Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - August 2012

Managed to take these photos before the latest deluge:

Acanthus mollis, putting on a good display now that it's got more space.

Crocosmia, commonly known as Montbretia. This plant was given to me many years ago by a friend. This year it is giving its best display ever, obviously likes the rain. Glad something does.

Hosta, flowering in the front garden. I've not seen much of this plant recently, but this year's rain has given it a new lease of life. And the snails have had a banquet on the leaves.

Clematis Rebecca, atop an apple tree, flowering for the second time this year.

Buddleia Nanho Blue, a dwarf variety, it said on the label. It's about 8ft. tall at the moment.

Rose Handel, a climbing rose, having a second flush of flowers.

Bacopa, a tender plant that survived the winter outdoors in a hanging basket.

Lily, an oriental variety, flowering near the front gate. It was a spare bulb that I planted this spring. Would have given it a bit more TLC if I had known it had a flower like this.

Geranium Sybil, an ivy-leaf variety. I've grown a lot of these this year because they cope well with drought conditions. Alright, I know, but we were experiencing a drought way back in early spring when I bought them.

Lily Star Class, purchased two years ago, and giving quite a nice display again.

Achillea Lilac Beauty, this plant just gets better every year.

Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting this meme. If you want to see what's in bloom all over the world right now, why not pop over to Carol's blog.

Can't See The Woods

For the Tree Lilies.
Yes, there's more of them:

These Tree Lilies are the ones growing in pots. Must be about 7 or 8 foot high. Well, they're a lot bigger than me, but then, most things are. The Leycesteria growing in front of them is about 6 foot high. And that's bigger than me too. I'm starting to get a complex here.

Moving swiftly on, the squirrel has been up to his antics again. Now that he's eaten all the cheap food, he's found the good stuff.

Lid off in no time.

And he starts tucking in.

But then he gets a bit erm.....stuck.

Manages to free himself, but loses his balance.

And decides to call it a day.

And finally, saw an unusual sight in the garden today; a family of goldfinches came to visit. That's not the unusual bit. Hang on. Anyway, the parents came to the feeder, but the youngsters were a bit reluctant to come down. Suddenly, they all flew up into the air, and flew off. That's when a sparrowhawk arrived, but he wasn't interested in the goldfinches. Oh no.

Here's the unusual bit; the sparrowhawk was being chased by about half a dozen crows. They put on some amazing aerial displays as they were dive bombing the sparrowhawk. The hawk kept resting in the trees, but everytime he tried to fly away, the crows attacked it again. Eventually, they all flew out of sight, so I don't know what the outcome was. Very strange to see a predator under attack.

I Can't Get No

Satisfaction.
At least, not in its first year.

This is Lily Satisfaction, one of the first tree lilies that I grew. I purchased several bulbs from Thompson & Morgan in 2009. I planted most of them in the ground, but kept one to grow in a pot. The ones in the ground were very disappointing, but the one in the pot didn't even grow at all. At the end of the season, I knocked it out of its pot, and much to my surprise, the pot contained a very plump, healthy bulb. So I repotted it, and it has flowered every year since. Oh, and the ones in the ground ?  Long since disappeared.

This little chap has been living in my water feature all summer. Normally, the frogs don't go in there much in summertime, because it is situated in full sun. But this year, no such thing as full sun.

And finally, a few words about illegal immigrants. You know the ones. They come over here, and just take over from the local population. We all know about the grey squirrels, and more recently, the harlequin ladybirds. But have you heard about the Spanish slug ?  I kid you not.

Apparently, it has arrived here, producing hundreds more eggs than our native species. It could even pose a threat to our good old British slug. Speaking of which, have you seen the size of them lately ?  Team GB is really producing some winners this year. They'll certainly give the Spanish ones a run for their money. Well they would, if they could run.

Watership Down

No it's not about the rabbits.

This is Phlox paniculata Bright Eyes, purchased five years ago from Hayloft Plants. It took a while to get established in my garden, probably because it likes moisture, and we usually have quite dry summers. But not this year, and I've never seen it look so happy. This is the first bloom, there are many more to follow.

Remember I mentioned a while ago, that the birds were particular about where I get their food from? Well I've solved the problem of what to do with the food they won't eat. I put it in my 'squirrel-proof' feeder. You know, the one where the squirrel just lifts the lid up. He eats anything, problem solved.

