Summer Rain

Five minutes ago I was baking in my chair reading Monty Don's 'Gardening at Longmeadow' and I felt the first droplets of rain. Since then it has moved on considerably with really wet rain, a swirling wind and a truculent and wet kitty.

I wasn't surprised by this damp development, as the weather forecast did say light rain. As you can see from the photo above, I have left the kitchen door open and have parked myself with laptop at the kitchen table. Many poets have rhapsodised about summer rain and we all know the smell, not always pleasant but instantly evocative. It's all caused by the most simple and obvious of events, where cool water falls on warm earth and like many things the most prosaic is the most deserving of notice. Throughout the years of human existence many people have looked out of their home at the rain and smelt that memorable seeping scent. That is a thought both inspiring and grounding at the same time.

New Arrivals, a few days in

So, as mentioned in the last post, I was allowed to make a Dobbies trip earlier in the week, and this time I bought mostly sensible plants. Here, are some Alliums which have been dotted about (no regularity of drifts for me, oh no). I think they look particularly pretty underplanting the Gillenium Trifolata which is llooking especially spiffy just now.

Above are the Sweet peas that Laura gave me for my birthday. They are from M&S, so as you'd expect they are doing well. Depending on the colours they will either stay hanging there of move to the hanging basket hook by the front door. The paenolias are running out of steam a little anyway.

Above here is my second attempt at a grass! This is a prarie ornamental grass and I love it's green helathiness and blue-ish tinge. This has replaced a French Lavendar that finally gve up the ghost, and I am hoping for a verdant clump. That position is key for the view from my french windows so he needs to step up and get established.

 Here are the roses that finally made an appearance despite the inclement conditions! Roses cause such pain because they are so beautiful and their scent is exquisite. To the left is my demure Wedding Day rose which is honouring us with her beauty.

And to the right is Compassion, the troubled one. Poor old Compassion is riddled with the Black spot and have uffered in the rain. This bloom is wonderful and encapsulates why I let it bust my colour scheme! There are another 5 blooms, which are mostly balling or bedraggled, but overall this is so much better than last year when we had 2 blackened and dry blooms all year.

Garden design corner here! Under the Eucalyptus tree you can see my bright white stones, and these are also gracing pots with Rosemary, Agapanthus and Bay. I was inspired by a lovely walled garden in York with simple and healthy kitchen based plants and a mulch of white pebbles over some of them. I really like the way it adds light to a dim day.

Here is a new arrival and a mover, in my troubled slug bed!. To the right is a new Lonicera World's Dart which has been trained up the trellis. I felt it was tough enough to cope with the variable conditions of that corner (wet, dry, shade, sun) and clothe the trellis in lovely leaves and flowers. Here's hoping. You may also see the Stipa Tennussima sitting next to it? Well, I was unhappy with it in it;s last location and the wispiness offended me because I could see it from the kitchen doors. So he has been given a second chance in this slug bed (bet he gives them indigestion) and visually I like the change.

And here is the final New arrival, another silvery Hebe. This one placed itself; as I moved the pot about to see where it looked good it inconveniently fitted in right in front of the Fennel. So that's where it went and it should fill out that space nicely. Unless the slugs eat it.

While I was looking the other way, this happened...

So, the theme of this post is mixed emotions! Due to the utterly torrential rain, I haven't been in the garden 

much over the last fortnight. And in that time there have been some nice surprises but also some less nice. So the Geranium Kashmir White at the top has come out and looks stunning. Also the front flower bed is looking verdant with flourishing poppies and healthy sweet peas.

The first lily of the summer has also popped just by the front door. Still lilies of white, yellow, orange and mystery to come, with some mystery Hemerocallis also potentially making an appearance.

This white rose is also preparing to make a demure entrance, if the black spot does not marr her beauty first. The BS is rampant this year, completely infesting the Compassion rose, although some blooms are attempting to fight back.

Bolting is another theme with 2 aspects. My salad has bolted because I wasn't quick enough and the weather hasn't been clement. The curry leaf plant has however flowered and it's rather nice.

Also the pests (birds and Bugs etc) have been ravaging my garden. In tune with the Eco Nazi theme of current gardening, I haven't sprayed anything. Next year I will and make no apology. They leave nothing for me.

But my Allium Nigrum is playing the game - and look how lovely he is. Apparently he'll been turning dark purple as the bloom ages. I think more of these next year.

The Eucalyptus continues to deliver - now we have beautiful bark, silver leaves, white new leaves, berries and burnished red leaves. What a trooper, while my Cosmos and Delphinium seedlings make no headway and get eaten to death, Old Euc just keeps on delivering. Fab.

To finish on 2 good points:

1) I got to go to Dobbies yesterday afternoon so more pics and some moves are on the way.

2) Aren't Geraniums beautiful?

Warm Summer Rain

What a weekend? Strangely lovely weather - not cold and most of the time the rain was very light. I sat out in the garden yesterday reading Russell Page and several times it started to rain. I just stayed and it stopped soon after. The sun and showers should help the plants along. I also had a lovely walk up to get some pak choi and in the warm air and brief flecks of rain it was rather thrilling - made me feel alive. Edinburgh just now is lush and green and the trees are reaching for the sky in verdant glory I'll confess I walked with a beatific smile on my face and probably looked like a moron but I felt alive. You have to see the beauty around you when it's there or you'll miss the best of life.

Desert Island Plant: Geranium Orion

If I could only have 5 plants in my garden, this would definitely be one of the first I added to my list. I bought it at Gardening Scotland last year and it proceeded to make my garden a better place. Tumbling over the edge of the wooden trough, it's beautiful without being in flower. But now it is, and the colour and restrained delicacy of the flowers is a real treat.

In spring I took a deep breath and chopped off part of the clump with a kitchen knife and replanted. This plant flowers over a long period because it does not set seed, so the only way of to divide in spring. I was, quite frankly, terrified and it initially looked like I had made a terrible mistake as both drooped terribly. The original plant is now of course flowering and the child is looking healthy so maybe we'll have flowers yet. I also have Geranium Clarkei Kashmir White and a new blue Geranium whose card I have lost. Great plants.