MY LOVELY GARISH GARDEN AT THE END OF JUNE

Love garish, random planting. My way of gardening at the moment. My gardens a bit like me really, must be that gardens and dogs are like their owners. My dogs ever so slightly mad and my cat just does as she pleases. Yes a bit like me.

I love this and think it works beautifully. I have given up on colour coordination as my yellow bed is now yellow and blue and the pink bed has orange and purple in it!

What a beautiful garden! I love the huge hosta and the area where the birdbath is is really cute. Well done on such a lovely garden!

I have really enjoyed a stroll around your garden, I dont think it loks garish at all absoloutly adore the Polemonium Northern Lights such lovely delicate colours and your birdbath with the Campanula looks so pretty and natural. Im pleased your Alstroemaria has returned to you, thanks for sharing your excitingly pretty garden;0))

This is my type of garden a glorious mix of lot's of lovely plant's it look's really nice.

I don't think your garden is garish I think it is beautiful full of character and interesting plants:)

What a delight BA.... garish !!! I am having none of that it is a riot of beautiful colour..... I love all your combos well done you that Alstro is so lovely too.

Your garden is fantastic, BA! an absolute explosion of colour! It's like a floral 'Where's Wally?' but without looking for Wally! If you see what I mean, I've not had any lunch today, think I'm running on empty! Well, anyway, I think it's really pretty, and I'm putting this on my favourites, so I can look at it and smile! :0)

Its delightful Ba, not garish at all, just beautiful,

I had a go at colour go-ordination in a sandstone trough-- all pretty pastels... 'til the rabbits excavated it..... I emptied a couple of packets of seeds over the mess ( with the chilli ) and its a riot now, and you know I think I prefer it!

Beautiful garden, beautiful plants, love them all. I am the same with my garden at the moment :))))

Gorgeous! My kind of garden. And it's only with this sort of garden that you're rewarded with the odd suprise!

Beautiful garden Bornagain, not garish in the least .....

Love your garden and all your colours Ba. I especially like that Polemonium, I wish mine would flower but had it about 5 years and no flowers yet:o( I can't manage colour coordination either so I've given up and just let it all happen!

i LOVE IT dont know which bit i like best ................ its all stuning , i allso gave up on colour cordination lol ,
nature put wot she wonts where she wants it !!! .
gawjuss

Love all the mixtures of plants and colours, I think it looks wonderful.

A beautiful garden to stroll round with so much of interest to see, and I love those quarry tiles with the hosta edging over.

Love it - it's my kinda garden - random planting, every space filled with a plant. Well done.

Thank you so much everyone for all your lovely comments. I'm glad I'm not the only one who enjoys surprises. I have just discovered a patch of, what I thought was nigella, to be fabulous cosmos! I did buy a plant or two last year to fill a gap and they've rewarded me with dozens. I didn't know they self seeded...I'll be buying some seed for this autumn of the lovely tall ones to scatter:-)

Oh Bornagain I'm glad you found the cosmos. I always sow lots and last year was well rewarded, but this year - no. Then I realised that I had been pulling up what I thought were nigella, because there are way too many of them, but in fact it was the lovely cosmos. I can't believe I could be so stupid. Glad you have yours.

lol i allways grow them in greenhouse then plant them to fill the gaps

It looks gorgeous - just like a cottage garden should be, with loads of flowers all tumbling into each other. I love all the different colours together as you have them - they all look so natural. Well done !

I so enjoyed a stroll around your garden today. You've got such terrific colour everywhere. It's lovely!

What beautiful colours Ba, like an artist palette? Those poppies are gorgeous and I like that ammi - that's the one I didn't know the name of? Are the seeds easy to get hold of and does it grow in the shade?

I dont think your garden is garish at all,i think you have done some lovely planting so much to look at and take in,thanks for a really lovely blog,loved your bird bath area so sweet :)

Beautiful, packed full of colourful plants, I'm a fan of the bird bath area too. : o )

Thanks again everyone for the lovely comments. It does give me great pleasure at the moment, even through the window when washing up:-)) I'm glad I'm not the only one who mistook cosmos for nigella Ginelli lol. Sticki, I bought the seeds off Ebay. They were the ones I thought were dead, dried up wood lice and tossed in the air in shock when I saw what was in my hand lol. I don't think they like shade though I'm afraid, be lovely if they did. They will self seed apparently:-)

I shall just have to enjoy yours then Ba ~ thanks for putting it on here.

Its not that Im ignoring you really BA, its just that Ive been busy selling plants to make some money to pay for this lawsuit you hit me with! When I think how much that rose geranium will cost me eventually (its alive and kicking by the bye, still in flower and smells gorgeous), well, never mind I will have to send you a truck of flowers instead to squeeze in your garden...not that it needs it, its truly a joyful sight to behold and particularly love the birdbath being crept upon by the campanula. If you can remember the magic words that make alstroemarias "just appear", do let me know (I can sell them at a fiver a pot which means I can pay you off quicker lol!)

