The Three As (and some other options)

It is the time of year for enjoying the three As in the garden - Alliums, Aquilegias and Astrantias.  Above and below are some of my alliums.  Those in the sunny border don't seem to be very happy and are dwindling.  It is a raised bed and perhaps gets too dry in the summer.

I have planted some in the big rose pots and they seem to be doing better.

I do like the globe flowerheads.  

Aquilegias are another plant which don't seem to like the sunny border.   They have seeded themselves into other pots this year.

I should have an astrantia photo here, but the one I took is too blurry so I will have to try again. In the meantime, there is a chive flower which is very pretty (and edible!)

If you don't like the chive flower, how about a geranium phaeum?  These are happier in a bit of shade so they are in the north facing border.

My third option is an apricot foxglove, grown from seed last year and with drops of rain on the flower. It is nearly time to sow next year's plants.  These are in a pot and have done better than the ones I planted in the border, which seem to have disappeared.  

It is RHS Chelsea Flower show this week and I shall be watching the TV coverage, as I do every year.  It is always fascinating to see how the gardens are created and where they will be going after the show. 

RHS Chelsea week...and in my garden - all the As (along with a few others)

Chelsea Garden photos from the RHS Chelsea website

I have been enjoying the TV coverage of RHS Chelsea over the last week.  It is always interesting to see what the designers, construction teams and gardeners come up with.  I haven't ever visited the show myself, nor am I likely to - way too many people for comfort!  Sustainability, gardening with nature and the gardens being relocated after the show seemed to be themes this year, which are all good.  I liked bits of a few gardens including the area above from The Myeloma A Life Worth Living Garden by Chris Beardshaw.  My criteria is 'would I like this outside my back door?'  In the case above, yes I would, a lovely calm green space with ferns and a water feature. 

I also liked the Royal Entomological Society garden by Tom Massey with its wildlife and insect friendly (as you would expect!) planting.  The colours this year seem to be green, white and magenta/purple, and these could be seen on a lot of the gardens. 

There were some beautifully designed, constructed and planted stage sets such as Cleve West's Centrepoint garden, showing how nature takes over a derelict Victorian Terrace and bringing homelessness into focus.  I can appreciate this, but wouldn't want it outside my back door! 

With Chelsea over for another year,  what is happening in my garden?  It's the As - Alliums, Aquilegias and Astrantias.  Above is allium Purple Sensation.

I don't know that name of this allium, but is is another lovely one.  I think I may need more of these in the autumn.

Aquilegia Navy and White was the starting point for my aquilegias but they seem to have changed as they have self seeded about.

I like the darker purple of this one.

I do like an astrantia and have several of the darker ones.  Above is Star of Love or Star of Fire - I'm not sure which. This one is in the border.

Astrantia Burgundy Manor is in a pot and I love this one.  It is a stunner!  I have got three Astrantia Roma young plants growing on, which should be a nice pink shade.  I hope they will flower next year.

Other plants making a show at the moment are Philadelphus Little White Love. This took a while to get going but has started to grow and flower profusely.  As with most Philadelphus, it has a lovely scent.

The peony I repotted last autumn has rewarded me with more flowers than it has ever had.  

My latest camassia, Silk River, is nearly in flower so I am checking it every morning at the moment.   I am really enjoying the garden and the sunny weather has helped a lot, particularly after the cold Spring.  I have lost two agapanthus plants which were overwintered in the shed and obviously did not like the cold snap last December, and a few other small plants, but I am realistic and it just means I can replace them with something else (like another rose?) Funnily enough, I have got my eye on a new rose by David Austin, Dannahue.  I don't really have room for any more roses, but may have to squeeze this one in.  Speaking of roses, they have started flowering, so there will be a couple of posts to come... 

Favourite Chelsea gardens, foxgloves and alliums

It is RHS Chelsea week again and it has returned to its normal time of year.  I have never visited in person and I don't think I probably will - I am not someone who enjoys being in large crowds of people. However, I do watch all the TV coverage and enjoy looking at the gardens and plants.

This was the People's Choice winner - 'The Perennial Garden - With Love'.  I like the relaxing green and white planting with touches of plum.

This was the RNLI garden designed by Chris Beardshaw, which came second in the People's Choice awards. He always has beautiful planting.

This was the Morris and Co Garden (designed by Ruth Wilmott).  Two of William Morris' patterns, Trellis and Willow Bough, were included in various ways. This was third in the People's Choice awards.
 All the photos above are from the RHS Chelsea website (information on the medals is here).  These gardens all have more traditional planting.

Judging from what I have seen on TV, more natural planting styles are very much the trend, which is a good thing for wildlife.

Back in my garden, the roses are starting to bloom, (but they deserve a post to themselves),  together with foxgloves (my latest favourite - I need many more of these and will sow some more seeds soon).

Two foxgloves in a pot just outside the window.

This foxglove was plonked rather unceremoniously into a pot last year but is looking lovely.

The alliums are still looking good too...

...with their vibrant colours of purple and green.

Some of the 'A's

It's that time of year when the aquilegias and alliums start to flower.  I think the aquilegia above is a seedling from the original plant.

The alliums are also starting to make their presence known.

The way the raindrops were sitting on the miscanthus leaves stopped me in my tracks one morning.  

We had some much needed rain as it has been really dry through most of April and into May.  I like the way the drops of rain are just sitting there.

Aquilegia Navy and White, I think.  

They are pretty flowers.

Rhododendron Tinkerbird is in flower again and the lovely jasmine perfume is wafting around the enclosed patio space when the sun shines.  I potted this poor plant on recently as it was in a small tub and this may also have shocked it somewhat.  It isn't looking too healthy at the moment as the leaves are mottled, which after some research, seems to be due to the Pieris lacebug/Rhododendron lacebug. I shall give it a feed and possibly a spray with some invigorator once the flowers are over.  The roses are just starting and there will definitely be photos to follow.  

Baumber Walled Garden

There are quite a few photos in this post, but I feel justified in including them, as this is the first garden visit I have had since June 2019!  We headed out last Tuesday and although the weather was a bit unsettled, with some showers, it was lovely to be out with my friends Katy and Alison.  Baumber Walled Garden is set in an old walled garden, as the name would suggest.  It is unusual as it has a double wall and the area in between has been planted up on a couple of sides.  You can read about it here and the history of the garden is here,

It is definitely not a traditional kitchen garden and has lots of different areas.  There is a large swimming pond and lots of grasses have been planted around it.

Some areas had an exotic feel.

You can see the swimming pond better in this photo.

They hold weddings at the garden and the marquee in the photo is evidence of this.

This relatively simple planting of alliums, where just the seed heads remain, together with the lavender was very eyecatching.

A white and green border led up to this little arch - perfect for romantic wedding photos.

The white and green theme continued on the other side.

Another area contained this interesting oriental structure, complete with replica terracotta warriors.

This perennial and shady border beneath the trees was one of the in-between-the-walls areas.

More grasses were dotted about in different beds.

On the wall where the greenhouses once stood is a lovely beachy area.

The grasses here become the waves as they dance in the wind...

...I think there were four types of plant to make this area, but it was really effective.

Looking across the swimming pond on the way out.

Looking back the other way.  Katy and Alison knew I would love this garden and they were right.  It has lots of quirky features and some fabulous planting.  There is also a very good tearoom which, of course, we had to try and I had a wonderful time.  They also have plants for sale and yes, I came home with one - a Rhodanthemum 'Marrakech' which is a plant I have been after for a while.  

I foresee more visits in the future.