We are going through a bit of a floral lull in the back garden at the end of June. I have just cut back most of the geraniums which had finished flowering so the Big Border isn’t looking as voluptuous along the grass path as earlier in the month. The focus of the Big Border is meant to be late summer and I am hoping that in about a month the border will be full of Asters although it will be its first season so it will be interesting to see what happens. The border to the right of the path is the far side of the old Bog Garden and is in need of an identity. There are phlox and Lobelia tupa about to flower and I think this is an area I might work on next year by which time inspiration may have struck.
The bottom path runs along the bottom of the Big Border and on the other side is the Cottage Border which is really too narrow and proving troublesome. The delphiniums are just going over and I think they will be cut back hard next weekend. Next year I need to be more ruthless and remove the skinny side blooms so the main flowers are even better. The trouble with this border is its depth. I had under estimated how big and floppy the Artemis ‘Sauce Hollandise’ was and although I like pushing amongst the flowers it had become impossible so is pushed back now by supports which isn’t showing the plants to their best. I have a few ideas of where they can be moved to so they can look wonderful next year and I am thinking of replacing them with Astrantia which need a new home. It is clear that the Echinacea planted last year haven’t returned, just as I suspected. I think slugs are to blame. Instead I have some pots of Gladiolus which I will put in amongst the cut back delphiniums which should continue the show.
The succulent trough in the front garden is filling out and despite my dodgy cement repairs I think it is looking quite good and adding some real interest to the border.
The popular staging area is now playing host to pelargoniums and succulents and looking very jolly. I could swap the pelargoniums around and move the Red Vogue ones elsewhere and add more scented pelargoniums with pink flowers but I quite like the vibrancy of the red and pink!
The patio border is very full and about to come into its second season of interest. Its first season is early Spring with snowdrops and other bulbs. Now it is mainly foliage with a
An added view – from the top of the bottom steps looking towards my son’s workshop. I really like the gravel steps as they were built in two stages by my father and then my eldest and they just work so well. It this time of year the sun makes a wonderful effect through the tree and Stipa gigantea to the left.
Finally I will leave you with a view of the new seating area which is adjacent to the workshop. It is a little busy at the moment as I have trays of
perennial seedlings hiding away here in the shade. The tin bath in the foreground is probably going to be used as a small pond which will take the rain water collected by the shed guttering. We are trying it out at the moment to decide if we think it is a good idea.
So this is my garden at mid-year. Please feel free to join in with this meme. You can use it however you like all I ask is that you link to this post from yours and add a link to your post in the comments box so we can all come and have a nose around your space.