Magic words maybe...new soil...bought tons of the stuff last year for makeover. Could also be ones I thought had died years ago which, having seen the light, decided to have another go. I've just remembered, it's probably your fault that I have spent pots of money on roses..well 3 new ones...but I need more...yes.. I'm addicted. Then Michaella goes and puts THAT rose blog on and I'm helpless...sigh. Don't think I've forgotten the law suit either, just cos you're complimentary about my garden:-)

LOL! I wont make that mistake BA, I know you have the memory of an elephant...at least they can balance on one foot!!!
This is a wicked site for temptation aint it? Just seeing all those gorgeous plants and gardens and you redouble your efforts and triple your investment...so dont blame me for giving into temptation, its a disease known as keeping up with Gardener Jones lol!
I must see who I can inveigle into coming on to this site, dont see why we should be the only sufferers..

Have you seen lulu's latest blog? About a private garden in Gloucestershire?

Yep, that is where the Jones' leave us waaay behind! And I must admit Im glad I dont have 10+ borders!!! Just one more decent one would be good.
Im going back to the blog later, as only did a quick look previously (a neighbour called and I had to leave it). There are some stunning gardens in the Cotswolds arent there Sticki, have you been to Snowshill?

Not recently! Hidcote was good, there are also lavender fields somewhere near there that are well worth seeing.

Yes I enjoyed Hidcote, never went to Kiftsgate Court, but the gardens at Snowshill were really pretty when we went in 2006. Havent been since. I remember lots and lots of rambling roses!

And one of those old wooden gates in a wall?

Oh yes, and the willow fencing..

I haven't been there:-( Going to look at Lulu's blog:-)

It's amazing Ba

Your garden looks lovely Ba, I want that Polemonium!

It is a bit special Annella, I've bought lots of nice plants off Ebay. It looked ok last year when I put it in, but this year it really is lovely. It's been a bit battered by hail and rain storms the last few days, but stood up well:-)

I will check out Ebay, thanks Ba

I love the unpredictability of your borders, BA....there is a surprise wherever you look :) I'd like to achieve that look one day too...have favourited this blog so I can look back and see your various plants.

The hosta is sure looking healthy....I don't know if it's the wrong time of the year but I've been to about 3 garden centres nearby and there just doesn't seem to be any selection of hostas and ferns....quite boring. I've had a look on eBay for plants but can't seem to locate many sellers....can you recommend any eBay sellers (even via a PM)? Sure would like some good leads :)

Thanks for sharing your lovely garden too, BA.

Thanks Wl, it's easy to achieve my look...just make lots of mistakes lol:-) Quite a lot of small nurseries etc sell on ebay, I know at least one Goyer who does too. I've pm'd you Wl with what may appear gobbledegook, but seemed to me like helpful advice. I'm not very good at explaining things so feel free to clarify anything I've said:-)

Garden centres round here have quite a few ferns and hostas, are there no specialists near you? I shall look in my gardeners world live guide to see if there is anything special?

Thanks BA & Sticki....I couldn't locate the seller you recommended in your PM to me, BA...maybe I am doing my eBay search incorrectly?

Sticki...if you see any specialist garden centres in my neck of the woods I'd be grateful for info. Ta muchly :)

Ba are you watching 'love your garden' it's from Wolverhampton - it's amazing.

I'll have to watch it on catch up. Watched Monty Don, innocently thinking they didn't overlap. Didn't notice the time. I'm sure it's AT, them Gardeners World normally, must have got mixed up:-(

Whistonlass, if you just type say..hostas online into Google search engine you'll find lots of hostas for sale too:-)

Yes thanks, BA....I did that tonight and found Bowden Hostas. They have a large selection of ferns too and will be exhibiting at Tatton and Southport...maybe I can get to one of the shows and see them "in the flesh"....

Thanks for the info :)

Hubby has taped Gardener's World and Love Your Garden for me....so that'll be my weekend viewing sorted :)

Found two leaflets of specialist nurseries, plantagogo is in Crewe - mainly heucheras; also harts in oakhanger who are lily specialists.

I bought most of my hostas and a few other perennials from Plantagogo. Very good service and, of course, Vicky is a GOY member too. Have you seen her blogs Wl? If not, I suggest you do:-) I've never had trouble with buying plants on line except with the BIG companies, and I've vowed never to order from them again. Very tempted when their catalogues arrive though. :-)

Sticki, i caught up with Alan T on the channel I hour after, can't think of its name. Wasn't it wonderful!! I do wish though that the plants used, and methods, were gone into in more detail. Maybe having the owners describe the processes etc as they went around with AT. It was such a romantic garden:-)

I think it's called love your garden and yes I did love it, lots of greenery and very varied. I can't quite understand why they seem to rush? Alan T doesn't really need to do anything to these gardens - it's my garden that needs a bit more help!

