Bloomin' marvellous
Well, I haven't got round to planting one of those drought-resistant gardens the experts keep advising us about. Just as well, as we have a wet and rather cool summer so far. The little front garden here is flourishing, and things flowering all over.
The big hebe is smothered in white flowers, which will probably last till about Xmas. The medium-sized hebe is putting on a nice display of purple flowers (this is the feral hebe, which spontaneously appeared through the concrete in front of the house), and the little hebe in a pot is just putting out its pink flowers.
The lavender is flowering vigorously and appears to be thriving in the dampish weather, in spite of being a Mediterranean plant. The astilbe has a fine array of feathery pink flowers. No real sign of flowers on the wiegla sadly, but it has pretty leaves, outlined in white. I think it's still recovering after almost dying of dehydration last year. The hostas are doing well, have largely been ignored by slugs, and should be flowering before long.
My favourite though is the honeysuckle growing over the gate post and wall. It's a nice big, bushy plant, looks good and healthy, and is currently smothered in pink and yellow/cream flowers. It smells wonderful, especially in the evening. The other day I happened to be looking out of the bathroom window and saw a woman walking up the road. She stopped by the honeysuckle, and sniffed the flowers. How lovely to see someone getting pleasure from a plant I've worked on and nurtured for a few years now. I really hope the yellow honeysuckle and pink clematis I planted at the other front corner will do as well. In four or five year's time, that front wall should be wonderful in summer.
The big hebe is smothered in white flowers, which will probably last till about Xmas. The medium-sized hebe is putting on a nice display of purple flowers (this is the feral hebe, which spontaneously appeared through the concrete in front of the house), and the little hebe in a pot is just putting out its pink flowers.
The lavender is flowering vigorously and appears to be thriving in the dampish weather, in spite of being a Mediterranean plant. The astilbe has a fine array of feathery pink flowers. No real sign of flowers on the wiegla sadly, but it has pretty leaves, outlined in white. I think it's still recovering after almost dying of dehydration last year. The hostas are doing well, have largely been ignored by slugs, and should be flowering before long.
My favourite though is the honeysuckle growing over the gate post and wall. It's a nice big, bushy plant, looks good and healthy, and is currently smothered in pink and yellow/cream flowers. It smells wonderful, especially in the evening. The other day I happened to be looking out of the bathroom window and saw a woman walking up the road. She stopped by the honeysuckle, and sniffed the flowers. How lovely to see someone getting pleasure from a plant I've worked on and nurtured for a few years now. I really hope the yellow honeysuckle and pink clematis I planted at the other front corner will do as well. In four or five year's time, that front wall should be wonderful in summer.