Bean bed and did some repairs on the A frame which had been damaged by the wind and rain. It was so peaceful up there. Only the birds singing and the wind blowing.

The first Borage flower. These plants have grown huge and were shadowing the Peas and the four Dwarf Bean plants. They have masses of flower buds, and one plant had pink flowers. I wander what I can do with this glut of flowers? They are doing a good job of weed supression under their thick, coarse textured leaves. I grew them to help pollinate the Peas and French Beans. They have grown much better than the other two!

The Cabbages are forming hearts now in the centre of the plant.The Garlics leaves are turning yellow and brown. The Carrots are growing beautifully, as are the Onions that are nearly fully grown. A line of Parsnips, and two lines of Mustard Greens have germinated in the rainy weather. No sign yet of my Perpeptual Spinach.
My Gem Squash have two baby Gems growing on them, and the Leeks are still small. The weeds were not as rampant as before. I will try to get up on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
I need to find my notebook ready to plan next years Vegetable beds. The Shed base is marked out but needs leveling before I can get some stone slabs down. Once they are down I will buy a six foot by four foot shed.The Plot will almost be complete then, and I will have somewhere to store my tools, hose, and watering can. I want a sloped roof so I can put water butts beneath to catch the ample amount of rain.
I have two nearly full compost bins which need more time to break down.The resulting compost will go back into the raised beds, to add organic matter, and goodness to the soil.
Its amazing the transformation of the allotment from wilderness to productive allotment with raised beds, marked out paths, frames, and compost bins. I read a bit, looked at other peoples experiences growing vegetables and soft fruit, and have experimented.I will use this year as my starting point of knowledge. I had none previously to look back at.
I hope its interesting swinging the blog posts between the Garden and all its flowers, and the Allotment with all the food crops growing.

Colours Of The Rainbow

The colours of the garden range from fiery reds and oranges to cool blues and purples.The Fuschia is called Blacky.Its lower parts are dark almost black, with the hot pink upper petals..

A Rose bud on the right hand border.I cannot remember its name untill its fully open.The colour is like molten lava, but very bright..

The Helianthus growing next to the Lady Emma Hamilton rose, in front of a backdrop of green.The garden is like the Emerald Isle with all the varieties of green as a canvas, to the paintbox colours of the flowers.

Cats Calendula has finally flowered.These self seed madly and the claw like seeds can last many years in the soil.I collected the seeds from Cats house before, and am pleased to see it actually flowering!I do love the orange.Reminds me of Hare Krishnas in York, orange juice, and flames..

Where the Hot and cold colours collide.The Rose Red Devil next to the cool blue Monkshood.I planted the bare root roses before I had any idea of colouring the borders with the selection of flowers.

The Monkshood in flower. Its flower buds look like Guylian Seashells (the Chocolates). I have seen the bees flying into the blue cowls of the monks..

Hydrangea starting to flower.My rusty nails and screws have nicely made the flowers turn blue in an alkaline soil.It does work putting rusty metal at the root level to keep the flowers blue.It was an experiment to see if the old wives tale was true about rusty metal turning the flowers blue.the local Hydrangeas are mostly pink and white flowered.

The cool coloured Chamomile. I have kept the first flowers for drying ready to make some Chamomile tea.The white and yellow contrasts to the light green of the foliage.

The gorgeously scented Freesias, in White with the yellow bits.The purity of the white is a nice contrast to the reds, oranges, and blues.
A selection of some of my flowers in a variety of colours, a rainbow garden.

Schizanthus

In bloom still the seed grown Butterfly flower or Shizanthus.I photographed two flowers today in shades of purple and white, with central colours like ink blot paper.

They are colloquially named Poor Mans Orchids, just from the colouration. I love the ferny leaves and bright coloured flowers. They are sat in a clay pot on the table by the Rose bench.
I have not done much today, besides tidying the garden a little. I went shopping to buy Cats birthday present (thats on Thursday when we are going to the agricultural Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate).
It has rained on and off most of the day.The sun did make brief appearances to illuminate the flowers, between clouds.

