Poppies and Peonies

Although the poppies and peonies in the garden are now just a memory, I did remember to take a few photos.  I don't think they particularly enjoyed the rain we had in June, but I did manage to get some images before they were too battered.  Above is a pink poppy which I can't remember the name of - I will check to see if I wrote it down.

I don't remember seeing the red blotches at the base of the petals on this white poppy (Checkers) before - I thought they were black.

 I need to pot this peony on as it is in a small pot.  It was beautiful.

 This white peony took a while to get going but gave me a lot of pleasure once it did.  The blush pink and white petals give it a delicate look, even though it is a very blowsy flower.  This one is in the border next to an allium and miscanthus and seems to be liking it.

Poppies and peonies are the divas of the garden as they don't stay around for long, but there's nothing to compare with them when they are centre stage.

British Flower Week 2015

Photo from http://www.britishflowersweek.com/blog/

Just in case you weren't aware, this week is British Flowers Week, which is a 'week long celebration of British flowers and the UK cut flower industry'.  The dress above was made by Zita Elze, using larkspur.  not very practical, but absolutely stunning! Wouldn't it look lovely printed on chiffon? Of course, I do have some flowers in my own garden which I feel should be celebrated (although usually, I don't need a special week!), so without further ado, may I introduce...

Rose Frilly Cuff, new to me this year and planted in a pot.  The colour is a bit deeper than this in real life and it has a delicate fragrance.  I wanted to add some deeper colours of roses to my garden, as all the others seem to be pale pink, apart from one yellow.  This one has a beautiful colour and form.

Nigella or Love in a Mist.  I have always loved these flowers and remember them growing in every garden from my childhood.  I sowed seeds in the border, but the plants decided they would rather sow themselves in pots, which is what they did.  They are so lovely, I left them to grow where they wanted.

I have some nice shades of blues and whites in the Nigella.

My favourite rose, Gertrude Jekyll, with the most delicious fragrance.

A new rose again this year, Bright as a Button, a floribunda type, which has a very open flower and is again in a pot.  

The star of the week just has to be Oriental Poppy 'Checkers' which I grew from seed and which features annually on my blog.  I was concerned that the flowers would be totally battered by the heavy rain we had at the weekend, so dashed out to take a photo last Friday, just in case they were reduced to a soggy mass.

The flowers start off a very pale pink and then whiten as they age.  I'm pleased to say that they have survived the rain and are still looking lovely today.
There are more roses to come, with several new ones too and I shall also post a photo of the white peony if its buds open.
I hope British Flowers Week is a great success!

Poppies...and an astrantia

Finally, my poppies (Papaver Orientale 'Checkers') have flowered!  I have been anxiously waiting as the buds appeared, but no sign of the flowers.  Then they started to open but the weather turned wet and I was worried that the petals would turn to mush inside the buds. 

 Happily, that didn't happen and they are looking lovely.  I grew these from seed and although the flowers aren't quite as big as they have been in the past, they are still beautiful.

 The pattern and colours are amazing.  The blotches look black but are a deep burgundy/purple.

I couldn't resist adding this astrantia in, even though it is nothing to do with the poppies.  Nature's designs are amazing.

A Floriferous post

 Here are a few of the current stars in the garden.  Above is anemone multifida rubra which I bought from a market stall last year. It just had seed heads on it so I was curious to see what the flowers would look like.  It has lovely ferny foliage with tall stems, topped by these small but beautifully formed, brilliant cerise flowers.

 This was sold as gladiolus byzantinus, but I am not sure it is.  It is a graceful plant and I put a few of these in last autumn so am pleased to see them flowering now.

 A crumpled cistus flower.

 Two clematis flowers (I can't remember which variety this is, but I do know it is a patio type).  I really need to pot it on a bit!

 Allium Oreophilum, which was included in a bulb pack and which I really like.  It isn't very tall and was unceremoniously planted in a pot last autumn with grape hyacinths and crocuses.

 My first Gertrude Jekyll rose of this year.  It smells wonderful!

 The astrantias have done really well, despite such a cold spring and being planted in a dry spot.

 Allium Christophii, just starting to flower.

 Allium Gladiator.

A self seeded love in a mist.

Clematis Ice Blue.

Oriental Poppy Checkers, which is tantalisingly close to flowering, but just needs a bit more sun (but then, don't we all?) 
I do enjoy watching and recording the constant ebb and flow of the plants.

Just a little addition (17th June 2013):
As I don't know what will happen with the list of blogs I follow in July when Google is going to retire something or other, which may or may not cause problems for us bloggers - you may be able to tell that I'm not really technology minded(!) and I really don't know what effect, if any, it may have - I have finally decided to join Bloglovin'.  Several bloggers I follow have done that too and said it was easy and was a kind of insurance policy against Google's changes.
I had some techno-phobe challenges to be overcome on the way, but I think I have done it. The link is here, if you would like to follow feltabulous with Bloglovin'. I think I have also managed to add a follow button down to the left under the housework image. Hope it works! I am not on facebook, so if something pops up about joining when you go to the Bloglovin' site, please don't feel you have to sign up.
(This slight worry about blog lists may, of course, turn out to be totally unnecessary, but I won't know until after 1st July.  Google really haven't made it clear what the effects will be.) 

Midsummer blues - or should that be pinks?

 Here we are, at Midsummer.  Drought conditions have now been lifted in this area and parts of the North are under flood warnings - just a typical English summer.  However, I am pleased to say that my garden is doing well, despite the rain and wind and occasional sun.  Above is Poppy 'Checkers' which I grew from seed and is now in its second year.  The flowers aren't quite as big as they were last year, but still delight me.

 Clematis 'Ice Blue' with a hint of lilac on the petals...

 ...contrasted with Clematis 'Rouge Cardinal' and its deep luscious velvety tones.

 Cistus pulverentus 'Sunset', with a fiery glow.

 R. 'Rosa Mundi' which combines the pale and vibrant pinks to great effect.

 The delicate pastel pinks of R. 'Blush Noisette', which has small sprays of ruffled flowers...

 ...and R. Cottage Rose continues this pale theme, but with larger flowers.

Finally, R. 'New Dawn', with a flush of pale apricot amongst the soft pink.  Midsummer is a lovely time of year, despite the vagaries of the weather.

A Success!

 I have been so excited over the last couple of weeks to see my lovely Oriental Poppy 'Checkers' in bud.  You may feel that this is a slightly odd thing, but I have had a long relationship with this plant.  I have grown it from seed and nurtured it, first on the windowsill, then potting it on and worrying about whether it would survive the winters.  Once it was big enough, I planted it out in the border and then worried about whether it was in the right place, then whether it would survive last winter (which it obviously did!).  Then, this Spring, I worried about whether it was too dry and whether it was growing and whether it would produce any buds.  Now, perhaps, you can understand my excitement. (Looking at the buds, it bears a strong resemblance to 'Audrey 2' in the film "Little Shop of Horrors", but I won't be feeding it what Seymour had to!)
This morning, I went out in the garden, as I do, to have a good look at things and check on pests and diseases, and whether my pots need watering and was literally stopped in my tracks by an open flower.

It is absolutely beautiful, with dark purple blotches at the base of the petals and silky folded petals in a pure white.  I know the flower won't last long, but I am so proud of my achievement, I had to immortalise it in a photo.  (There are still another five buds on the plant, so hopefully I'll be enjoying it for a little while longer.)  What a fantastic start to the weekend.