Pretty as a Picture 21/07

rosa rambling rosie

Pretty as a Picture 14/07

rosa Ballerina in profusion

Pretty as a Picture 07/07

rosa Birthday Girl

Good Companions!

Some planned, some good fortune, some a total surprise...not much more to say!

hosta Satisfaction with self seeded sedum

spirea with inherited climbing rose

hosta with geranium Blushing Turtle

heuchera Palace Purple with geranium Elke

hosta aureomarginata with self seeded valerian officinalis

sambucus nigra with rosa Erfurt

hardy geranium with valerian officinalis - both self seeders

rosa Blush Noisette with clematis The President

geranium sanguineum striatum with golden marjoram

Remembering

My Dad died in April last year, before which I had a few precious weeks with him when we talked lots about his youth, his National Service ('some of the best days of my life'), his football team ('come on the Jags'), his love for my Mum ('my Bet') and their early days together as a young couple and then my appearance ('the apple of our eye') just 11 short months after their wedding day.  We reminisced about family holidays; Mum, Dad, my brother B, sister JA and me together in caravans and self catering flats - Blackpool, Scarborough, Girvan, Isle of Wight - happy times, Dad loved a holiday.

Mum and Dad on holiday

Although Dad was very ill indeed, I'll always hold memories of those days and conversations close in my heart and reach for them at moments when the loss of him overwhelms me.

My Dad came late to gardening, when he moved to a wee house with a small garden after my Mum's death.  This was his first garden, as he had lived all of his life in tenement flats in Glasgow, so at 62 years old he began gardening.  

Dad predominately grew roses, and he nourished them with much care and attention.  His small front garden was a joy to behold through the Summer months  with a variety of roses including Trumpeter and Margaret Merril, whilst the side of his house was festooned in climbing roses, New Dawn and Handel.  He fed, sprayed, pruned, mulched, deadheaded and generally cossetted them and was rewarded with many lovely compliments from neighbours on the beauty of his small space.

Dad's roses

So when I came back to Holly Grove after his send off I thought about a rose for remembrance, but I'm not sure my roses reach the high standard set by Dad.  Then I considered planting something in bloom on his birthday, but that's at the end of January and could prove quite a challenge (and I don't spend time in the garden in Winter).  

So what about something to cheer up the end of April, something heralding in the Spring and new life, something joyous, something ostentatious, something welcoming...

Dad's cherry tree

Prunus Shirofugen, described by the RHS as: 'a small deciduous tree with a flattened spreading crown.  Young leaves deep coppery-brown, turning orange in autumn.  Double flowers 5cm in width, dull pink in bud, opening white and fading to pink.'

image from Chew Valley Trees

Not sure I agree with the assessment of 'dull pink in bud', I prefer to describe them as soft pink, is that the romantic in me?  It's a later flowering cherry, coming into blossom in May. Planted in May 2014, young as it is, it's given us our first few blossoms this year and managed to hang on to them through very windy weather.  It stands just inside the entrance to Holly Grove, greeting our visitors and reminding us of Dad in all his glory!  

Happy Fathers' Day Dad - with me always x

Complementary Views

Complementary meaning 'completing a set/making up a whole' really expresses the way the Handyman and I use and work in the garden.

We are very occasionally seen working together, sometimes seen working side by side and most often found to be working on different projects in different spaces around our plot.  This works well for us and we come together for conversation, advice, comment, tea, coffee, sandwiches.

All of this was pulled into focus for me last weekend when we had some gloriously sunny and very warm weather, in the high 20s.  The Handyman spent most of his time out in the open cutting the grass on the grand lawn, netting the fruit cage (another post on this later) and generally topping up his vitamin D levels.  When time came for a little respite he could be found here...

steamer chair in full sun

with views of the sunny borders...

the grand lawn

sunny borders

I, on the other hand, spent most of my hours weeding in the woodland borders, creating hanging baskets in the shade and watering and feeding the mobile garden at the back of the house.  When my coffee time arrived I spent it here...

comfy rocker in the shade

and my views looked like this...

woodland border

mobile garden

These thoughts make me realise that a garden is many things to many people and where time and space permit it's good to be able to accommodate as many of these different aspects as possible.  For shade lovers like me there are hostas, ferns, bluebells, aquilegia, acers...the list goes on.  And for sunworshippers, like the Handyman: poppies, roses, peonies, pelargoniums etc, etc.