And finally, a little observation on the weather. Hope you enjoyed the recent heatwave. Only I've noticed that our very weird weather this year, has actually kept to a very fixed pattern:

End March:   heatwave
April:            wettest April for 100 years
May:             heavy rain like April
End May:      heatwave
June:             wettest June for 100 years
July:              heavy rain like June
End July:       heatwave
August??

Erm, I suppose the pattern could change, but then again........

Brush Stokes

Nothing to do with painting though.

This is Callistemon citrinus, commonly known as the Crimson Bottlebrush from Australia. Erm, I don't mean I bought it from Australia, I meant it originates from there. I grew it many years ago from seed. I managed to get three plants to germinate and grow. The other two succumbed to the severe winter two years ago, but this one not only survived but is flowering again. What a surprise.

When I planted it in the garden, we were experiencing relatively mild winters, and after taking a few years to settle in, it flowered every year, until the severe winter of three years ago put paid to the blooms the following summer. But that was nothing compared to the next winter; the main stem was split in half by the sheer weight of snow. After a bit of judicious pruning, and a bit of TLC, the plant began to recover. I really didn't expect it to bloom this year though. Must be all the rain.

Remember the Berberis darwinii that was attracting all the blackbirds ?  It is now being visited by squirrels. They don't pick individual berries like the birds. Oh no, they pick a bunch and eat them like grapes. Well they would, wouldn't they ?

And finally, a bit of good news; the weathermen are predicting the end of our soggy summer. Apparently, the Jet Stream is heading back up north to where it should be, and as a result we should get  normal summer weather. You know, sunshine, remember that ?  Jet Stream, eh ?  So why didn't Air Traffic Control sort it out sooner ?

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - July 2012

It's time to show what's in bloom in the garden this month:

Dahlia Bishop of Oxford, purchased from Brookside Nursery earlier this year, and still in the greenhouse.

Campanula persicifolia, one of the first campanulas I grew, and it self-seeds around the garden. Bargain.

Hemerocallis, commonly known as a daylily. Sorry I don't know the variety. The plant got through last winter, but the label didn't, it faded.

Viola, another self-seeded plant. I love plants for free.

Begonia Superstar, a wonderful plant for hanging baskets, only just coming into bloom.

Asiatic Lily, variety unknown. Lost the label. Really must be more careful.

Adenophora, closely related to campanula, grown from seed many years ago. I remember it took quite a few years to get established, but now it's a bit of a thug.

Matricaria, another one grown from seed many years ago, and now self-seeding around the garden.

Oxalis, this one escaped from my neighbour's garden. It grew through their hedge, and now flowers in my garden in dense shade. Oxalis can become a nuisance, but this one knows its place, and shows no signs of spreading.

Alstroemeria, this is one of the first Princess varieties, purchased many years ago when they first became available. I bought three at the time; a red one that died, a white one that still throws up a few stems, and this one that really took off.

Clematis Shimmer and Clematis Amethyst Beauty, growing together in a pot. Purchased two years ago, and flowering for the first time.

Sweet Pea, a perennial variety, also purchased two years ago, and also flowering for the first time. It's planted under an arch, but this stem decided to climb up a nearby apple tree.

Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting this meme. Why not pop over to Carol's blog to see what is in bloom all over the world this month.

A Little Nut Tree

But this one doesn't bear a silver nutmeg.
It's not a nut tree either, but a Flowering Nutmeg.

This is Leycesteria formosa, which is also known as the Himalayan Honeysuckle. Erm, it's not a honeysuckle either. Now that you're completely confused, I'll introduce you to one of my favourite shrubs. I first came across this shrub many years ago, whilst on holiday in Cornwall. It was a specimen plant in the middle of a lawn, and was about 15ft. tall by 15ft. across. But what really attracted me to the plant, was how it was constantly visited by blackbirds who were gorging on the berries. This shrub has the added attraction of producing berries and flowers at the same time, later in the season.

On return from holiday, I set about purchasing my first plant, and it died. A few years later, I tried again, and it died. But I was determined to have this plant, so a few years later I purchased yet another one, and it.......wait for it, it survived. Maybe it was the pruning; I think I may have pruned the young shrubs too hard in their first year. Whereas with this plant, I let it get well established before attacking it with the pruners. And it has survived two severe winters recently too.

