Weather: A cool and showery week – not very summery
Liz Hall has some exotic late summer blooms to show
Cobaea scandens
Gladiolus papilio ‘Ruby’
Digitalis ‘Suttons Apricot’
Heuchera ‘Paris’
Leycesteria formosa ‘Golden Lanterns’ in flower
Leycesteria formosa in fruit
Kate van Heel has some fine late summer offerings
Roscoea ‘Spice Island’
Roscoea ‘Peacock’
Tricyrtis macrantha subsp. macranthopsis
Judith Ladley loves her pots!
Container planted up at the start of lock-down – I love containers and mine seem to get bigger each year
Another container mainly using Agastache ‘Golden Jubilee’ and coleus. Many people are sniffy about coleus but I find them useful for summer containers and usually take cuttings at this time of year and over-winter plants in a spare bedroom.
Another container planted up at the start of lock-down mainly using heucheras . I really like blue containers and think they offset most plants quite well
Another blue pot
I called at a nursery yesterday to purchase some treatment for berberis sawfly caterpillars and came away with this lovely bergenia ciliata ‘Dumbo’. Didn’t find the insecticide.
An old friend returns to the Hackett’s garden
Dactylicapnos macrocapnos – the Bleeding Heart Vine. We bought this from Roger Brook, the no-dig gardener, on a day trip in 2016. Some years it disappears, then it just pops back again
Weather: The heatwave has gone – leaving a week of sunshine and heavy showers
Kathy Howard has treated herself to a macro lens attachment for her mobile phone. Recently, she took it down the road to Joyce and John Kenny’s garden – Woodroyd – and created some beautiful close-up images
John and Joyce Kenny, owners of Woodroyd – does no one else garden in a dress shirt?
Echinops, Rudbeckia and a new Cercidyphyllum japonicum
Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Fascination’
Woodroyd, the west side. Unnamed crocosmia from WYHPS auction
Fantastic Cosmos grown from seed from Liz Hall, ‘Double Click Cranberry’ has done particularly well
Red Persicaria from our old friend Roberto with Achillea ptarmica ‘The Pearl’
Hostas in the Garden at Woodroyd
Very shady under Olearia tree. You can just see one flower from Rosa ‘Harlow Carr’
Close up 1 – Euphorbia cornigera
Close up 2 – Anthemis grown from HPS seed distribution, supposed to be EC Buxton, clearly not!
Close up 3. – Still unidentified!
Close up 4 – Hydrangea paniculata ‘Vanille Fraise’
Close up 5 – Unidentified Astrantia
Leycesteria formosa and Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Firetail’ seen through Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinacea ‘Black Arrows’
Pale pink Persicaria with Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinacea ‘Black Arrows’ behind
“Two vast and trunkless legs…”
Next a double header from Denise Dyson – the first set are from her own garden, the second batch were taken during a visit to Joan Grimshaw
Rambling rose ‘Phyllis Bide’ – more pale yellow than the usual apricot colour probably because of the dry weather and proximity to large trees
Convolvulous mauritanicus in a hot corner
A vibrant single hollyhock
A new rose to me – climbing – ‘Mortimer Sackler’. Beautiful scent and hardly any thorns
A mature crab apple tree laden with fruit, following profuse blossom which was posted on LG in the spring
A brick-red Diascia next to Oreganum ‘Kent Beauty’
And here is the second set. Denise says, “I had a cup of tea with Joan Grimshaw in her lovely newly-made garden and took the attached photos“
A pot of Anagallis monellii grown from seed from Jackson’s Wold
A pot of dark blue Agapanthus on a hot terrace
Origanum laevigatum ‘Hopleys’
Clematis ‘Polish Spirit’ growing through ivy Hedera helix ‘Buttercup’
Hydrangea ‘Annabel’ down a shady passage
Another shade-lover – Nepeta govaniana
Judith Ladley has also been garden visiting. These pictures are from Duncan Townend’s garden in Rothwell
Duncan Townend’s lovely garden in Rothwell. “I was lucky enough to visit Duncan’s home and have a tour of his very well planted garden”
General view plus very realistic cockerel
Beautiful hydrangea aspera (apologies to Duncan if I’ve wrongly named this plant)
Spigelia marilandica ‘Wisley Jester’ Unknown to any of the people on the visit
Stachys hummelo growing in front of Persicaria polymorpha
The best clump of Crocosmia Solfatare I have ever seen, plus one other crocosmia
