Friday, July 05, 2013

Fabulous Flowers And Frogs

  I watched the first Wimbledon Mens Semi Final between Djokovic and Del Potro. After five hours I had been tennis-d out. I went out into the garden earlier to take some photos between the points. I watered the dry garden after it had finished. How therapeutic is it to stand watering your plants and borders? I watered the hanging baskets too. The garden is serene and green. I have enjoyed just looking at it through the conservatory window, and walking around it daily to see whats new. The birds think we cant see them behind the Butterfly Bush and Ceanothus. They are in feeding all the time. A family of Magpies has started to raid the feeders, and peck the insects out of the hundred pots that are all around the garden.
  The first photo shows the lemon yellow Snapdragon that over wintered in the pot. I do not remember planting any Snapdragons in there. The wind must have blown the seeds into my Barrel planter. Serendipity that it is so vibrant. The plants are growing next to the Sweet Peas up the spiral metal supports.
 The replacement Moliniux Rose has flowered. It has a lovely strong tea scent, and the flower looked perfect today. This Rose will be planted in the Winter into the space where the other one died in the front garden. It is enjoying its first season in a pot to develop good roots.
 The unknown pale Lilac Rose (called Anne's Rose by me after where I dug it up from).It smells divine, but there is only one flower on the plant. It is a tall Rose plant. It needs a bigger pot to spread its roots.
 The Old Rose of my collection is the David Austin Lady Emma Hamilton. The citrus scent from this Rose is amazing. The Apricot petals just glowed in the evening light. It is not quite fully open. Teasing me.
 The Dark Lady Rose is strongly tea scented, and has a beautiful Crimson Rose flower. There is only one though. This has grown poorly in a pot.
 The Rose Harlow Carr has flowered the most of all my Roses. It has lots of buds, and developed Roses ready to bust open. It has the most exotic Rose scent to the flowers.
 The Roses that are making me wait are Arthur Bell, Wollerton Old Hall, and the Fryers Sweet Scent Sation. They are all getting closer to flowering though.They are all scented. I must always have Roses that smell  in the garden. Beautiful to look at, to feel, and to hold it to your nose to inhale the delicious perfume.
 The Mallow I bought at the Spring Flower Show has bloomed. It has funny green flower buds that must contain the folded flower. They unfurl their pink sails, and contrast to the greenery behind it.
  I counted three big Frogs in the pond sunbathing around it. The pond weed has gone mad, and needs scooping out a bit. I saw Newts laying eggs the other day folding the leaves carefully. When we stood up the fallen flag Iris pot we saw a black baby newt jump out of the pot. The pond is full of Newts, mature ones, baby ones, and ones not born yet. The wildflowers and grasses around the edge of the pond keep it well hidden from view. The birds drink and bath on the edge of it. There is magic in sitting looking into the pond to see what you can see there.
The Last photo that I'm showing is the Navy Blue Sweet Peas. They smell beautiful. I have already picked one pot of posy's that scented the front room. The light shining through the petals make them like stain glass window.
  The garden looks serene now. The day has been hot and sunny. The sun is going to be here all weekend. British Summer at its best. I'm working through the weekend.

2 comments:

LostRoses said...

Lovely post! I, too, am listening to the magpies as they screech to each other that the peanut holder has just been filled. Funny birds. Your roses look heavenly, and a navy-blue sweetpea? Who knew?

Silvia Hoefnagels . Salix Tree said...

Hi.. I haven't been here for a long time! Just was looking down my long list of blogs I used to visit, and decided to go exploring.
Love roses!! I hhave a Dark Lady as well, and it too doesn't do very well. I have her in the ground next to my other roses. She likes to sulk. I think I read in the catalog that she likes warmer climates.
I'm becoming quite fond of simple roses as well as the more frilly ones, and also small blooms. But I do agree they should smell heavenly!