I Love My Patio

I love my patio, it runs down the side of the house and is south facing.  It is a wonderful sun trap (when the sun shines) which makes for al fresco breakfasts and lunches giving over to a shady area to sit in late afternoon and evenings.   It is packed full of shrubs and pots which provide a tranquil and relaxing spot to sit. At the far end of the patio on the left, is a Pieris ‘Forest Flame’ in a very large pot.  When I first had it I moved it into several positions as it was not settling and finally a few years ago I moved it here and it is happily at home. The Compassion Rose is brimming full of buds which will give the most wonderful, sweet aroma when in full bloom.  Adding to the evening perfume is the Philadelphus which is just about to burst into flower also. On the house side, is a monster of a Fatsia Japonica which I chop down regularly to keep it to a manageable size.   The plants under the window are white Japanese Anemones that grow to about 5 foot by the end of August taking into account the height of the flowers which stay looking good through to October. The Jasmine is another plant that needs to be kept in check, although I realize I wasn’t too careful with the pruning last year because only half the shrub appears to have flowers.   However, it doesn’t take too many Jasmine flowers to create a heady perfume, which fills the air in the warmth of the sun and drifts into my bedroom in the evenings.

Colour is coming to the patio thanks to the Fuchsia (Mrs Popple) which seems to flower almost all year round.  Being tucked up against the house wall is clearly keeping it warm.

A few years ago, for a laugh, I bought a very white gargoyle and christened him Gary.   He has mellowed over the years and continues to cast a grumpy eye at my once in a while – probably because he is sitting in the middle of Mind-Your-Own-Business, or Baby’s Tears.   I tried for years to eradicate this invasive creeping ground cover but have given up and now accept it as part of the garden, keeping it in check as much as possible.   Behind Gary you can see the Montbretia (Crocosmia), which adds an extremely colourful, tropical look when the bright orange flowers are out.   I have some Dahlias growing in a trough this year which will add even more color.

Outside the kitchen door is a slim line water butt, and I disguise it with a Passion Flower (also in a pot).  I prune it right back and it never fails to produce intense blue flowers.  Tall plant behind is the Olive that was bought for me by my daughters about 10 years ago  (another very large pot). Last year the white Agapanthus didn’t flower, which was disappointing because it has always been so beautiful.  I have fed it and hope that it does something this year.  It could be that it is pot bound and needs to be split, which is an autumn job.   There is also a Gerbera which I bought about 5 years ago from the Hampton Court show, it is a very bright red and clashes in a brilliant way with the orange dahlia in the pot next to it.    The pale green leaves are a slightly struggling runner bean plant, but I notice this morning some new leaves so it has not given up the ghost.  In case you are thinking this is all well and good but patios are also for sitting and where do I sit?  Well at the other end of the patio, is a garden bench and a couple of chairs, which at the moment are tucked under the Honeysuckle.  This area continues to be in the sun until about 4:30pm at the moment.  What’s in the hanging basket?    Tumbling Tom Tomatoes.   It is just next to the kitchen door so I don’t have to go far! It has just starting to rain as I took these photos, I need some sunshine and I can sit outside and enjoy my patio.   By July the whole area will be pinks, reds and oranges, with a splash of white (hopefully from the Agapanthus) and blue from the Passion Flower, providing a mediterranean ambiance.   That will be a whole new blog post.

What is on your patio?   Please share it and leave a link in the comments box.

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