The Flower Garden This July

We've had days and days of rain here, making making gardening only an intellectual exercise. I just sit and think, contemplate and wonder....meanwhile the rain keeps falling and the wind keeps blowing. Its blowing rain right now. Gad!

I got up late this morning because the forecasting was for more rain. I just sort of drug-around the house...moving from one chair to another, drinking tea and reading this and that--newspaper, magazines and books.

Finally it was time for brekkie, or should I say, "brunch". Sitting at the table and eating, I realized that I would not have to make sandwiches to take to the garden, so I took it very easy and listened to a show on the radio, sitting on the windowsill beside the table.

A familiar show was on--"Egmond Binnen". This is a show presented by Anne Egmond, a pleasant-sounding presentatrice who looks up songs for folks who call in.
It goes like this: someone calls in and wants to know the name of a song or hear it....they sing or hum a few bars and Anne and her crew try and find the melody with only this melody to go on.

It sounds like the majority of folks who call in are older folks and the songs are old-ish tunes usually. Sometimes a song from their youth or something they heard in another country whilst on vacation.
I recalled that last week there was a person who was talking about a song that hads something with the word, "cigareets" in it. The person hummed a few notes. There wasn't much to go on, but this morning they had come up with a song called, "Cigarettes, whiskey and wild, wild women", by Red Ingle.
Ho!--What a song! hahaha. I had a chuckle over that one.

At at rate once the brunch was over, I still had to find something to do, being house bound by the weather. I have not had much time lately because of the good weather and all the work, but I have some fotos of the flower garden. I took them a few at a time now and then when I was taking breaks from working. I will share them with you now.

To begin with an overview...well, let me say, an overview of one section of the flower garden. The quartier over by the little shed.


There are all sorts of flowers here and I will show a few different angles, but there are ferns as well as flowers. They look so nice to me, especially when back-lit.


When I stand right off to the side and rotate myself a quarter turn, this view is then looking parallel to, and right in front of the little shed which is on the left.


This foto was taken from where I sit under the double arches looking to the left side of the shed in the direction of one of the compost bins.



Moving to the central area of the flower garden this daisy springs right out to ask for my attention.


This combination of Knautia and Veronica look quite nice when I kneel right up close to it as I get water out of the spigot.


Looking at them from a bit of a distance, they look even nicer to me.


A mutant hollyhock sprung-up close to one of the arches up in the front of the garden. I am very pleased with its colours and will leave it.


I was so amazed to see this poor bumble bee completely covered in pollen--How will she ever get that pollen stuffed and compacted into her little "pouches"? With all the moisture lately, I doubt that the pollen will fall off like a jet trail as she flies.


The Delphiniums are presenting their last blooms and this bumble bee is taking advantage.


Further along the path, is the little Cistus barely holding on with all this wetness, but blooming its heart out. This particular one blooms from may to september for me.


Standing outside the garden fence and looking westwards I get this view. The phlox on the foreground is light green with new growth. I cut off ALL the heads at the time that one does the "Chelsea Chop", and now when all the others have gone, I will have a large ball of white. White phlox and Crocosmia 'Lucifer' go so well together in a bouquet. When I give some of my flowering plants the Chelsea Chop I usually only 'chop' half of them the proper way, but this year I wanted to see what kind of result I would get if I took them all. Time will tell.


Rotating a quarter turn to the right (east), you can see another bit of the garden.


Phlox paniculata and Lychnis coronaria up front also make a combination pleasing to my eye.


Looking down the sidewalk (eastwards), the front plot looks thickly overgrown with the foliage of blooming plants.


More westward, along the outer sidewalk, I can see the Helenium squeezed-in between the various plants. It will be moved next spring.


Further along at the far western entrance to the garden, I can look through the entrance arch and see the little triangular plot that i planted and it is loaded with flowering plants: Veronica, Gaura, Lychnis, Salvia and one other I can not recall the name of--a spring bloomer.


Looking through one of the double arches, you can see one of the stands of Crocosmia burning like a fire.


To the left of the arch, squeezed right into a little corner up front, is my coddled patch of Monardas. There are two types of purple ones in there as well as the red, "Cardinal".


I took this macro shot back when the Monarda's were just opening.


I see that it is still raining outside, so another "lost" day of active gardening. No matter I have the coming 3½ weeks off to do the majority of harvesting. Wish mr luck.

 

Everything looks great. I love the monarda. the color is fantastic. Are all your daisy's so spiderish? that is very different than any I have seen before. Is all this at your lottie, also?

 

Wonderful shots Sjoerd!! Oh what I would do for a day or two of rain. I have cracks so large in my soil that I can stick my whole hand into them. I really LOVE the photo second from the end, it should be a puzzle or a calendar photo.
In the 3rd photo, bottom left, there is a tall plant with yellow blooms in front of the Hollyhocks...do you know what is that called??

