Saint Swithen's Day rains....

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They say if it rains on the 15th July it’ll rain for 40 days and nights – I do hope not! The rain we have had for the last 3 days has been torrential with a bit of thunder and lightening thrown in for good measure! It dried up sporadically this afternoon and I took the chance to do some tree and shrub pruning – mostly of the maple that overhangs my shaded border but some other areas too!

I also managed to clear some space in that border – (I’ve ordered some plants… Brunnera variegated – different from the "Jack Frost that’s in there already)

My aunt had also given me a poppy from her garden at the weekend (You can just see a seed head pushing through – I’m hoping I can collect the seeds for insurance purposes…) and I needed to get it in P.D.Q. before it died on me, I didn’t want to have to tell her it died because it hadn’t been planted!!! Not sure what colour it is but I’ve popped it in opposite my Himalayan “Blues” – my idea is that if they like that spot then the new one might too.

The little purple leaved Acer needed a bit more space and light in there as well, so hopefully my clearance around it will inspire new growth – time will tell!

I also managed to cut back some of the “Aquillegia” which is self seeding in the middle border – I had noticed a purple showing through the seedheads, which I usually leave till autumn or even spring. The purple turned out to be a “Monarda” that I had split last year and then I forgot where I had put it….

The next picture shows (just!) the Monarda that I had split and moved last year, it’s in amongst white flowering perennials that I might split and move to the back of my new border next spring – I think they’ll give depth to that border if I place them “middle towards back”, and will reflect the deep blue of the Monkshood and Delphiniums I planted this year. Of course that depends on me remembering where they are in the spring!

I also took some cuttings from my Elder “trees” which are in tubs – one is a Golden Sutherland and the other a Black leaved variety, that my neighbour has her eye on, if they “take” I’ll give her one for her own garden!

“Sambucus Nigra”

Sambucus “Golden Sutherland”

I took down some of the – now – windswept Philadelphus that has taken over behind the greenhouse, and decided to pot up some of my prunings as I stuck some in the side border last year and they took pretty quickly.

If these ones take I’ll give one back to my aunt in return for her poppies and perhaps take one up to my mum’s garden to replace one of the shrubs she lost over our last winter! I might also put one in my gravel garden near the gate as the perfume they send out in the evening is lovely…

• 16 Jul, 2010
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