June 2010 - The Season of Roses

PLANTS IN FLOWER:  Irises, Stock, Foxgloves,  Nepeta ,  Gladioli, Ladies mantle, Roses, Penstemon, Feverfew, Mayweed, Wisteria, Honeysuckle, Dogwood, Astrantia, Herbaceous Geraniums, Euphorbias.

Due to sunny weather, this month has really seen a sudden maturation of the garden in all its aspects. The white Iceberg roses are climbing rapidly up the south side of the farmhouse; the grasses around the terrace have shot up with fresh green growth and amidst them, the drumstick alliums are about to burst into flower; while on the east side, the newly planted wisterias are confidently winding their way up the warm stone walls in the courtyard. 

 

The main borders too have filled out with siberian irises, pale stock, white foxgloves, nepeta 'Six Hills Giant', byzantine gladioli, ladies mantle and masses of roses: wild pink roses, David Austin's cerise 'Gertrude Jekyll' and his pale pink 'Cottage Garden' roses all coming into bloom. On the other side of the border there are massive banks of the white form of Rosa rugosa and the exquisite dark leaved Rosa moschata. 

The pond has lost its green tinge and is beginning to look established with the stunning black iris ensata in bud and water lily pads spreading across the surface.  There are masses of tiny goldfish with newts, frogs and water boatmen taking up residence too, while lots of different kinds of dragonfly skim the surface when the sun is out.  The aquatic wildlife has not escaped the attention of a local heron who has started visiting the pond. The young redstarts who nested in the box I attached to the silver birch tree seem to have already flown; but the extended family of pied wagtails still visit the water each morning to catch tiny insects by its borders; and the swifts which are also back nesting in the barn sweep the surface with great speed.

The gravel bed has burst into flower with the azure blue penstemons making a spectacular show.  I have planted in some purple sage seedlings to contrast with the golden feverfew leaves but have yet to add the green sage officinalis seedlings which I still are waiting in their seed trays. But the biggest change of all in the garden this month is the clearing of the small field. The local farmer leveled it last week and now it is possible to see for the first time the real potential of this area.  Beforehand, it was so overgrown with nettles, brambles and bracken that it was impossible to really visualize how to plan it out. Now it is clear, I have decided to divide the lower area into deep beds using old railway sleepers as a vegetable garden and plant the upper part as an orchard.