This week I’m looking at surprises both good and bad in the cottage garden. Have you ever walked into your garden and stopped dead in your tracks and smiled? It’s been a while but this week that beautiful poppy above did it for me. So, I wanted to share that beauty with all of you. The sun really bleached everything this week and I hope you are all enjoying some of the weather that has come our way.
Black Peony Poppy
Although my peonies are sulking after moving them earlier this year the peony poppies are blooming. I wasn’t prepared for the dramatic difference in size depending on the size of the container they are planted in. I am so proud of these and I also wasn’t prepared for the difference in blooms either. Some are deeply ruffled (see the last pic in this post) and some are open like the one above. I will be seed saving and spreading these beauties around. I need more of their delicate blooms around here.
Foxgloves
I can’t believe that as quickly as the foxgloves came they are almost finished blooming here. I wish I had a few varieties that bloomed for a longer spell or later in the year so I will look into that. With this heat, the flowers are blooming and going to seed within a week almost with the smaller plants. The bees are still loving them though and I do have my eye on the seed pods each day as I leave the girls to school. They are the only thing that is keeping my garden in the front from looking like a complete mess. One bed out of three but it’s a start right?
Rugosa
The rugosa are still going, though both varieties are now blooming and the first hips are appearing so expect some rosehip images next week. I keep thinking that from afar it looks like my kids have covered this bush in tissue paper as a prank. The wind is so severe here that the blooms are not staying open really more flopping around, even the bees are having a hard time. These bushes do provide privacy but i am really not looking forward to digging these up and dividing them. :/ Any helpers want to offer their services? 😉
Climbing Rose
From Rugosa to the climbing rose which is now coming into full bloom. These roses are about the size of the palm of my hand and each stays on the plant for about a week. I love that this has gone up into the Acer above it, covering it in cascading flowers but one shower of heavy rain or heavy wind and I know it will fall. I think this adds to its beauty, knowing that it is fleeting. Everything about this bush is romantic, even the thorns 😉
Whitefly /Greenfly
Oh yes, the joys of having whitefly. Don’t worry I have my garlic spray and I’m applying it but sometimes it just feels like this is a losing battle. My garden is pretty diverse and I have ladybirds and parasitic wasps here and well pretty much everything you would want to eat these little pests so I won’t use any chemical controls but they are annoying.
Lobelia
Which brings me to my final six and that is my lobelia. I know, why am I proud of this? Well, this is the first bedding lobelia I grew from seed. I have bush and trailing lobelia opening their flowers and covering the ground and window boxes with their sweet little flowers. You have to admit they do create an amazing show from above and a distance but up close they have a beautiful open fronted petal that looks like it is trying to pout but not quite managing it. I have these between my non-flowering snapdragons (it can keep until next week, those and the tomatoes of doom)
That’s it from me this week apart from the above video of another poppy because I just love how happy they make me each day and I hope it makes you smile too. Do make sure that you pop over to The Propagator ‘s page to check out more wonderful gardening posts and why not search the #sixonsaturday tag on twitter too to fill your feed with beautiful blooms. There is also a participant guide here if you would like to join in too. Looking forward to catching up with all f your garden posts this week too!
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