My Jewel Garden

   Apologies to Monty Don for stealing his book title for my blog post header. The stars of the garden at the moment are the Roses, and the Asiatic Lilies. The Rose Scent Sation after a slow start has exploded into growth. Each stem has five or six Rose buds on each. They smell so sweet to start with, and the flower mellows in colour to this Salmon blush colour.

 Wollerton Old Hall has gorgeous Myrrh scented flowers. They hold this chalice shape until the petals drop off the Rose. This shrub is covered in multiple stems with lots of flower buds. The weight of the Roses pulls the stems down.

  My favourite Banana Split Lily's. I will miss these next year, but the garden needs a break from them. I think monoculture is an invitation for all the local pests to decimate their target flower. These bright vibrant flowers represent a small portion of what was growing before. I had hundreds of Lilys growing in many pots, hence the red Lily Beetle infestation.

  The Pinks look more faded now, but this maybe the intense sunlight, and very hot days.I think these look great in blocks of single colour.

 Orange flowers always bring a warmth to the garden. I will definitely have these plants in my wish list for a few growing seasons.

 I moved these back to next to the Hungry Bin and they have bloomed away. The bottom right Lily almost looks white. It has lost its dark pink pigment in the flower petals.

  A late Rose bud unfurling on the Lady Emma Hamilton. I trimmed this Rose back to try and keep the growth compact. She has not flowered as well as normal. Lots of leaves but not many flowers. She is maybe five years old now. I will try to change the pots soil, and keep trimming to keep the size small. How long can shrub roses last for before you have to change them?

 The Patio with the birdbath reflecting the sky. The Hosta's provide the green and yellow leaves, the Roses and Lily's the jewels in the garden. The Bamboos have done quite poorly in the summer heat. They will be moved in the winter to the side of the house by the backdoor. It is sheltered and has some shade from the house. The Yorkshire wind has browned the Bamboo leaves. I thought that the Phyllostachus Nigra would be more hardy.

 This is the Rose Scent Sation just after the Rose bud opened. It smelt strongly of sticky sweets, Turkish Delight according to Monty Don. It is a thing of beauty when it first unfurls from the rose bud.

The Wollerton Old Hall in bloom with four of its Roses. They smell strongest when they first bloom. It is a lovely old scent. I hope someone who grows this can tell me what they think it smells of?I did not know what Myrrh smelt like before I had this Rose.
    I already am planning the garden for next year. Change what is dying or struggling. Bring in new replacement plants, rearrange what we have growing. Its never ending with the changing of the seasons.Photographing helps capture moments in time when the garden or an individual flower looks perfect. Or an unexpected combination of planting catches your eyes. these are the jewel garden moments.