 

gorgeous pics sjoerd! i love those hollyhocks!

 

And the plot thickens!!!
Wow, beautiful show. I am partial to the picture of the arch... but all are beautiful. The pollen covered bee made me smile. She is busy, busy.

 

Breathtaking gardens as usual. But I was really intrigued by the photo of the Cistus. I'm going to have to look it up and read more about this beauty.

 

I did wonder earlier today when we would start to see some photos of your flower garden, and you haven't let us down. Boy everything looks wonderful. So much colour and everything so healthy. I must get some monarda for my garden.

 

CAROLYN--Thank you so much. I am very fond of these Monardas as well. This year they have really come into their own.
Monardas come in a variety of colours and they all look pretty nice, I think. They have an exotic look about them.
You asked if these flowers were at my lottie--the answer is yes. In the "old" allotment I have the parcel divided into half: half for veg and half for flowers.
It is an odd situation, but I actually prefer flower gardening, but growing veg is so different from that, that I really like the challenge of being successful at bringing veg to harvest.
The other allotment is purely for production and only veg is grown there.
That peculiar-looking daisy is the Leucanthemum superbum 'Old Court'. Most of my daisy's are not like that, in fact the way that I took that foto above was to have one of the "normal" (Leucanthemum x superbum) daisys visible to show the contrast.

Thanks NETTY-- you are sweet to say so. I sure can sympathize with your wish for rain. I had big cracks in my spoil as well back before the rain started. I'm glad that you liked the pics. That yellow plant that you inquired about is a Verbascum. I had several pop-up over the garden this year. I like Verbascum very much and I have had several different ones through the years.

Thanks, BUNKIE.

Haha: DAISY, you are clever with words.
Thanks for your nice words, I am glad that you liked the pics. I like arches as well and have several in the small garden.

Thank you very much, CHERYL--Those Cistus are really nice plants, but a bit of a challenge to keep, as they do not like a lot of moisture nor a lot of freezing cold...both of which I have an abundance of, sadly.

Ta EJ--What a nice thing to say. All this rain is helping the flowering plants which had been a bit stunted from the strange spring that we had here, but they are coming along now.
I am especially delighted with he Monarda's.

 

Sjoerd, Your pictures are a real treat. All the flowers look so healthy and happy. I wish I could take a stroll through your gardens.
The bee will certainly earn some "brownie points" bringing home all the pollen!

 

Awesome! I'd been wondering when we'd get see the progress on your flower garden. My favs are the hollyhocks in the 1st 3rd and 3rd from the last. The overall effect is great

 

Very nice pictures!!!
Not much going on now in my flower garden

 

Hi Sjoerd,
i had to go back to look at your garden and flowers twice,..beautiful flowers and pictures,..i love the use you made of the canes,..now that's an idea i can work on,..that mutant Hollyhock is a beauty i am glad you kept it,..something else may come from that source,..the arches filled with colour are very pleasing to the eye,..the one with the Crocosmia is spectacular,..Monarda's are a brilliant flash of colour and the Macro shot is a wonder,..thanks for the nice tour,..very enjoyable.

 

Thanks so much, KAY-- I think that if you strolled the paths you would really like the garden. Yes, I'll bet that that bumble bee will get extra points for bringing back all those pollen grains.

Thank you, FRANK--I'm glad that you enjoy the pics. Boy, that garden looks even better than the pics show. I just wish than I could find a way to fotograph it all in one foto, but its too compact.

Thanks for your nice comments, JEWELL--I have not been able to do a great deal of posting for quite some time because of the gardening work. With all this rain, though I have had the time to get this out. You know, I have a special interest in Hollyhocks and really do treasure every one that I get in the lotties. They just keep cross-breeding and sometimes the results are just super. I have been looking for a nice double one somewhere, but I do not see them often here. I know that they are here, but I just can't find them. I appreciate it that you find the overall effect pleasing. Thanks again.

Thanks, CALIN-- What a shame that not much is going on in your garden at the moment, is it because of heat and dryness?...or is it that you don't have any plants that normally bloom at this time? You have posted some really impressive pics back in the spring.

Thank you so much, PHILIP--Those canes came in handy, but I came up a little short when I went to build the bean wigwams. Hahaha, I shall have to order some next year. That construction with the canes I built especially for a new Wisteria that I bought this spring. While the wisteria isn't blooming I have some Clematis plants that I am allowing to scramble over it. Down below, I have Nepeta which grows high enough to shield the base of the Clematis from the sun. It is turning out to be a decent plan, that.
The Hollyhock I especially like--such gentle pastels that actually are not sedate at all. It leaps out at you when you stroll by.
I appreciate your nice comments.

 

Sjoerd--Incredible garden! I love your photos. The bee on the delphinium is a great shot, and I enjoyed all the shots of your garden in sections. Tell me, what is the "Chelsea Chop"?