It is a bit thundery and rainy as I sit down to write this. June has seen some rain but not enough, the ground is still very hard in places. It has been quite sunny and warm at times and also it has been breezy. We have had weather.
The hanging basket I planted up a few weeks ago is starting to look flowery. I would love the plants to hang down a bit more but in honesty I am happy enough if it just stayed like this.
I have not trimmed the Box Knot Garden yet this year, you can tell that it is a bit shaggy. This has to be on the list of 'must do soon'.
In the back garden the roses are in full flower and fill the air with scent.
As I wander along the Conservatory Border I like how the clematis are now flowering well on their obelisk. I have three of these in different borders and I think they work well.
I am pleased with the Conservatory Border at the moment. The red Knautia macedonia is doing well and whilst you cannot quite see it, the Shasta daisies are just about to open, always a favourite moment for me.
I don't show this section of the Pond Border very often, it has never quite worked. Even the clematis I planted in this obelisk gave up the ghost and died. I have spent some time replanting this section of border last year and it is improved (honestly, it is); but there is still work to be done.
Whereas this is the other end of the Pond Border and I like this section very much. It tumbles together will and has different heights. What of the middle section I hear you ask? That is work in progress and has had quite a bit of new planting recently. If it works I will show you in July. Actually I will show you if it doesn't work, I never pretend my garden is perfect.
The Exotic Border is wonderfully dominated by the tree ferns at the moment, who are all growing well.
There is other planting going on as well in this border, with cannas, persicaria orientalis and musa bajoo to name but a few.
In the new butterfly border the white buddleja is starting to flower. It is settling in quite well,
as are the rest of the plants in this border. It still looks a bit bare as they are new plantings and have not knitted together yet: give it time, give it time.
In the Woodland Border one of my very favourite plants is starting to grow well this year, the Amicia zygomeris. An odd looking plant but well worth growing. One day this one will flower and then I shall be ridiculously excited.
At the top of the garden the Pinus mugo that I planted out last year has put on some new growth, you can see the fresh new growth at the top. I am very pleased it is thriving in this spot.
From this spot I turn around and look back across the Wild Garden, who had a demi-cut the other week, and is starting to spring back well. I have spent the last couple of days looking at meadows (more of this to come) and I wonder about adding more native plants to this area to see how they would cope.
I stand for a moment in front of the Hyde Hall rose hedge. I trimmed this hedge down by a half with hedgetrimmers last year and look how it has responded. It is smothered with flowers.
The Coal Bunker Border is a froth of geraniums and astrantia. This is good.
The veg garden is currently a weed invested disaster area. It needs clearing and starting again. I cannot explain why it has just not happened this year, but it hasn't.
Whereas the greenhouse is fairly empty, which is a sign of success as it means I have not sown more seeds than I can deal with and that I have planted out most plants that need planting out. The persicaria are spares in case the slugs decimate the ones I have planted out already and soon will also go outside. There are various potted on cuttings and otherwise I have done well. This is rare, I usually over-sow and end up wasting a lot of plants.
The pond is quite full as I did give it a bit of a top up, it is also quite overgrown at the moment. I have started to thin out the plants and I need to get this finished.
Take care and be kind.
