Monday 15 June 2015

More roses and other blooms

Two roses coming out for the first time this year, at the weekend were absolutely full of scent

 Gertrude Jekyll

Munstead Wood

The garden is full of bees and bumble bees, and they just love the drifts of Astrantia.  Close up you can see so much detail.


Another plant much admired by Fiona on her visit was the tall majestic plant which grows close to the end of the garden.  I really could not remember the name at the time, but I knew that it had a really beautiful smell.  It is Valariana Officinalis, also known as Allheal, Set Well, Fragrant Valerian, Heliotrope, Cat's Valarian.  Some people say it smell horrible, but I can only smell vanilla cherry, it may be that it is crushed stems rotting which smell bad.  It is supposed to attract cats, well we have had one or two calling recently, but it may be the baby birds they are after.  I love the foliage and also the intricate pale pink flowers, and with its perfume the small clump of Valariana, quite as tall as me, makes sitting down in the gazebo reading, or even sitting on the pebbles weeding them a real calming occupation!




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