Friday 3 June 2011

fresh air friday

 Is it me or are Fridays coming round too fast?
Its a crazy hot day here today.
But I realise after a trip to Somerset last weekend,
not everyone has had this dry spell.
I have been praying for rain,
whilst they have been praying for sun!
Anyways above is a santolina or a cotton lavender,
I love it!
 The lawn really is very brown already,
I'm just wondering how things would grow
with a downpour of lovely rain!
My goal is to cover the ugly fences with greenery.
 The next two blooms were grown from seed last year,
purchased online from real gardens.
Above is lychnis coronaria,
a good one for dry gardens.
 And this one is the well known
knautia macedonica,
which the bees love.
 On the shady side I have two astrantias
this one is claret.
 All this sun has been great for lots of plants this year
including this peony.
 My favourite geranium of the moment has also
popped open this week.
Ann Folkard.
 Another sun lover is this white rose,
though it tends to suffer from droop,
because the blooms are so huge!
 Although gardening has slowed down now,
there is still lots to do.
Like tying in a new climbing rose,
this one is 'new dawn',
and should be a pretty pale pink.
 I've also visited an NGS garden,
called White Barn near Ringwood,
It's a stunner, they are open every Wednesday,
if you live in Hampshire it's well worth a visit,
truly inspirational.
I cant publish any pictures I took,
for their privacy, but I did buy the campanula from them,
which is a tiny part of what their garden looked like.
Did I mention they have over 200 clematis?!
Hmmm what else have I been doing??

Have a super weekend all,
don't forget the suncream!

Ps. I dreamt last night that Monty Don (British gardening presenter)
came to my garden,
and he was thinning my apples.
(which I've already done!!)
Lets see tonight if he does any thinning of apples,
how spooky would that be!!

17 comments:

Unknown said...

oooh what amazing photos! I love the cotton lavender - did not know it was called that! I even love ots name!1 x

Vintage Tea Time said...

Your garden's looking good! I, too, am trying to cover a fence on one side - we have a lovely brick wall on the other side. The Lychnis are lovely, so vivid - we had them at our old house, but they do try and take over! I love Astrantia too - they're great in flower arrangements (well, I don't 'arrange' flowers, but you know what I mean). Monty Don, hey? I'll send him over if I see him - he lives quite near us! Have a good weekend. Abby x

andamento said...

Your garden is looking great, thanks for sharing some of the plant names, I'm going to hunt down some cotton lavender for my garden now.
Love the last photo of the QUIP, the fabrics you have used are wonderful.

Mary said...

Clare,
What a lovely garden you have! I have the same geranium in my front flower box...it has spread to the other side of my garden. But I love the way in grows in a nice mound...and the blooms are so vibrant against the dark foliage. Love what is going on with needle and thread as well! But I am not sure who Monty Don is...he sounds like a scoundrel!

Simone said...

You can see that you have put a lot of hard work into your garden Clare. Before you know it you will have plants climbing all over your fence (as you wish them to)! Monty Don thinning your apples? Are you sure that's all he was up to?!!! Have a lovely weekend. x

greenrabbitdesigns said...

It all looking so lovely! I love the peony and the campanula is such a pretty colour.
I see the quilt is coming on a treat as well. :)
Have a great weekend and I'll keep an eyen on Monty!
Vivienne x

Lisa said...

The bees were loving that red knautice plant at the park the other day.
If MD does ring to say he's popping over can that be when I visit you too?!
Lisa x

{Love, Love, Love} said...

A lovely selection of blooms, Clare :)

Serenata said...

Gorgeous garden Clare, I really should learn the proper names of some of our plants and flowers...you put me to shame!

As for Fridays they certainly do come round far too quickly!

noelle said...

Your garden is looking lovely despite the lack of rain, you have done a wonderful job! Met up with the lovely Diane yesterday, was lovely!!!! xxxxx

Floss said...

We watched a DVD of Monty Don over here in our Beeb-free corner of France, last night! So, we are with you in spirit...

We also have a dead lawn. Totally dead, except for the accacia shoots I went around snipping off this afternoon. That's never happened so early before.

Thanks for your lovely garden photos and thoughts.

Jopsy said...

Ohh what a LOVELY dream-Monty Don ;)

Nicky said...

When Monty's finished in your dream garden tonight could you send him around to mine? Pretty garden - maybe you could use some clematis to cover those fences - if you've seen 200 odd it will help you choose!

potterjotter said...

It all looks divine - though as you say a tad dry! Our lawn is now dry and long as the mower's done its usual summer thing and packed up. Now going for big meadow look!

potterjotter said...

I had a dream where Monty came round and fixed our mower which has done its usual summer trick of packing up. Just a dream though! Now going for a meadow-look, big time.

Diane said...

What do you you mean you didnt realise I lived in such splendour! Do you not read my blog? South Yorkshire is a well kept secret from you southerners (Damn that Dan Cruicksank!!) St Ives was BLISS!!! I even met one of my (alternative) heart throbs! xxx

Beth of The Linen Cat said...

Your garden looks great, even your 'dry' lawn, ours is totally yellow now we are in such desperate need of rain (I hear we are due some in the coming days - hurrah!). We also grow Ann Folkard, it's lovely. Bethx