My plants in Chelsea week 2016

 My plants have been busy during Chelsea week too.  The recent sun and rain has helped everything to shoot up.  Above is Clematis Asao.

 Cirsium rivulare Atropurpureum with its beautiful maroon flower heads.

 Clematis Guernsey Cream, which I had planted and totally forgotten about.

 Astrantia Hadspen Blood, I think, but am not sure, as it could be Moulin Rouge or Ruby Wedding...

 Lilac and Magnolia looking lovely together.

 Allium Purple Sensation against the shed.

 A rather pretty combination of Gladiolus Byzantinus, Nemesia Confetti and Chive flowers.

Clematis Arabella.

 The star of the show has to be my patio peony 'Athens' which is in its second year with me and looking amazing.

Even when the flower is shut up in the rain, it still looks beautiful.

Wow!  Peonies may not last long in flower, but when they are in flower, nothing else comes close to them for sheer glamour.  They get my gold award this week!

Chelsea Week - in my garden

 So, Chelsea is over for another year.  I decided to see what was flowering in my own garden this week and things have changed very quickly thanks to the sun since Tuesday.  The alliums (well, it wouldn't be Chelsea week without them, would it?) have suddenly exploded into life and the complex flowers warranted a close up (thank you, Photoshop).

 This is a Verbascum which I grew from seed last year, planted and promptly forgot about.  It wasn't until I noticed the flower spike that I realised it wasn't a rogue primrose.  I've forgotten its name though. (I know that my roses have got rust - I blame the weather!)

 Clematis 'Crystal Fountain' is looking lovely and has lots of buds which is encouraging.  I like the exuberant petals.

 Hydrangea Endless Summer Pink is the first of my hydrangeas to flower and is looking the most healthy too.

 Clematis 'Asao', also looking lovely with an interesting combination of colours from cream to green to pink.

 The always reliable hardy geraniums (I have lots of different ones) are busy too - above is Trevor's White (self-seeded from the original and shoved unceremoniously into a pot).

 Geranium Versicolour - it was originally 'Lace Time' but may have reverted back.  The delicate pink veining makes an intricate pattern.

 An unnamed geranium, which may be a sylvaticum, but I'm not sure. It does have almost luminous purple petals.

Finally, a geranium (probably Johnson's Blue) peeping out from its foliage and that of roses and nigella.
I can't compete with Chelsea, but I think my garden is managing to put on a bit of a show!

Clematis flowering for the Royal Wedding?

My Clematis "Asao" has decided to flower beautifully, just in time for the Royal Wedding. I think that the plants have really enjoyed the sunny weather we have had recently and everything seems to be a couple of weeks earlier than last year.

Despite me saying I wasn't going to watch the wedding for hours, I did watch the service and really enjoyed it. I thought Catherine's dress suited her very well, and I agree that it had a feeling of Princess Grace of Monaco's dress all those years ago. Good luck to them both.