Sunday Safari

Well, these photos aren’t from today unfortunately as it’s been raining pretty much all afternoon. Some were taken yesterday and others taken in the past week or two!

You may wish to make yourself a cup of tea and take your time with this post, as there are plenty of photos to come…

First we start with the drumstick Allium, this is the only one left, many of my Alliums have disappeared, whether they’ve simply died or been eaten I know not. This one is in a large pot next to the back door, it’s quite a sad sight at the moment actually, but it did look wonderful in the spring with a range of different bulbs.

This sunflower is now past its best, and still sat in its pot after Mr Pete never planted them. I don’t think I’ll bother next year with them as it’s always down to me to sow them, pot them up and then plant them!

The Veronica and Campanula are magnets to the Bees, both sit in the new border I’ve been building up this year to the left of the kitchen door.

A wild poppy gets ready to burst open in front of the Lavetera… The red and pink do clash, but when I was planting them I wasn’t to know the Lavetera were to come up pink, I took my chance that it would be white! Whoops…

This Coneflower has done very well this year and is looking particularly wonderful, perhaps next year I will have a go at planting them in the garden… I’ve never had much luck with them as they always get eaten by the Slugs/snails. At the moment they are always kept in pots by the house away from any nasties and regular patrols helped ensure they would survive.

Sea Holly is in flower and the flowers/stems become more and more brilliant blue by the day. I have a few dotted around the garden – mainly because I forgot I had already bought some so finished with another 6 to add to the collection! They’re beautiful, so it’s no big issue!

Verbena… My new love, it had barely begun flowering and I had already fallen in love. I love its spires, and it’s possibly one of the most difficult flowers to photograph, for some reason the colours just never come out right!

In the new border Verbena Bonariensis towers over Verbena Hastata Rosea, Sea Holly, Cosmos, Gaura, Nicotiana and Lavetera. Sunflower and Roses can be see in the background. Some of the Cosmos have flower buds on them at last! Hopefully next year they’ll be flowering much sooner, I have no idea why they have taken so long.

Bought Cosmos however have been flowering for months now in the main border to the left of the kitchen door, it is backed up by Lavetera and soon to be joined by more Cosmos and some Scabious (also taken a long time to flower!)

Buddleia is in full flower, many Bees come to it, sadly fewer Butterflies do though! It has grown in to a monster this year, I can barely see out of the spare bedroom window anymore. The plan is to chop it back/down, but I want to have another elsewhere in the garden before, it is far too big to be in the main border near the house but at the same time also provides us with much needed shade from the sun on the decking… It’s a tough decision!

Shield bugs are everywhere at the moment… This guy has chosen the Montbretia (crocosmia) as its home… I’m unsure whether to be happy about them or not. They’re just too cute as babies!!!

Shield bug on Nigella…

The Nigella are at the other side of the main border facing in towards the grass rather than the decking. They sit nicely with the Nicotiana and cornflower, they were all planted rather hastily simply to fill some space, next year I need to put more thought into it as I always have difficulty getting to the middle of the bed thanks to my silly planting and the huge Buddleia that likes to attack me as I attempt to weed. As a result I have some rather large willow herb and too much grass beginning to take over!

The Angel’s Fishing Rod or Dierama has opened more now, it really is a wonderful colour, and I hope for more next year. At the moment it is quite isolated in the side border next to the fence, until the climbers begin to cover the fence it all looks rather static along there…

Sweet Pea are providing me with plenty of pleasure at the moment, I have a vase regularly topped up with their wonderful flowers and their perfume is intoxicating.

I have a love-hate relationship with the Agapanthus, I love it, only it’s impossible to take nice photos of, especially when it’s in full flower!! I have yet to master its angles, and trust me I’ve been trying for a few years now!

The black Hollyhock is an odd one out in its border, I planted it in the new border on the right due to having put little thought into others around it. I need to plan where it can go next year, or at least get some other dark flowers…

My only pink Californian Poppy, they’re like Gold dust! However next year I plan on having more as I’ve spied some seeds online.

And finally the wild poppies… They are lovely, a little out of place, but I couldn’t be without them.