Summer colour
Summer colour has never been my strong point, but my plant sale trip to Tatton show in the pouring rain gave me the opportunity for a top-up. The great thing about show garden plants is that they are mature and cheap. My haul was:
2 x Anthemis 'EC Buxton' - been meaning to grow this for some time
2 x a dark red sedum
4 x Echincea - the standard pinky-red colour
2 x a purply verbascum. Never grown verbascum before
8 x large nicotiana - pinks/reds/whites
1 x large crimson ivy leaved pelargonium
19 plants in total for less than £2 each. Can't be bad.
And - the weather forecast for Saturday's party is sunny. But I'm not counting on it yet...
Catching up
After almost two weeks away, this weekend is the big catch up. Also it's daughter No 1's 18th birthday party next week - in the garden if the weather holds - so this is one big gardening weekend. Am very tempted to go back to Tatton at 4pm for the plant sale to fill some gaps.
Something for the info file. Below are two pics - one of the sad stick that was the meconopsis that flowered. It has developed no leaves since May and looks extremely sick. The seed pods are still green but I've opened one up and the seed looks mature. I've kept two unopened pods to let them dry out. By contrast, the plant that I did not allow to flower looks strong and healthy with several crowns. Hopefully I have one healthy plant and a thousand seeds for next year.
The healthy meconopsis that I didn't allow to flower
Meconopis seed pods. Full of seeds but the plants are in an poor state
Tatton show
Some pics from RHS Tatton for anyone who couldn't make it. All the pics will expand full screen if you click them.
More from Reaseheath.
A part of Reaseheath College's stunning planting.
This is a snap from Grey Matters. Some lovely colour combinations, but it sort of felt like several different gardens, rather than one.
I though this arrangement was quite perfect...
This was apparently for kids - but apart from the spongy fake gravel path, I didn't see what would really attract a child. Compare this with the photo from GW2005 in June's archive.
Took the eldest sprog along and she particularly liked this - her kind of gardening!
Soft grasses, achilleas and echineaceas in a contemporary setting - 'Inside Out'
Catching up
Have been away for 8 days in Tuscany - sun, wine, thunderstorms, olive groves, fabulous scenery, hilltop towns with views to die for. And I still want to live in England...
Garden is dry, floppy and past its fresh best. Went to Tatton RHS show yesterday for inspiration - and got it. Am going to do the RHS General with Reaseheath College in September.
No watering worries here....
We've been away for 4 days in Orkney and although the polytunnel is on automatic, the rest of the garden is reliant on the elements. I needn't have worried. My trusty weather station recorded 7mm yesterday and 13mm in one big downpour this afternoon. The pond is full and the lawn is squelchy.
Picked 2lb of rasperries and some beetroot leaves for tea.
Orkney was beautiful. Surprisingly green and fertile, much enhanced by great weather. The picture below was taken from our B&B bedroom window.
Sunset over Scapa Flow - taken from our B&B bedroom window on Orkney
