My garden has entered its mid summer phase, the echinaceas, agapanthus and hydrangeas are at their peak and filling out the garden well. This is our 7th summer here and it is coming together nicely this year and starting to fill out.
I’m working on trying to increase my blocks of colour by planting 3 of a plant rather than one which I had done previously due to budget. I would buy one plant and learn to divide it or wait for it to spread and fill the gaps. So far I have managed to divide my geranium Rozanne and increase this across the garden and the Aster × frikartii ‘Mönch is incredibly easy to propagate. Other plants I have had success with on the propagation front are erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’, nepeta ‘Walkers Low’ and salvia ‘Dayglow’. Take it that these are incredibly easy to do, as I feel I’m a complete novice when it comes to propagation. It is all part of the learning process and the challenge is half the fun, although I do need to learn to pinch out the tops more often to get a bushier shape rather then long leggy plants. I’m also growing a couple of Acers a friend gave me as seedlings, I have no idea where they will even go in the garden, but keeping them alive is the challenge and the fun part.
The highlight in the garden this month are the white flowers along the long border which really stand out. Starting with hydrangea Limelight, then shasta daisies, and a hydrangea quercifolia at the far end of the garden they break up the bed and give a feeling of flow as the colour repeats and draw the eye to the end of the garden.
My absolute favourite part of the garden this month is my little prairie area full of echinacea, aster × frikartii ‘Mönch, stipa tenuissima, rudbeckia goldsturm. The rudbeckia really struggled in the drought last year and I thought it might have to come out if it didn’t flower this year so I’m really pleased it is back to flowering again.
We’ve been really lucky to be able to offer the end of our garden to a local beekeeper who was looking for somewhere to put a hive. A colony arrived this week so we’ve been busy watching them come and go from the hive.
It’s a good excuse to take a trip down to Longacres and buy a few more bee friendly plants, such as Echinacea Pow Wow Berry, salvia Caradonna, Veronicastrum virg, Pink Glow, dahlia’s and sunflowers.
It is such a great time of year for watching the pollinators. Longacres was literally buzzing with pollen laden bees, as is the marjoram and lavender in the herb bed.
My dahlia’s have been a great success in the garden this month. It’s a shame that the red ones I didn’t want have flourished so well, but they give me hope for next year. I have been able to purchase only one dahlia in flower in the colour I’d like and the combination with the nicotiana Lime Green is fab. I can’t wait to try again next year.
Being school holidays a trip to Longacres with the girls is always fun. My eldest daughter is interested in gardening so she wanted a dahlia and sunflower for her flowerbed, my youngest daughter chose a houseplant Haworthia to go with a cactus she has. They loved looking at the selection in store and you have to hope that their interest will grow with them.
There seems to be a huge gap in the market for inspiration in the garden aimed at the pre-teens and teenagers. All children gardening events seems to be focused at pre-schoolers so after an email to the RHS it seems this has recently been recognised by them and they have started with trails aimed at 8-12 year olds and tours with gardeners aimed at families at their gardens plus they might look at courses aimed at this age group as well. There have been articles in the press recently about the skill gap in horticulture so anything we can do to encourage our children to be our future horticulturists the better. It could all start with something as simple as a sunflower…
It’s lovely reading your blog Sarah, such enthusiasm and so nice to hear from an ‘amateur gardener’ with a realistic garden that us normal people can relate to!
A lovely interesting blog Sarah. Having seen your garden again recently, I really enjoy seeing the changes as plants bloom. You are a very good gardener.