In a vase on Monday:

Tags

Calendula Indian Prince, Dahlia Arabian Night, dahlia Downham Royal, Echinacea purpurea, Echinops bannaticus, in a vase on Monday, penstemon garnet, Pheasant's tail grass, Stipa arundica

Echinops bannaticus

Echinops bannaticus are magnets for bees and they are a pleasing companion for grasses in a border. They grow to about 1.2m tall and do not need staking. All good characteristics however they are taking over the border and are pushing out other plants. They will need to be dug up and thinned out this autumn. Unchecked they will also self seed so I have begun to cut them before they get chance to set seed. These are them in a large jug. The jug was a gift from my parents who found it at Snape Maltings in Suffolk. The jug is a perfect scale and colour for these prickly, woody stems.

In a vase on Monday

Penstemon and Echinacea have started opening out, bringing with them some rich colour and texture into the borders. A complete contrast to the Echinops these flowers are full of jewel like colours.

In the jam jar type vase are Marigolds,Penstemon, Echinacea and the wispy diaphanous stems of Pheasants tail grass.

Ladybird hitching a ride

These are calendula Indian Prince which are my favourite of all the varieties I have tried.

Dahlias are also pulling away now and showing their rich colour and textures.

Flowers from Liz

My friend and her husband came to visit and Liz gave me this striking dahlia and chrysanthemum mix. The dahlias are the same as mine because she gave me some of the same corms for my birthday. The calendula she grew and the chrysanthemums she bought from her flower shop. Interestingly it’s the green chrysanthemums that are dropping! Grown not flown is certainly best.

Please pick some flowers from your garden and join Cathy the host of this meme.

I hope you have a good week wherever you are and thanks for reading. D.

Six on Saturday: it’s August

Tags

Alex Moore, August, Echinacea Delicious Candy, Echinacea purpurea, Echinops ritro white, Helianthus salicifolius, madebymoore, sempervivums, six on saturday, Succulents, Vitis coignetiae, weather

It is August yet the weather seems to think otherwise. I took these pictures yesterday morning when they were blowing in the wind and covered in rain, rather than basking in any glorious August sunshine. Hey ho, it could be worse, it could be today! What a shocker. Truly atrocious summer weather.

Here’s the six:

Six succulents. Some are Sempervivums I hear you cry.

I don’t have names for any of these apart from Aeonium zwartkop (that’s the fourth one). These grow well in coastal regions in the UK but here in my garden on the Herts. /Bucks borders, mine survive, rather than thrive.

The succulents are precious to me and they are carefully placed in the house over the winter months as they are not at all hardy and they hate our wet cold winters. Don’t we all.

The Houseleeks or sempervivums are left outside but under glass to protect them from the worst or the weather. They are quite tough really.

I enjoy these every Summer and forget how annoying it is in the Winter to find space for them.

2.

This is the third year for Althea cannabina and it has hit its stride. Wonderful, wafting in the wind, oodles of soft pink, mallow like flowers, taller than me. I wouldn’t be without it. Here it has fronds of Molinia Transparent and Coreopsis Verticillata Moonbeam behind it.

3. Echinacea ‘Delicious Candy’

I purchased this last August, drawn to its luminous colour and name. It is beginning to bulk up. Cathy remarked that these do not do well in her garden ( frankly the only thing, everything she grows looks so good) after one appeared earlier this week in my IAVOM. Echinacea do like an open site and with room to bulk up, to thrive. They only lasted one year in my last garden.

3. Echinacea purpurea

This is their time. Flowering when the roses are recharging their batteries. Good with grasses. Just great for bees.

4.

This pile of green leaves may not look very interesting but trust me, it will be a stunner this autumn. Vitis coignetiae or Crimson Glory vine. It is climbing over the garage wall and has reached onto the roof. It will be in for a major chop soon enough.

5.

The willow like foliage is what I grow the perennial sunflower for. Helianthus salicifolius. It will have small daisy like flowers in the autumn and will reach 2.5m tall.

The yellow flowers I like less. I am even considering pinching out the flowers as they will detract from the shaggy texture which is so intriguing. Alas the wind is battering them today.

6. Echinops

These pale Pom poms are taking over. Echinops ritro white. I like them less than E Veitch Blue but these are better suited to my heavy soil. In case you are wondering what is in the centre of the picture, it is the bird feeder made by Alex Moore.

I love how it is fully surrounded by plant life now.

Joining our host The Propagator who is on his ‘olidays. Enjoy !

Thanks for reading and enjoy your weekend wherever you are. D.

In a vase on Monday: new month, new flowers

Tags

Althea cannabina, Dianthus carthusianorum, Echinacea Delicious Candy, Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea purpurea Fatal Attraction, echinops ritro, in a vase on Monday, Persicaria amplexcaulis Firetail, Rose "Lark Ascending", shasta daisies, Verbena bonariensis

As we move into August the garden is beginning to alter. The roses are largely in a void period, preparing for a second flush. Hemerocallis are nearly finished. The Verbena is getting taller and taller mostly at 1.5m and falling over in the wind. The geraniums, alchemilla and Euphorbias need deadheading.

Newly flowering however are Persicaria Echinacea, Echinops, Coreopsis and Shasta daisies.

I decided to pick a few samples and line them up in my favourite ‘April’ vase by Tse-Tse.com

From left Echinacea purpurea, Verbena bonariensis. Echinacea Delicious Candy, Coreopsis moonbeam, Dianthus carthusianorum . Rose Lark Ascending. Echinops ritro, Echinacea purpurea Magnus, Persicaria amplexcaulis Firetail, Echinacea. Purpurea Fatal Attraction. Lastly a tiny pink flower, just seen, Althea cannabina.