It has only just started flowering this year, I wonder why, so there are no berries just yet. The blackbirds in my garden are currently feasting on a bumper crop of Berberis darwinii berries:

Sorry about the poor quality of this photo, only it was pouring with rain, yet again. Remember the blackbird who was sunbathing the other day, well she really doesn't like the rain:

There was no food on the bird table, so she was just sheltering from the rain. Can't say I blame her.

Fit For A Princess

Yes, it's another rose:

This is Rose Princess Alexandra of Kent, the third of my four new David Austin roses to bloom. It managed to produce four lovely blooms before the deluge on Friday. I dead-headed it yesterday, and it now has some new buds showing through. The new roses have all done very well this year, must be all this rain. In previous years, new roses have struggled to produce many flowers in their first year.

This rose is named after Princess Alexandra, who is a cousin of the Queen, and a keen gardener and rose lover. Apparently, the rose has a fresh Tea fragrance that changes to the smell of lemon as the flower ages, and eventually gives off a hint of blackcurrants. I wouldn't know, because I have no sense of smell. And even if I could smell them, my flowers only got as far as the fresh Tea stage before the weather put paid to the display.

We had a glimpse, and I mean a glimpse, of sunshine the other day. Whilst I was out in the garden I stumbled across this blackbird sunning herself.

She wasn't very pleased about being disturbed. See the look on her face, but she didn't move. Well, why should she ?  She was there first. So I went back inside, as did the sun.

An Amazing Discovery

A couple of days ago, a discovery was made.
More about that later.

This is Linaria purpurea, commonly known as the purple toadflax. It is a short-lived perennial plant, much loved by bees, as you can see. I purchased some seed many years ago, and it has self-seeded ever since. Although the individual plants don't live very long, there are always plenty of youngsters to replace them. They grow to about 2ft. and are self-supporting.

And now about that discovery. For all of you who have been eagerly waiting to read about the Higgs boson, er sorry, not that discovery. No, this is what I was talking about:

Yippee, a ladybird larvae. Yes, despite the horrendous weather, the ladybirds have had babies. Found this one on a bin lid. The bin contained some hedge prunings; branches of elder coated in blackfly. The ladybirds must have laid their eggs on the elder knowing that their young would have plenty of food. I lifted this larvae off the bin and placed it in the greenhouse, on an orchid that was covered in greenfly. I also recovered two more larvae from the bin and placed them on suitable plants.

And finally, the weather. Despite June being the wettest month in over a hundred years nationally, here in Sheffield it was the wettest for only five years. But now it's July, and there are new records to be broken. Last night I attended an open air concert in Sheffield Botanical Gardens. I know, fancy attending an open air concert in the summer. Anyway, despite a thunderstorm that came uncomfortably close, we didn't get too wet. Memo to the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain: next time you come to Sheffield, can you pick a venue with a roof, please ?

A Fighting Chance

Another rose flowering for the first time:

This is Rose Fighting Temeraire, an English Rose purchased from David Austin Roses last autumn. As you can see, the bloom is a different shape from most English Roses. It is one of four roses I planted in the front garden last November. It has an eventual height and spread of about 5 feet, so I placed it further back in the border than the other three. Would you believe it, the other three have all grown taller than this one. I'm hoping it is just a slow grower. I'll take more photos when it has produced more blooms.

Rose Fighting Temeraire is named after a painting by JMW Turner from 1839. It was named for the opening of the Turner Contemporary Gallery in Margate, Kent last year.

This little chap came visiting last week. We don't get many bullfinches in the garden, but we have had quite a few this year, probably as a result of the weather. Oh, don't get me started on the weather. They've just announced that last month was the wettest June for over a hundred years.

And finally I am pleased to announce that Jane at Tidy Gardens by Jane has nominated me for the Lovely Blog Award. Thanks Jane, it is very much appreciated. I now have to tell you 7 things about myself, so here goes:

1. I love summer, you can't beat a good deluge or two or three or .....

2.  I was once the proud owner of a sports car; Kelloggs used to put some nice toys in their breakfast cereal boxes years ago.

3. I like seafood. I'm not going to mention that corny joke about 'see food and eat it.'  Oops, too late, said it now. Sorry.

4. I'm fascinated by thunderstorms, as long as I'm not caught out in one.

5. I love rainbows, and the pot of gold at the end. Oh dear, I'm sounding like a banker now.

6. I like strawberries, as do the blackbirds, the squirrel, and my dog. Latest score: 3 - 0 to me.

7. Three days after passing my driving test, I had an argument with a car park concrete bollard. It hit me from behind. They don't half move fast, those bollards.