A well grown clump of Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’
Romneya coulteri grown by Judith and now on a neighbour’s allotment (the best place for it as it’s a thug)
Sue Gray has tamed that tricky Wild Swan
Anemone ‘Wild Swan’ – no lame duck here – and Fuchsia ‘Genii’
Cichorium intybus – one of my favourite plants and a much richer blue than this implies
Eucomis autumnalis
Eucryphia x nymansensis ‘Nymansay’
Nepeta govaniana & ‘friends’, flowering for the first time since it was moved to a spot that it obviously prefers
Spiraea japonica ‘Shirobana’ a.k.a. ‘Joseph’s Coat’ as the flowers appear in differing shades of pink & white
Our day trip to John Massey’s garden was one of the many summer treats that had to be cancelledthis year, butPat Hunter has glimpsed that earthly paradise from the far bank of the Staffs & Worcester Canal. Hopefully we’ll get to the other side next summer!
Canal views of John Massey’s garden
Terry Benton is anticipating some fine pears this autumn
Concorde pears
Conference pears
Inula
Excitement was causedin the Hackett garden this week by the first flower on Codonopsis grey-wilsonii. This delicate climber is named after Christopher Grey-Wilson – some of us heard him speak a couple of years ago at the East Yorkshire lecture day at Bishop Burton.
Codonopsis grey-wilsonii – must try to get a better picture!
Weather: Finally a really warm week, but blighted by thunder storms
Diane Rawnsley returns. She has had to go back to work, which means less time in her wonderful garden, and fewer submissions to the gallery. Looks like the garden is still thriving though!
My favourite rose ‘ Comte De Chambord’
Phlox ‘Bright Eyes’ with Monarda ‘Westacre Purple’ (I think)
Leucanthemum ‘Phyllis Smith’ with Buddleja ‘Lochinch’ (?)
Hydrangea ‘Pink Annabelle’
Deinanthe
Datisca cannabina
Acer ‘Sango Kaku’
A collection of pots
Some wise words from a donkey
Liz Hall shows us how her garden has changed since it was filmed in June. I see that Rosa ‘Schoolgirl’ is still going strong!
Rose ‘Schoolgirl’
Phlox paniculata ‘Elizabeth Arden’
Phlox × arendsii ‘Hesperis’
Passion flower
Crocosmia ‘Hellfire’
Amaryllis belladonna
Agastache rugosa ‘Liquorice Blue’
Pat Gore’s garden is rich in summer fruits as well as flowers
Tomatoes and Padron peppers from the greenhouse
Courgettes, beans and cucumbers
General view with Eupatorium maculatum and Lythrum salicaria ‘Robert’
Lysimachia clethroides, Cosmos and Tagetes ‘Cinnabar’
Clematis x triternata ‘Rubromarginata’
Crocosmia ‘Star of the East’
Phlox and Hydrangea are among the plants featured in Preston Harrison’s submission this week
Preston’s garden this week
Phlox paniculata ‘Eva Cullum’
Phlox paniculata ‘Cardinal’
Hydrangea aspera subsp. sargentiana
Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’
Japanese anemone, for me the attraction is in their simplicity; in this instance, A. × hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’
Leucanthemella serotina
Cynara cardunculus
Kate van Heel’s pictures include a Begonia with remarkable foliage
Begonia pedatifida
Begonia pedatifida
Anemone x hybrida ‘Pretty Lady Susan’ with unknown phlox behind
Eucomis bicolor
Maggie Sugden has been to Breezy Knees! If anyone has any pictures from that nursery, or other local ones, it would be nice to see them in the Gallery
Lobelia ‘Compton Pink’ bought at Breezy Knees
Calla lilies kept from year to year
Purple sedum – no name I’m afraid
Terry Benton is focussing on some old favourites that came with his Wiltshire home
Japanese anemones
Japanese anemones – close up – possibly a. x hybrida ‘Queen Charlotte’
Another Japanese anemone – possibly A. x hybrida ‘Bressingham Glow’
Old fashioned Montbretia
Soapwort (Saponaria) – double form of Bouncing Bet
Soapwort (Saponaria) – close up
Pat Hunter is first to respond to the call for pictures of gardens we visit, in addition to our own. These images are from a visit to Stone House Cottage near Kidderminster. She says: “This is a true plantslady’s garden, so much I have never seen, but quite a bit I know would never grow here.The towers were all built by her partner(some now have seen better days). You can go up one which gives a good overview of the garden.There are a couple of colour themed areas as well as an orchard, shade borders a plenty, raised beds, obviously lots to clothe the walls. It is a plantsperson’s delight!”