I didn't realise that plantagogo had a representative on here, I shall look her up, it was a good stand.

Vicki has been recommended to me previously and they have a very good website which I've just been browsing. I would like to get to the Tatton Flower Show later this month where I could purchase plants directly....will see if I can get there :)

Thanks for your suggestions.

I'll drop Alan a line Sticki, you never know:-) Wl, if you type Vicky1 into our search box, you can see her blogs etc..very informative:-)

I will expect a visit then, I know you have all the right connections! I will make a cake, and I'll let you know the date!

Ooooh will it be coffee cake? any walnuts in there too?:-)

Can I come too? Wouldnt miss AT for anything, or your garden Sticki...bet its a lot better than you lead us to believe

Well it would take you all of five minutes to look round it so I better do two cakes to make the visit worth while! You bring Alan and I will do the cake - yes you too Tet!

Tet, can I leave you to arrange that? You're very good at that sort of thing:-)

BA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You wicked girl lol! I just might do that if Sticki agrees.

You could both ask Alan - might have a better chance that way??

Just thought Sticki, do you like Arum lilies..they will grow in the shade and they are white.

I love them. Bought a calla yesterday - bit similar??

Squished two lily beetles today.

Have you changed your image again Tet?

Its been all of a month, and I decided to show off my latest pride and joy..Geranium Lambertii Swansdown!

Was the Calla a coloure done? They are not as hardy as the white. The white will live in water and on ordinary soil that stays (or given lots water) damp.
You are braver than me..not good at squishing anything other than aphids. Dont forget the black sludgy stuff under the petals, thats their babies!

I got fed up with my white calla. It looked fantastic years ago when I first bought it, full of flower. Put it in my little bog garden and nada, just leaves. Found out last year that they need their roots restrained. I now have one in a pot, paddling on the pond shelf. I have, however, found it impossible to remove it completely from bog garden and have two leaves proudly raising their heads grrrrr. I can now stamp, in a panicky way, on lily beetles and feel no guilt. They fall off plants very easily don't they? Wonder if this is part of their defence, or if they are just rubbish at balancing? :-)

Oooh, I'd love to achieve "the look" BA. What a gorgeous garden. Where did you start? Have you just planted as randomly as it looks? (I mean this in the nicest possible way).

It's a White one Tet, but it was with all the others, the yellow was lovely but it only had one bud, would never go for pink and the dark nearly black ones are stunning but wouldn't show up in my garden. Do I need to keep it in the pot? and do I need to take it in for the winter?

I have to have my gardening gloves on to squish the beetles, I'm so cross that they spoil my lilies, didn't get them before this year.

Ive grown them in the garden and in pots and they have done well for me in both..but as BA says..a bit trial and error..sometimes a plant will sulk in one spot..move it a couple of feet and it goes mad! The white ones have always been hardy for me..and my friend has some currently in a pot..they went all sludgy last winter, but have recovered but not yet bloomed. She has a sheltered garden..

Ok, thank you, I take it they like the damp??

Hi Pee, I'm afraid the way to get 'the look' is
1. to forget how big certain plants grow
2. get sudden 'crushes' on a group of plants
3. forget what the plants are I've grown from seed.
4. let pretty wild flowers grow
5. try unsuccessfilly to behead before they seed
6. Get in 'Makeover Trev'
I've also become more ruthless with plants I'm not keen on, took a broom out this summer, only planted last year. Before the makeover my garden had become overgrown, and celandine had taken over my borders. As for the lawn, even the dogs refused to go on it in winter.

Tet, I've only got leaves on the one in the pond, should it be in flower?

Yes Ba, ours flowered well in the pond..trouble was roots got so big one of our ghost koi got trapped in them and died. No more pond now and no more fishes!

Well I'm trying it!! I bought 2 boxes of cottage garden mix seeds which I've just thrown around the garden amongst azaleas, buddlea, hostas, hollyhocks, geraniums etc. etc. Now just got to wait to find out if it was a good move or a mistake. ;-)

What can go wrong Pee? If nothing else, you've fed the birds;-)

Your garden in June was such a wonderful riot of colour, just the way that nature intended, Ba..I just love the sound of 'Irish Eyes', must look out for that one...Beautiful, natural, infact, much like you my friend! tee hee hee \0/x

Aw shucks Flori, but what do you mean by the tee hee hee??...Irish eyes still has some flowers, it really does put on a show:-)

Will definitely have to keep an eye open for that Rose, Ba.. It sounds like a great one to have in the garden..As to my 'tee hee hee..'..it is a laughing gentle hug for one of my favourite Goyers...\0/x