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Thursday, 30 June 2016

June 2016 in the garden - a riot of roses despite the rain

It has been a very wet June this year.  I have been waiting relatively patiently for my roses, peonies and poppy to flower, only to see the blooms turning into a soggy mass.  However, on those few occasions when it wasn't actually raining, I did managed to take some photos.
I love roses and have gradually built up quite a collection in the borders and in pots.  Various shades of pink are my favourite but I am branching out into deeper shades and the odd apricot and white too. All of the roses are scented, but some have a stronger fragrance than others.  Above, top row l to r: Jacques Cartier, Constance Spry, Arthur de Sanchal (my latest purchase); middle row, l to r: Gertrude Jekyll, Bright as a Button, Ferdinand Pichard; bottom row l to r: New Dawn, Frilly Cuff and Cottage rose. I hope I have identified them correctly, but it is quite difficult, as several of them do look very similar.
Above top row l to r: For Your Eyes Only, Chandos Beauty, William Shakespeare 2000, middle row Molineux, bottom row l to r: Madame Hardy, Mary Rose and Rosa Mundi.  
My patio peonies have done well despite the rain.  Above on the left is Madrid, in the middle is a new one this year, Rome and on the right is the one poppy flower which wasn't ruined in the rain.  I have Patio Peony Kiev too, but it hasn't flowered this year.  
I treated myself to some new petunias called 'Night Sky' which I wasn't sure about when I saw them in a catalogue earlier in the year.  However, when I saw them in the flesh, I was intrigued by the patterns and I like the way each flower is different. They do seem to glow and are a darker purple in real life.  I suspect they are a bit like Marmite - love them or hate them - but I love them.  They are scented in the evening too, which is a bonus.  I am hoping that July might bring a little more sun, but with the weather in the UK, you just never know!
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12 comments:

  1. Elephant's Child1 July 2016 at 01:16

    Loving your vivid garden.
    And thrilled to hear of someone else who ONLY has scented roses. A rose without a scent doesn't deserve the name as far as I am concerned.

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    1. Ellie Foster1 July 2016 at 13:37

      Thanks, EC. I am always disappointed when I am visiting gardens if I go to smell a rose and there is nothing. It doesn't matter how beautiful they are to look at, they have got to be scented too. Some of mine have only a light fragrance, but they all have something!
      There are a lot of pink roses - I hadn't really appreciated just how many I had got until I took the photos. I am hoping for a bit of sunshine during July to release the fragrance more.
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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  2. Anonymous2 July 2016 at 11:30

    What a delightful post; your roses and peonies are such delicious colours. My two huge poppies seem to have disappeared, I haven't seen them this year. That your roses are all perfumed is a bonus, there is nothing quite like the smell of a rose. The petunia is lovely and well named too.

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    1. Ellie Foster2 July 2016 at 18:25

      Thanks, Toffeeapple. I have gradually increased my collection of roses over the years. I did have a large Sarah Bernhardt peony once, but it got some kind of disease and gradually died off. Since then, I haven't had any peonies, until last year, when I discovered the patio peonies, which are specially bred to be more compact and be happy in pots. They have been lovely and 'Rome' has a delicate lemon scent which was a pleasant surprise. The scent of roses is one of my favourites too.
      So far, the petunia has coped really well with all the rain and is looking good. I think it may well become an annual purchase!
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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  3. crafty cat corner2 July 2016 at 23:07

    Hi Ellie
    thanks for the advice on the clematis, we have been giving it the run of the mill feed but as you say it's done nothing but rain for a bout 2 weeks. Now the wind is battering it and turning some of the tender leaves and flower buds black, I am a bit sad about the garden this year, especially my Rowan tree. Still that's nature.
    Have a good weekend and thanks again for bothering to comment.
    Briony
    x

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    1. Ellie Foster3 July 2016 at 22:06

      Thanks, Briony. I think some clematis are definitely more tricky than others. Feeding it might help (so would a bit more sun). Keep positive - the good thing about gardening is that the garden will be better next year!
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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  4. Cherie3 July 2016 at 13:23

    Oh wow, I love that petunia. (I also love marmite) :-)

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    1. Ellie Foster3 July 2016 at 22:07

      Thanks, Cherie. I love it too and it is doing really well in my hanging baskets. I also love Marmite, but it has to be spread thinly!
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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  5. kjsutcliffe3 July 2016 at 23:18

    Gorgeous flowers, the petunia is most unusual - I can see where it gets its name from.

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  6. Ellie Foster4 July 2016 at 11:07

    Thanks, Hawthorn Spellweaver and welcome. The roses have done well this year even if their flowers have been rather ruined by the rain. The petunia was an impulse buy but I'm glad I bought it (I then had to go and buy two more!)
    Best wishes
    Ellie

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  7. Amy at love made my home4 July 2016 at 18:04

    Your roses are so beautiful!!

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    1. Ellie Foster4 July 2016 at 18:38

      Thanks, Amy. I can't seem to stop buying roses, but really must now - trying to get down the garden is like an assault course! (I bet if I saw another rose I liked, I'd buy it though!)
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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