In a Vase on Monday - End of August 21

I was gardening yesterday for most of my free time, and will probably be doing the same again today.  We are on heavy clay and I remember from previous years now given a few rainfalls in September, by the time one gets round to doing my editing tasks, the soil is dreadful to work on and not that hospitable for plants to get established before the Winter.  I was going to cut back the Teucrium hircanicum and noticed how attractive the long flowering stems were even though they are mostly at the seed head stage.  They formed the basis for my arrangement today.

Centre is a large head of a mophead Hydrangea with a few stems of  Origanum laevigatum  Herrenhausen at the back, and some pale pink frilly Dianthus superbus. 

It is some time since I posted about the books I am reading.  I've just finished a sensational thriller set in Cambridge and Antarctica.  Some good twists, and great atmosphere. This was our recent WI reading group books.  It has been renewed so that Mr S can read it, and a few pages in, last night he commented on how well it is written.  I've not read any of Sharon Bolton's novel before, and I shall be looking out for more books by this author.

For us in England it is late August Bank Holiday.  Usually we see our family about this time of the year, sadly this is not possible but I had a nice call with my son yesterday.

Bright colours of Zinnias and clever writing as usual feature in Cathy's Blog.  I'm joining her.

Dicentra cucularia scaly rootstock

 They may look like a bowl of grey lace as the leaves emerge in March,

and shortly afterwards the lovely white flowers amaze me each time

they soon die down.  I had two bowls but decided to reduce it to just one for the coming season, and repot into fresh compost.  Here are the scaly rootstock...

There were sufficient for me to try some in the open garden.  I've placed them in the shady border just behind the grouping of dark leaved Ophiopogon planiscapas Nigrescens the Black Mondo grass and am very much looking forward to seeing how well that combination works. I like the challenge of placing existing plants in different ways.  Isn't it strange that gardeners have the hope and vision to care for plants that will only appear more than half a year hence, and then are only above ground for a few weeks?

Six on Saturday - 28 August 2021

A few days of sunshine has revived this gardener and her garden.  The bees are buzzing and birds have returned.  I've found slugs and snails of course and a whole pot of coriander seedlings were munched overnight.  Some of the perennials such as geraniums which were prunned back hard a few weeks ago are giving out a second flush of fresh leaves and flowers, and the roses too are getting ready for another flush.

Can't believe the Prop who is our 'trainer' is running 45Km round Bristol this morning, the least we can do it join in with the pack of other gardeners and follow his example of talking about six things in our garden. I am definitely more plant like and would not be wanted to be weeded away from my Saturday morning slow breakfast prepared by my dearly beloved.

1.  This year the Teucrium hircanium has reached the stage that is probably too large for the space allocated.  I'll be searching out seedlings to plant elsewhere but this one may well be removed. 

 Already that area needs refreshing and this past week I have been doing some editing. Plants have been divided, or cuttings taken.  I sent a list of the plants I had to spare and a friend took them all to grow on for a sale next year.  

2.  The lollipop Bay Tree needed a trim: again my long pruners came out, and I managed not to snip any of the stems of the Clematis Clematis 'Purpurea Plena Elegans'.  This picture is before the trim, and I didn't need to stand on a ladder!

I had noticed the new growth on the top of the bay was a little raggedy, and when the prunnings were dexterously brought down thanks to the grabbers, the culprits were found.

3.  I realised that I ought to have two compost bins, but I only have room for one.  Last year it swallowed nearly all the garden waste, and I stopped adding to it some time ago.  I was on the verge of getting rid of it altogether, when due to the lack of HGV drivers our green bin collection has been suspended.  Therefore this week I 'drew down' the pile, sifting the material.  The coarser stuff was spread under the shrubs and the rest looks and smells so wonderful.  Some inevitably went back to the bottom of the pile, and the fine sifted compost is in covered pots to mix in and around choice plants.  What makes it smell so nice?  A job is not finished till the tools are washed, dried and ready to put away:

It was a very hard job and took me several hours.  I hope the slowworms which were in the heap will return to enjoy a warm and protected space.

4. The runner beans sown a little late, have now been 'overtaken' by the same variety that is on its third summer, growing from the tubers left in the ground and completely unprotected: the variety Moonlight. Each tuber sent up three or four shoots, where as the seedlings only one.