Disporum longistylum ‘Green Giant’ WOW
Actea simplex ‘Prichard’s Giant’
The Hackett garden is also enjoying some proper summer sun at last
Angelica sylvestris ‘Vicar’s Mead’, with a reverted Angelica and Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’. All three are here in this border without our permission, but not looking too bad.
Dianthus carthusianorum and Eryngium planum
Helenium ‘El Dorado’ – a handsome plant, but taller than expected so it will have to shift!
Hollyhock – don’t know the name but is seems to be perennial and largely free of rust
Kniphofia ‘Lemon Popsicle’ – bought at an HPS event at Pershore a few years ago
Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’ – with a petal that seems to have gone rogue
Bought this as Sanguisorba ‘Big Tanna’. Looks like ‘Tanna’ and certainly is very big!
Stachys macrantha – a welcome gift from Sue Gray
Tree lily ‘Pretty Woman’ – flowers a bit later than the other lilies and doesn’t seem to interest the lily beetles
Weather: Another cool start, slowly giving way to some quite hot weather – a repeat of last week!
Saturday’s planned visit to gardens in Kirklees was scuppered by a sudden government lockdown on that area, which specifically forbade meeting in other people’s gardens. To show us what we missed, Joyce Kenny and Ann Lowe have sent some pictures of their gardens, so all their hard titivation toil wasn’t completely wasted! Joyce goes first
Helenium ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’ – a good doer!
Clematis ‘Alba Luxurians’ with the last of the Dierama pulcherrimum
Shady bed with well established Acer
Lysimachia ephemerum
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Vanille Fraise’ and Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Fascination’
Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’ actually managing to keep her head off the ground
Galega and Inula
Cosmos and Artemisia lactiflora Guizhou Group
Cercidiphyllum japonicum – new
Catananche with Persicaria behind
Another lockdown project!
Actaea simplex ‘Black Negligee’ with Impatiens omeiana in background
Achillea ptarmica ‘The Pearl’, a little thug but I like it
A hydrangea that John rescued from a skip
Another hydrangea that John rescued from the skip
The 12.25 to Huddersfield!
And here are some views of Ann Lowe’s garden, near Honley
Ann’s Garden 1
Ann’s Garden 2
Ann’s Garden 3
Ann’s Garden 4
Ann’s Garden 5
Ann’s Garden 6
Lovely to welcome Frances King to the Lockdown Gallery for the very first time!
A pleasing combination of Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Fascination’, Cosmos and Thalictrum
Thank goodness for Sarah Raven plugs, ordered before Lockdown!
Rosa ‘Phyllis Bide’
Phlox paniculata ‘Uspekh’ and Rosa ‘Warm Wishes’
Patrinia, bought from the Autumn auction, a Hollyhock and an unknown Crocosmia
Lysimachia clethroides
A welcome return to the Gallery for Judith Edmondswith some Hemerocallis
Yellow Hemerocallis ‘Doubloon’
This two tone Hemerocallis is my favourite, – label long gone, no idea what it’s called
Hemerocallis ‘Lullaby Baby’ – bought on the IOW holiday, so first time it’s flowered for me
Hydrangea “Salsa”, an HPS auction plant. Carol Klein mentioned it on Gardeners’ World a week ago. The dark leaves are beautiful. The fern is a Polystichum setiferum soft shield fern.