A Different Point Of View

The birds eye view today of my garden from the spare room, looking down on it. It is good to see things from a new view point.I usually sit by the back door, or on the rose bench at the end of the garden.
The bottom right corner of the photo shows a wild butterfly bush that is growing out of a drain pipe. I thought I would leave it to see if Butterflys come to the flowers, even though they are twenty feet in the air...
The papers today were full of gloomy stories about the British summer being washed away, with two months of rain.
I watched the Wimbledon mens final yesterday which was an epic in three parts because of the rain. Rafael Nadal won the title in five sets lasting nearly five hours!I had slept for two hours and got up to watch it..
A British summer has Strawberrys and cream, Wimbledon tennis, and rain. My Strawberry planter is to the right of the rose bench.I have had a few fruits this year, but the heavy cropping should begin next year when the plants are two years old.
I watched the birds today, and the garden resident rat climb to get to a bird feeder suspended on a fence post.She climbed all the way up, then fell off..
A neighbours Cat called Spice keeps coming to see me in the morning. This started during my night shifts when I sat in the garden with coffee before bed. She is very friendly.
The masses of House Sparrows continue to raid the bird feeders and fatballs. Blue tits, Coal Tits, Great Tits, and Robins join in occasionally.The entire House Sparrow fledgling population seems to frequent my garden, sometimes eighteen of them!
The Teasel is taller than me now, ready for the seedheads to dry and attract the Goldfinches..
I saw a bird eating my black Thistle seed that has been hung for months. At least one bird likes it, as the Goldfinches did not come to it yet.
As i write this the rain continues to pour down. I hope to get to the allotment tomorrow, maybe with an umbrella and some wellington boots. The rain will hopefully make all my vegetables grow beautifully.

Aztec Gold

In flower today two floral treasures of the Aztecs, Dahlias.
The first one is so brilliant it dazzled the camera with its hot pink tones.
Its called "Wink".



These plants travelled from South America to Spain, before being bred to form thousands of hybrids in a rainbow explosion of colours and forms.

The second one is brilliant in the colour of the central eye contrasting to the light coloured tones of the outer petals.
It is called "Kiss"
I have three more Dahlias growing in pots, and two unknown varietys that have grown in the left border from December planting.
These flowers are some of the most beautiful in my garden today.
These flowers have been in cultivation for thousands of years and its easy to see why.
I want to grow Dahlias at the allotment next year for cut flower display.

Fuschia Flamenco

One of my hanging baskets has a Fuschia Winston Churchill in it.The flowers are so vibrant and energetic in the colour of the blooms.
The Lobelia and Busy Lizzies have been slow to start off but are growing on slowly.
Its raining this morning, so I know the allotment and garden will be drinking deeply.
One more night shift left.I ate this morning from the garden a Raspberry, a Strawberry, and some baby Pea's Petite Pois.
The Fuschia flowers remind me of spanish flamenco dancers, with twirling, whirling skirts and limbs outstretched..

The Sounds Of Summer

From the garden this morning an Anemone that has flowered besides an Echinacea that has not.The sun was shining, and the sky was a brilliant blue.After the night shift I sat in the garden with coffee taking random photos.New flowers had appeared overnight.
Every day I find something new in bud, or blooming.The garden is becoming technicolour, with all shades of flowers appearing in the sea of green.
The Tomatos are setting their first fruits, the Peas are starting to swell.The Raspberrys are starting to ripen and turn the red colour.
The plants are growing well in the mix of sunshine and showers.They form lovely combinations together which work well sometimes.
There is so much to blog.Once I have finished the nights I will do a garden highlights, maybe the slide show so I can blog as many photos as I take!
The dense planting is working to keep the moisture in, and the weeds out.It is almost tropical looking.The only thing I have not seen yet is Butterflys.I'm hoping they will come this month, as my Butterfly Bush is blooming now in the corner.
The most popular two Bee plants are the Catnip Six Hills Giant, and the turquoise/blue/purple Cerinthes!These are always buzzing with many varieties of bee's.They make a lovely droning noise as they fly to the pollen rich flowers.The birds are always singing too.The buzzing of flying bees and the songs of the garden birds are the sounds of the summer for me.
Ps Have a happy Independence Day all my American bloggers!

Montbretia yesterday

The Crocosmia bulbs I planted have grown lots of strappy green leaves.One plant is more advanced and has the flowers buds that look like a fern or a zip!
These should flower beautiful red flowers.The buds are spectacular too.
I call it Crocosmia, Cat calls it Montbretia but it is the same plant!

LEH

The first Rose from the Lady Emma Hamilton in my garden. A perfect flower in shades of apricit and copper. It smells very citrusy and sweet. This rose is glowing in the garden compared to the darker green foliage below. There are eleven Rose buds on the bush, so thats ten more to go.
Roses are the archetypal English garden flower,and recently voted the nations number one flower. I read they are used in gardens for people with dementia/alzheimers as they evoke such strong memorys, and are easily recognisable as a Rose.

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 :)