July has whizzed past in the flash of an eye and here we are at the end and you would be forgiven in thinking that we have gone forward to the end of September it is so cool. It feels as though the garden has slowed down with flowers lasting longer in bloom and the later flowers taking longer to open.
I thought I would start this End of Month tour in the woodland area which really focusses on foliage at this time of year apart from the hosta flowers. There is a space where I had to cut the Solomon’s Seal down as it was being stripped by Solomon Sawfly. I think I will relocate the Solomon’s Seal as it was suffocating the Hosta; this will also allow me to plant something new in the area between the Hosta and the Witch Hazel (just on the left hand edge of the photo and I am wondering about including a smaller and darker leaved hosta or a fern to provide some contrast – I need to sit on the bottom step and consider it more.
Going back to the bottom path between the Cottage and Big Border this area isn’t doing too bad but it needs to mature and fill out. I have been adding plants to both border so hopefully now if I sit back and wait they will fill out and have good interest throughout the year. I do need to add more bulbs to each area. I want to add some more Alliums to the Cottage Border to give a rhythm through the length of the border and maybe add some daffodils to the Big Border. It already a significant number of Camassias but I think would benefit from some earlier daffodils.
The middle path between the Big Border and the Rowan Border (formerly the Bog Garden) and I am really pleased with how this area is beginning to work. Moving the purple phlox along a foot or too and adding the Anemanthele lessoniana seems to have connected the two sides of the path. The Agapanthus and Phlox appear to mirror each other and the grass and leaves of the orange Crocosmia are connecting. There are still pockets where I want to tweak the planting but that was ever so.
The popular shed shot. I realize now that I should have removed the Ammi majus before taking this photo as it is flattening the Stipa tenuissima, probably as a result of the rain. I want this area to have airy planting as it is very good for catching the afternoon sun and I think this would have a nicer feel than dense heavy planting. I was learning today about transitions between areas of gardens and how you need to have quieter areas between those of sun and shade or bright colours and pastel. I found myself realising that my planting has begun to have the same feel throughout the garden with the exception of the woodland/shady area. I think I had got into a mindset that everything had to be ‘look at me!!!’ with lots of interest and all points of the year. So I am now thinking about what I learnt to day and how this would work in my space.
So that is my garden at the end of July. I have just had a look back to last July’s End of Month View post which had some of the same views and I’m glad I did. I can see from that post how much things have filled out since last year and how my efforts are starting to pay off not just with the appearance but with the health of the plant. The woodland border looks really parched last year but this it isn’t doing to bad and I think the mulch I put down in Spring when the soil was very damp has helped.
Anyone is welcome to join in with this meme. All I ask is that you include a link to your post in the comments box below and you link to this post in your post. That way the circle is completed and we can all find each other and come for a visit.