I'm now supposed to nominate 10 other blogs, but as I have said before, I find this impossible to do. So may I direct you to my Blog List where there are some excellent blogs to read, it's just that there are more than ten of them.

A Touch Of The Arctic

Don't panic, it's not a weather forecast.
It's just a clematis.

This is Clematis Arctic Queen, purchased three year ago from Raymond Evison Clematis. It is described as one of the most free flowering double clematis. And you're probably thinking it doesn't look very double. I'll try another photo:

You're right, definitely not double, at least not yet anyway. Many doubles do produce a flush of single blooms. I'm hoping that's the case with this one, otherwise the labels have got mixed up. Oops. I'll keep an eye on this one to see if it produces double flowers later.

You'll be pleased to know that a number of those plants stranded in the greenhouse have now been moved into wall baskets outside. Don't know if the plants are very pleased though, what with the thunderstorms and all. Whilst I was in the greenhouse I noticed something hiding amongst the plant pots on the shelving. I presumed it was a snail, but snails don't have tails, do they ?  Yes, it was a little mouse. Didn't even move when I lifted the plant pots up. I went back later when the mouse had gone, and removed a snail from the same area. Guess what ?  The mouse had been building a little nest in there. Now I've no objection to the frogs that live in the greenhouse, but a mouse ?

The photos above were taken before today's thunderstorms. That heavy rain reminded me of the Sheffield floods five years ago this month. At the time I worked in an office quite close to the River Don near Meadowhall shopping centre. Most of us managed to get home okay, but some who stayed behind were trapped by the floodwater, and spent the night in the town hall. I remember looking at the traffic cameras when I got home. Couldn't understand why they were pointing them at the river. Then I realised, we don't have traffic lights and street lights in the middle of a river, do we?  Sheffield escaped the floods today. But that 'once in a hundred years' event could so easily happen again.

Best Buddies

The first strawberry of the season:

This is Strawberry Buddy, purchased earlier this year from Thompson & Morgan. As you can see the plant is in flower and also has its first ripe fruit. You can also see another buddy in the top right of the photo. Yes, at the same time as I noticed the ripe fruit, so did my dog.

The plants are growing in self-watering stacking pots, placed on pot stands with wheels, so they can easily be moved around the patio. Now that the plants are fruiting, I will have to cover them with netting to keep the birds off. However, it will take more than netting to keep Joey off them.

Strawberry Buddy is a relatively new ever-bearing variety. In other words, it crops throughout the summer, not just in June. In fact, it's not supposed to start cropping until mid-July and then continue until October. One of its parents is Strawberry Diamante. Oh, and the strawberry in the photo ?  It was delicious !!

And finally, a little conundrum for you. My calendar says that last Thursday was the first day of summer, and my diary says that today is midsummer. You can see where I'm going here, can't you ? Anyway, enjoy the rest of the summer, or should I say the rest of this week.

She's A Lady

Albeit a fictitious one.

This is Rose Lady of Shalott, purchased from David Austin Roses last autumn. I bought four roses at the time, and planted them all in the front garden. Oh yes, I remember it well. We had had a glorious autumn, but when the plants arrived the weather was already on the turn, and wintry weather was forecast. So I prepared the ground, and dug four very large holes. Although I was wearing a coat, it was a short one, and to cut a long story short, I ended up with severe backache. Just before the wintry weather set in, I managed to get out into the garden and plant the roses. Really should have dug those holes whilst the weather was still warm. Oh well, you live and learn.

Anyway, this is the first of those four roses to bloom. I'm really impressed with it. The plant is full of buds, which should give a good display for its first year. I took this photo today because one of our regular summer deluges is forecast for tomorrow.

The rose is named after a character from one of Lord Tennyson's favourite poems. The poem is set in the time of King Arthur's Camelot. The Lady of Shalott lived in a nearby castle, but she was trapped in a spell. There was a lot of that in those days, you know. She was freed from the spell when she saw the reflection of Sir Lancelot in a mirror. Sounds just like an episode of Merlin, doesn't it?

And finally, I had this little visitor arrive in the garden during a thunderstorm:

Not the best photo, I know, but it was about 15 feet up in the hawthorn tree, oh and it was raining, heavily. I can say for sure that it is a moth, but other than that I can't be more specific. I think it might be a lime hawkmoth, but I can't be certain. One thing I do know, I've not seen one before.