So, complemetary views indeed!

Indian Summer

The first of October created a new record here in the UK; the hottest October day since records began: 29.9C at Gravesend and the plants, especially the roses, have responded to this unexpected summer heat.  Alongside this the shrubs and trees have continued to change colour and lose their leaves so everything looks and feels a little bizarre in the garden.



sunny Shropshire!

 I'll start with a couple of photos of a flower carpet rose that's been in the garden for two years.  These roses are fantastic providing lovely flowers from June until the first frosts and sometimes beyond.  They are incredibly healthy and robust and require very little attention other than an annual prune in mid to late spring - I cut them with shears back to six inches (yes, six inches) from the ground, then feed and leave alone for the remainder of the season.  The are relatively low growing, about two feet high, but spread and provide good ground cover.  I have three at the moment: flower carpet pink, white and coral (in photos) and intend to add more of the range over the next few seasons.

Following on from the roses is lavatera. What can I say other than still flowering!

Sedums always bring a burst of colour, and butterflies, to the late summer and autumn borders and this year is no different.  I keep promising that I'll increase my stock of these great plants but never seem to get around to it and they are so easy to propagate from early spring divisions - definitely next year!

sedum telephium autumn joy

sedum erythrostictum frosty morn

And finally for a real bit of autumn colour amongst, what I've just noticed, is a predominantly pink selection.  These are the stunning autumnal leaves of hememelis x intermedia Diane.  This shrub bears tiny flowers in late winter on bare stems and then somewhat ordinary green leaves through the spring and summer but for me it's the autumn colour that wins it its place in our garden - what do you think?

So, another roundup for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day completed.  Why not go over to May Dreams Garden to see some more delightful October gardens.

Pretty as a Picture 11/10

rosa flower carpet coral

Pretty as a Picture 04/10



rosa etoile de holland



Pretty as a Picture 30/08

rosa brother cadfael

August Bloomers

I've recently discovered Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day over on May Dreams Gardens and thought I'd join the fray this month; so a selection of blooming lovelies follows:

pelargoniums

dianthus

blush noisette

nasturtium

dimension



patricia's pride



ground carpet

Birthday Treats

In amongst my birthday presents at the end of July were some garden vouchers from my friend, C; I love it when I get presents for the garden and the vouchers have the bonus that I can go and choose from plants, tools etc.

So a good excuse for another visit to the Country Garden Plant Centre and their plethora of roses.  I made my annual trip there in early June and now I had an excuse to revisit.


Etoile de Holland?

We have an old climbing rose here at Holly Grove that is the deepest red and has the most astonishingly beautiful scent and I have spent sometime trying to identify it.  I had come to the conclusion that it was most probably Etoile de Holland and the lady at Country Garden was also of that opinion; so a large specimen of this rose was destined for Holly Grove.

Birthday Girl

Next I wanted a shrub rose for the border along the entrance drive to Holly Grove.  On my last visit I bought Erfurt and it is doing well in this location.  How lovely when I found my perfect rose to compliment Erfurt, and its name is so appropriate: Birthday Girl!  So she joined the climber in the trolley.


Hertfordshire

Now, I should have stopped at this point as I had used up my vouchers, but...I was tempted by two more roses: another ground cover rose this time from the Counties range, Hertfordshire and another shrub rose, Sally Holmes.  After taking time to consider my purchases with a cup of tea and piece of delicious cake it was time to drag the trolley to the cash desk, load the car and head back to Holly Grove for planting. 
Thank you C for my lovely roses, I'll be thinking of you each time I see them in our garden.

Tranquillity and Respite

Life can get very complex and confusing sometimes and it's on these occasions that I retreat to our garden.  Here, even with the borders crying out for weeding and the grass calling for a haircut, I can find tranquillity and respite from the challenges of everyday living.  So time for a wander around Holly Grove and then onward and upward!

Lavender and Roses

Nothing defines an English summer like a beautifully scented rose and the combination of roses and lavender is a marriage made in heaven.  The roses started into flower early this year but just seem to keep on going and they are getting better and better. 

blush noisette - so pretty and prolific

creme brulee - delicate

grandma - pretty in pink

etoile de holland? - amazing scent and deepest red

As for the lavender well, what can I say, a picture paints a thousand words, so judge for yourself...

lavender Hidcote?