A Clematis post

Seeing as the roses have had their turn, I now bring you my Clematis selection.  Despite the continuing hot weather (for the UK in June), the clematis are flowering and looking lovely.  May I introduce:

 

Clematis New Love - a non-clinging herbaceous variety.

Venosa Violacea which is coping with the sun by curling its petals up.

Perle D'Azur growing over the arch.

My newest one, from the smaller Boulevard series, called Poseidon.   I need to get this one into a bigger pot and given it something to climb up.

The elegant Princess Kate.

Prince Charles.

Another non-clinging herbaceous variety, Arabella.

Finally, Blue Angel.

Most are blue/purple in colour (although this wasn't an intention when I bought them) and manage to drape themselves gracefully over trellis or up obelisks. They are very obliging plants.  Of course, there are also the Spring flowering varieties, but they have been featured previously.

Final two roses and a couple of other plants

Having just had a really hot week (for the UK in June), the roses have finished their first flush, so here are the last two.  Above is New Dawn which is a reliable flowerer and scrambles over the arch.

Here it is a bit closer - a pretty pale pink.

Here is Blush Noisette.  I bought this years ago after seeing one growing at Barnsdale Gardens.  It is shoved in a pot but really doesn't get the care it should, although it does get fed twice a year and watered regularly in dry spells.  I cut it back pretty brutally and it still rewards me with these pretty and scented little flowers.  

Here is another of my favourites, a variegated jasmine.  It has a lovely scent and also gets cut back after Winter.  It needs an arch to scramble over, so I must get that organised!

Finally, a grass which I am very fond of, Calamagrostis Overdam.  It has green and white striped leaved and really pretty flowerheads.  It's a very graceful plant.

In other news, I have removed Rose Charles de Mills, which I am a little sad about. It was a healthy rose, with deep red flowers and was doing well, rather too well.  It had started to shade out other plants and it had started suckering throughout the border. It had one flush of flowers in the year, so didn't really justify a place in my small garden and was right plant, wrong place!.  It took a lot of digging out and there are some roots left in the border, so no doubt I will be finding more suckers in the future.  I am thinking it will be replaced with an ornamental grass and some salvias, as it is the sunniest part of the border. 

MMMbop (Doo Wop Version) - 1950s Style Postmodern Jukebox Hanson Cover

This is a very happy version of MmmBop originally by Hanson, but here performed by Postmodern Jukebox, who specialise in performing different versions of many pop and rock songs.   Definitely worth a look.

I think we all need happy things with all that is going on in the world.  This song will now be in my brain for a while!  

Everything's coming up roses...and alliums (part two)

Here are the rest of the roses, with the exception of New Dawn, which is on the arch and which looks better when Clematis Perle D'Azur is in flower with it, so it will appear another time.  Above is Constance Spry, which only flowers once but is impressive when it does.  

Roald Dahl is not in the best place as it is shaded by the lilac tree and I will need to find somewhere that gets more sun for it, I think.  However, it is managing to flower. 

This is a Persica rose, which is supposed to be a good one for our hotter temperatures/less water.  It is Eyes for You.  I had one of the these before, but it was a spindly plant and I bought a replacement, which is doing so much better.

Another Persica rose, 'For Your Eyes Only' which is a reliable and lovely rose, with flowers ranging from apricot and peach to orange and pink.

Rose Dannahue, planted in a big pot on the north facing side of the garden and seeming to be doing well.

Emily Bronte, which is a pretty flower, but  to me, it should have a deep red/purple coloured rose, rich and deep - something like William Shakespeare 2000.  This one is a bit 'pale' for her, I feel.  However, the bush itself is strong and tall growing, so perhaps that's more like the author.

My most recent rose purchase is Bring Me Sunshine, named in memory of Morecambe and Wise, who used this song as a theme tune.

Geoff Hamilton, a rose named for the much missed TV gardener who inspired me to have a go at gardening.  It doesn't like getting rained on, so I caught this flower before it was ruined by the rain.

Finally, the alliums.  I am still astonished by the size of these...

...they are beauties, aren't they? Here with astrantia Burgundy Manor and erigeron karvinskianus. 

I didn't realise I had quite so many roses but as they are one of my favourite flowers, it's only to be expected!

Everything's coming up roses...and alliums (part one)

Roses are a bit earlier this year, probably due to the very warm and dry Spring we had. I absolutely love my roses and often wander round the garden just to look at (and smell) them.  They are a joy.  On my wander round the garden this morning, I took my camera to capture the roses out at the moment. Above is Ferdinand Pichard.

This is Mary Rose, usually overshadowed by some miscanthus, but the grass is smaller than usual, which gives the rose more space.

Cottage Rose, about half way down the garden.

Here is one of the gorgeous alliums which is planted in the rose pot. It is sharing with rose Susan Williams-Ellis.  I think it is a Christophii, but it is huge!

Here is Susan Williams-Ellis again, on her own this time.

My favourite for scent, Gertrude Jekyll, looking and smelling wonderful.

Kew Gardens, which seems to be struggling a bit for some reason. I will be giving them a final feed this year soon, so hopefully that will help. 

Finally for now, William Shakespeare 2000, flowering earlier than usual and with lovely velvety petals. 

More to come in part two.