5. Cyclamen time again: 

The special hederifoliums  in pots are starting to flower as is the Cyclamen cilicium in the gravel. I even spied the tiny leaves of Cyclamen graecum which are in their second season grown from seed.  In the conservatory bed a few of the Cyclamen coums too are putting forth a tentative leaf or two

6. Plum Mirabelle de Nancy first harvest might not have had a given much this year, but it may just be spared for another year to see if matters improve. I've given it a bit of a prune removing crossing branches etc, and reducing long growths so it is also looking quite smart.

 

I shall make a mini bottled Mirabelle preserve to celebrate this harvest.

Visit to Gasper Cottage - Mid August

 Our first visit to Gasper Cottage a couple of weeks ago was a great success.  What beauties in the way of situation and planting, in this very tranquil location.  On a warm day what could be greater than sitting besides the pond watching dragon flies, or watching the grasses way in the breeze from the seat at the top end of the Orchard.  

The family were in the garden, as was their gardener, and being a keen garden designer owner Bella Hoare was very happy to answer questions about a couple of plants I had seen.  Also her art studio was open with some of her current works.  Partner Johnnie Gallop was around and his book A Memory of Lies was available to buy, so a copy was purchased, and will have good reading I hope over the next few weeks.

Salvia Purple rain in a mass planting

I seem drawn to various systems of plant support, and found this series of linked circles of stems particularly pleasing, forming an interesting sculptural element through which trailing plants could wind their way through.  

If there is to be a specially commissioned  sculpture surely a gateway through which one has to walk, is one of the best forms as it can be so closely appreciated each time one moves from one part of the garden to another, and as this is on the way to the studio a great way to inspire and bring on creative instincts.

Just outside the studio is a sky reflecting circular pond, with shaded seating.

There were throughout the garden great combinations of colour.

The Orchard with its cleverly planted meadow was in my opinion best viewed from the bench at the top corner looking down across and towards the central statue of two bird like forms,.  Walking around the perimeter one could be persuaded that they were forming a moving ballet and froze the moment you looked at them.  

The gardener pointed out this interesting plant which they had grown from seed this year: Cuphea viscosisima, and offered me some of the spent seed heads.

The views from the garden of the surrounding countryside were quite charming.

Close to the house, a mature woven willow hedge had cross growths that had fused together. When pruned hard of the lush growth or in winter with the sun shining through it must form an interesting feature and help to diffuse any winds crossing the valley.

To one side of the lawn a long mixed border had a good collection of interesting plants.

To the very front of the border, by the steps, my eye was drawn to this little Persicaria.  This is one of the plants which Bella Hoare was happy to expand on.  It is Persicaria capitatum Afghan. 

Another attractive front of the border Persicaria a little further along P. Donald Lowndes, with its pale and darker flowering stems and neat glossy foliage, was used to set off taller plants behind.

Dotted around the tables and also grouped together were some fine bonsai.  With some newly trained plants one could see the effort taken to ease the branches into the classic forms.  However with planters this size, Hoare Junior emphasized that sometimes watering is required twice daily.  This was his particular interest and he was pleased that Bella was now taking to it too.

Again I am noticing interesting placements for bright marigolds.  This one looked a little like Cinnabar.

A garden well worth visiting, and one which is kept vibrant with regular trials of plant groupings.  Already in the small glasshouse were several pans of newly emerging seedlings. I really ought to have noted some of the names!

In a Vase on Monday

 In the face of plenty a completely pared down offering can be satisfying.  That goes for many situations: out with a whole group of people it can be the few minutes of quiet contemplation on one's own, or when one has had the luxury of wonderful meals,  a simple dish of a boiled egg and slice of toast, so it is this week with my small vase for the breakfast table.

Whilst weeding yesterday I came eye to eye with the fresh growth on a geranium recently cut back.

 

With its centre dark eye and bright but delicate strong fuchsia pink or magenta petals, a small spring of Hardy Geranium 'Ann Folkard' is bright and fresh.  

A few stems from a tiny Love in the Mist and a stem of Teucrium scorodonia 'Crispum Marginatum'. 

"Green suede-textured leaves whose ruffled edges and rimmed with white. The spikes of tiny cream-lipped flowers are a"nother charm in midsummer. Self sown seedlings can revert to the type" Words from Beth Chatto's Plants and Gardens.

I'm joining Cathy's weekly get together where we show A Vase on Monday.