What is in your vase today? What does our host Cathy have in her vase today. Take a look, join in.

Have a great week, wherever you are. D.

Six on Saturday: everything but the kitchen sink

Tags

Ammi majus, Ammi visnaga, Cercis canadensis, Crocosmia Lucifer, Echinacea purpurea, hydrangea arborescens Annabelle, Hymenocallis, July, poppy seed heads, sempervivums, six on saturday, Spiderlily, Verbena bonariensis

Blast off! This is such an exciting sight for me, the Spiderlily is flowering. Granted not as exciting as man on the moon and it is not a Spider from Mars but it is a spider from me. I love it! Looking smart enough to be allowed in the house. The clay pot is my one special Whichford Pottery pot.

2.

A fistful of flowers for a friend.

There are verbena bonariensis, Hydrangea Annabelle, Echinacea purpurea, poppy seed heads, a pink lily, Ammi majus and Ammi visnaga both grown easily from seed and a Buddleja flower . All of these are from my garden.

3. Leading you down the garden path:

My favourite tree, Cercis canadensis has thrived since it was moved from its pot into the raised bed. I am enjoying how it is overhanging the path. ( I know I keep using this using this on my SOS but I don’t care, I think it’s fab.)

4. Successful looking succulents and sempervivums

Those of you who grow these know that little skill is required, just free draining soil and lots of grit. I think they are delightful, each one slightly different.

5. In your face, red

This is Crocosmia Lucifer. Such a vibrant red. It is very, in your face, dominant but I am quite liking them with the Stipa tenuissima behind.

6. This is Hydrangea time. Hydrangea arborescens Annabelle.

I do love a Hydrangea and they have become fashionable again so that’s good.

How could anyone could resist these.

How they graduate from lime to creamy white, getting fuller and bigger as they open. ( shown in reverse order here).

That’s it, my Six on Saturday. The Propagator is our host and thanks to him we share our favourites each week.

I hope you have a great week wherever you are. D.

Silent Sunday: Echinacea purpurea

Tags

Echinacea purpurea, in my garden, July, Silent Sunday

Wordless Wednesday: what the Ech!

Tags

echinacea, Echinacea purpurea, wordless wednesday

Tuesday view: 25/7/17

Tags

Ammi majus, calendula, Echinacea purpurea, echinops ritro, grown from seed, nigella, poppies, Tuesday View, Verbena bonariensis

The garden benefited from the rain on Saturday, a freshness has returned to the planting after a long dry spell. 

Taken this morning before the sun had broken through. There is a pink haze thanks to the verbena and grasses.

The Echinops ritro are peeping above. 

All tall and full. I must just show off my Echinacea in the opposite border. 

I do love them. 

That was my quick dash round before work just before the sunshine emerged. Now take a visit to words and herbs Cathy and catch up on her view. 

Oh one final thing, my few packets of seed are looking rather good: 

Enjoy your evening. D.

Tuesday View: 9 August 2016

Tags

Calamagrostis x acutiflora Karl Foerster, Echinacea purpurea, Echinops bannaticus Taplow Blue, eupatorium, Joe pie weed, Thalictrum Elin, Tuesday View, Verbena bonariensis

Morning view with bright sunlight

 

I have not managed to update my Tuesday view for a couple of weeks and the main difference seems to be the bleaching of the grass Calamagrostis Karl Foerster.

Calamagrostis Karl Foerster

 

The Tuesday View is hosted by Cathy at https://wordsandherbs.wordpress.com It is a meme for us to watch and share the development and seasonal changes to an area in the garden.  If you would like to join in please be sure to add a link back to Cathys blog.

Eupatorium, Joe pie weed is now showing its full colour and has reached a height of about 1.5m.  I have had to water it the last few weeks as it shows droopy leaves when it begins to dry out.

Joe pie weed with Echinops and Karl Foerster

Flowers of the Joe pie weed mingle with Verbena, Thalictrum elin towers above

The purple of Joe pie sits happily with the ever delightful Verbena Bonariensis. The Verbena has self sown itself around the beds and is suggesting a take over bid.  The magnificent Thalictrum Elin has finished flowering and its remains tower above.

Echinacea purpurea

Since last time I posted the Echinacea has opened its petals to reveal its lovely form.  I love a daisy shape flower, don’t you?

The forecast remains pretty good for this week so I hope you get a minute to sit in your own garden and feel the grass tickle your toes.  One final thing I must show you, not in this view but in the garden cutting beds.

Lily

The scent of this Lily is so powerful I bet you can almost smell it.

 

 

In a vase on Monday: a touch of orange

Tags

Dahlia mignon, David Austin Roses, Echinacea purpurea, Geum "Mrs Bradshaw", in a vase on Monday, Rose "A Shropsire Lad", Rose "Lark Ascending"

Morning, can you see me out there?
Fog, thick fog here.

Today I am joining Cathy and fellow bloggers with a Monday vase. I have picked pink Echinacea and A Shropshire Lad, rose. Lark Ascending rose mixed with Mrs Bradshaw Geum and small head dahlias labelled merely as “Mignon”. These offer shades of soft peach through to strong orange. By contarst to my weekend post entitled Boo!

The biggest difference now is that the flowers have a tendancy to drop petals much more quickly when they come inside, yet I can hardly grumble, it is November after all.

Perhaps you have flowers to bring inside, perhaps you do not. Either way take a look at other Monday vases at https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2015/11/02/in-a-vase-on-monday-forever-autumn
Wishing you all a good week.

Wordless Wednesday: Echinacea purpurea

Tags

Echinacea purpurea, wordless wednesday