Monday 31 May 2010

Blooming

After last weekend's glorious sunshine, the much needed rain descended and now the flowers have really arrived. We've rolled over into summer at No.25 with the last of the late daffs deadheaded, the euphorbia fading and the forget-me-nots pulled out for another year.

This is our third summer here and the garden really looks like mine now (well my style at least, Woody's not much of a gardener beyond the allotment). I've lost just a couple of things to the freezing winter but on the whole I think it's done everything the world of good because it looks the best its ever done.
My garden is planted with things to remind me of people and places and gives me so much joy. This pretty little thing is a geum called Mrs Bradshaw and like so many of my plants orginates from my mum's wonderful garden. I remember this delightful plant from our childhood home and where my parents live now. Isn't she lovely.
Valerian is Cornwall to me, my favourite place apart from home. It's taken ages to really settle in my garden but finally it's sowing itself merrily around (especially in the little drystone wall which reminds me of how it looks along the lanes around Port Isaac). Over the summer it will grow into gorgeous spires of fluffy pink and carmine blooms and this year I've tracked down the white variety to fill the border even more.
Not that there's much room! I think you can tell I'm a cottagey, stuffed-to-the-brim, kind of a gardener. I've got such limited planting space (two raised borders, 6ft by 2.5ft - one shady, one full-sun) so I don't bother to plan and just buy/grow what I fancy and keep my fingers crossed. I'll need to do some dividing next year but for this summer I can just about fit everything in.
Persicaria Superbum loves it here (another from mum's) and I have Firetail in the shady border which does it's thing later in the summer. This fluffy pink variety has spread in a perfect fashion and doesn't seem to need any care or attention at all.
I need to plant more aliums too this autumn. Aren't they fabulous.
So the show is just beginning. Early summer brings lupins, nepeta Six Hills Giant (catmint), geranium Johnson's Blue, aquilega, lady's mantle and the beginning of the valerian. By mid summer the hollyhocks will be in full bloom along with irises, potentilla, verbascum, feverfew, knautia, cosmos, old-fashioned heavenly scented pinks and the climbing roses (James Galway & St Swithun's Day). After that the hot zingy colours take over with crocosima Lucifer, heleniums, rudbekia, dhalias and good old fashioned sunflowers.

For now everything in my garden is lovely (well if you ignore the untrimmed lawn, the nibbled hostas and the weeds that is).

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a glorious, cottagey garden, it looks wonderful. I love the geum, it's a very pretty colour - think I'll have to track one down!
Love your blog and seeing your fab vintage bargains - so much more expensive up here in Scotland, I'm very jealous!!
Vintage Squirrel x

Jacquie said...

Your garden looks so pretty!!
Thanks for shareing plant names.I have some of these (including one lonely allium) and will make a note of the others as this is my idea of perfection.

Jacquie x

Leisa said...

Your garden is just lovely, such beautiful plant choices. Hope you continue to enjoy your summer garden!!

Pea Green Kitty said...

I am a huge fan of the wild cottage garden style, Your garden is beautiful!!
My garden is full of evergreen shrubs and no flowers, Like that since we moved in two years ago, so this year I am pulling half of it up and planting some wild flowers.
I see you have some Ladys Mantle, I have tons of the stuff and I find it takes over everything and self seeds in every nook and cranny....a bit of a nuisance!
Do you have a similar problem?
x

harmony and rosie said...

Your garden is stunning. I'm a huge fan of the bistorta superba, ever since I saw it in a Rosemary Verey book I have. I've earmarked it to go in my garden should I ever get out there!!

Katy Noelle said...

Wonderful fun to see! Thanks for it!

Love, katy

Sophie - Chez Sophie said...

Your garden looks lovely, I love to plant things allover & anywhere to see what comes up next.
I have alliums too and am loving them at the moment.
Luv Sophie xxx

KC'sCourt! said...

I dream of a garden looking like that!
Julie xxxxxxxx

Goosey said...

Your garden looks lovely and cottagey.We have the same sort of look to our garden. We spent all last week tweeking our garden ready for a garden fayre on Saturday and it rained and we had to be indoors!

Amanda said...

It all looks so gorgeous - well done!! I can imagine many a happy summer's day spent in that garden x

melanie said...

Your garden is glorious, love it. :) xxx

bellaboo said...

A cottage garden is my favourite too and yours is beautiful..and very inspiring for me.Come over and see the garden at our cottage B and B..you'll love it!

Bellaboo ;0)

made-and-found said...

I love all those plants and your borders are very similar to mine.My all time fasvourites are aqualegias or granny's bonnet.I have many different kinds and have picked up the best at car boot sales over the years.Thanks for the lovely post,here's hoping the summer arrives soon.It's raining here in Yorkshire.Pop round and see me some time. anne x

Teresa said...

Sigh... I love cottage gardens.... and this is beautiful. I'm working on making my garden cottagey... got a long way to go, but have made quite a bit of progress. A garden does take time to settle in and make itself at home doesn't it?

Rosie said...

Lovely, lovely garden, Steph - I love geums - we have Rivali and Lemon drops and they split and move so well. I too love Valerian - it always reminds me of the seaside:)

Andrea said...

Beautiful garden, Steph...I am sooo inspired by it...I only stumbled across your lovely blog recently. Once I have finished making a note of the names of your lovely blooms I think I will be found over in the archives for a little while. x

Adelina said...

Nice garden!! So full of color!!

Una said...

Hello Steph
I have just discovered your blog and I had to say how wonderful it is! I might be twice your age but I still love the things that you love - gardening, cooking, vintage stuff etc. I have just started my own blog but I'm not very good at it yet - will get better as I plod along (secondhandrose-una.blogspot.com). You might like to know that a few of us celebrated VE day with an authentic meal and we even dressed up for the occasion! I'm intrigued by WW2 homelife as I was born just after the war and used to love the stories my mother told me. Enough waffling - just wanted to say Hi!

Pipany said...

Yes, summer seems to be here in Cornwall Steph with days on the beach and lazing in hte garden...bliss. You garden is looking so very pretty and very much yours I think xx

Bobo Bun said...

How I wish I had your green fingers Steph. I'm good at weedpulling and making a mess, but not at creating such a lovely vision as you have.

Lisa x

Garden Girl said...

wow-it puts mine to shame. I have just been gazing at the weeds in my front garden with dismay. Guess what I'm doing this evening?!
x

pussman and co said...

PERFECT!!!
I love your borders!!

Bye
Danielle

flwrjane said...

How have I never been here before?

Just my kind of gardener. Everything looks beautiful..I don't think you need a plan, it all works together beautifully.

Maureen said...

I have a new garden and I'm in the process of creating a cottage style bed - just like yours!

You have given me the names of several I want - who can resist the wonderfully named - superbum!

Rowan said...

This is my kind of garden, full of lovely old-fashioned flowers - 'perfick' as Pa Larkin would say :)