Clematis ‘Perle D’Azur’ with a teazel
And Kate van Heel is back too!Her Dreaming Swan is no ugly duckling
Anemone ‘Dreaming Swan’. Wild Swan was a dead duck for me, to quote Peter Williams, but ‘Dreaming Swan’ does really well and flowers for a long time.
My Eucomis ‘Sparkling Burgundy’. It has taken three years to flower. The previous two years produced lots of lush foliage but no flowers.
Cautleya spicata robusta
Monarda ‘Saxon Purple”
The allium (Allium angulosum) at the front of the border is a magnet for bees and other insects. It grows here with Verbena ‘Bampton’ and white agapanthus. I just wish the flowers of the agapanthus would not flop over!
Pat Hunter shows that there are some very interesting shades of orange to be found
Abutilon ‘Orange Hot Lava’
Calceolaria integrifolia ‘Kentish Hero’
Lilium henryi
Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’
Eucomis vandermerwei
Itea ilicifolia
Unknown supermarket Dahlia
Sue Gray’s garden offers some less common Crocosmias
Crocosmia ‘Limpopo’
Mixed Agapanthus, many self-sown, and Crocosmia ‘Limpopo’
More Agapanthus with Crocosmia ‘Okavanga’
Climbing Rose ‘Penny Lane’ grown from a hardwood cutting taken at Friday Forum many years ago!
Verbena officinalis var. grandiflora ‘Bampton’, Veronica longifolia ‘Charlotte’, Diascia personata and Sidalcea ‘Elsie Heugh’
Thalictrum delavayi
Sorbus hupehensis ‘Pink Pagoda’
Salvia patens ‘Pink Ice’
Limonium a.k.a. Sea Lavender
The Hackett garden becomes decidedly jungly at this time of year. Perhaps I should buy a machete.
Hackett garden Aug 2020
Hackett garden Aug 2020
Hemerocallis ‘Frans Hals’ – longer flowering than most day lilies
Hollyhock -Alcea rosea ‘Antwerp mixed’
Rosa ‘Kew Gardens’ – saw this in Sir John Hall’s rose garden on the day trip in 2018. It was just about the only rose still flowering after many weeks of heat.
Dahlia ‘Honka Fragile’ – Stunning flower but terrible name
Begonia odorata ‘Angelique’ – long flowering and smells nice if you get close enough
Dierama are evergreen perennials which grow from corms and belong to the Iris family. They originate from southern Africa, there are 45 species and are commonly known as Angel’s fishing rods or wand flowers. Dierama are flowering in my garden in early July.
I had tried growing these from plants bought at nurseries for several years with no success. I had tried several different situations in the garden but come the following year no Dierama could be found.
Reducing the size
I changed tack and decided to try growing from seed. I bought seed from Plantworld seeds (a true sweetie shop for seeds). This was a great success. I had a great germination rate and decided to plant them out in the vegetable plot. As these were increasing in size well, I decided to get some seeds of other varieties, these also germinated and grew.
After having several years of a fantastic display on the edge of the veg plot I decided to move a clump to the front edge of the border, a larger variety over the pond and a clump over the rill. There were still a lot left over, I have brought some to HPS auction in the past. This year, the clump at the front of the border I decided to reduce in size (too much time on my hands). Dieramas are not quick to recover, I was told by fellow hardy planters.
The corms
The corms lay down a new corm on top of the last one, year on year. I stripped down all the growth in the first picture to 3 or 4 clumps and replanted on the 10th April.
I presumed I would lose any flowers this year, and on June 10th (one month on) this is the result.
June 10th
Dieramas in the garden now are so numerous that they decide where they will grow as can be seen below
Finally on the subject of the clump that was split and replanted, on the 11th July I have 2 flower stalks with plenty of flowers.
The replanted clump
A few pictures of the varieties around the garden now
Most are seedling crosses now, hence no species given.
This picture shows the variety of heights of the seedlings left in the vegetable plot
And finally, for the observant, the seedling that decided where it wants to grow is now flowering.
The conclusion, then, is to grow from seed and let them get on with it.