July - It's hot!!

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School holidays are upon us here in Scotland and the kids around the village are having a tremendous amount of fun. In most of their young lives they have probably never experienced such sunny hot days. Any activity that involves water is top of the list. The children seem to have some sort of rota in place – a different garden everyday, which ever parent, grandparent or in my case Auntie is willing to supply water in what ever manner suits them is the place to be!
Rather stupidly I suggested to the girls the other day that we take a walk down the river after lunch and do a bit of paddling whilst we were there – I had no sooner turned my back and I had a gang of 8 giggling girls standing on my door step. That’ll teach me, eh!! Still, we had plenty of fun and oddly enough no tears.

It’s not only the kids that have been in need of water – the garden is soaking it up like a dry sponge! This summer and last are complete poles apart! One thing’s for sure – it’s easier to keep the plants well watered than it is to keep the moisture away! In a normal year conditions in my garden could be best described as moist/well drained – verging on the moist and not so well drained in a few areas. Most of the plants growing in the garden could hardly be described as ‘Drought Tolerant’ – those that are have to make do with growing in a container.
As plants were turning their toes in the floods last year – the gaps were promptly filled with moisture loving replacements. They aren’t doing too bad and I suspect that they must have put down roots deep enough to support them this year. Handy to have Primula dotted around the garden – they are quick enough to tell you when the soil is drying out. Hostas aren’t as lush as I would expect them (despite watering) – then again, the heat and dryness is keeping slug damage to a minimum! I’m on top of making sure the Camellias are well watered – they need water in the summer to ensure their buds form for next spring. I am now able to sympathise with all you southerners – a dry parched lawn isn’t the norm! and I don’t like it!

It won’t be long before the late summer blooms take over but I’m going to take a chance and chop back a few perennials that are just about finished and hope that I might get a 2nd flush from them.

The long border, admittedly not long compared to some but it’s the longest in my wee garden. I’m really happy with how this looks at the moment. Mondara, Verbena, Sedum, Daylilies and others will give this a different look in a week or so.

This combo looks really good right now. Alstroemeria, Campanula, Scabious and Erigeron mingle together.

Plenty of colour all around the garden – I don’t grow many roses. All except one (not flowering yet) are climbers

The Wedgewood Rose on the Arbor, Rosa Warm Welcome grows up the shed and Felicite Perpetue rambles over the back fence

Like many of us – Heucheras fill many a space around the garden, the best of the bunch right now

The ‘non bog garden’ is looking good despite it not being a bog this year! A philadelphus survived last years flooding and the Cotinus was replaced by a variegated Cornus.

At the top of the garden, the peonies are now finished – although one has produced a late bud, we shall see if it matures! As well as the Rambling Rose growing over the fence, Sambucus holding firmly to the last of it’s flowers

Geranium Brookside sprawls everywhere – it looks so untidy but am working on providing something for it to scramble through – not sure what yet, any suggestions would be welcome!

Veronicastrum virginicum Apollo adds colour before Clematis Ville de Lyon flowers.

along with a little friend coming to dinner

Helenium Moerheim Beauty is now colouring up – a sure sign that the garden is moving towards late summer

In the curved border which was previously home to the Rhododendrons (now gone to the compost bin in the sky!) I’ve planted an Actinidia kolomikta to grow against the fence – Berberis Thunbergii Rose Glow will give interest for a while longer than the Rhododendron I think! Out of shot a Cotoneaster replaces another Rhododendron. I could not possibly post a picture of this entire border – a strange cat and one of mine had a complete ding dong the other week and completely flattened some of my plants!! I’ve chopped them all back and they are now regrowing.

In the bed near the pond – Astrantia Snow Star is continuing to put on a good show

I had to replace my blue Lupins this year – The choice of lupins in the GCs and Nurseries this year was very poor. I really am disappointed with their performance.

Around the pond – Hostas are budding up, Ajuga is spreading, Sedum cauticola and Rhodhypoxis grows at the sunny edge of this border

Clematis beginning to flower over the trellis – I need to look out labels for an id on this one – it’s possibly The President

As we walk down the side path – the border here is predominantly foliage at this time of the year

Heucheralla Alabama Sunrise and Heuchera Black Beauty edge the path

In this shadier part of the garden Primula Vialii flowers later than those in the sun

Dicentra eximia King of Hearts, partnered with Hart’s Tongue Fern and Hosta Frances Williams – is proving to be a very thirsty plant in this heat – behind this Zantedeschia aethiopica which has survived winter is taking an age to flower this year.

Before we head out to the front garden – Aconitum napellus Stainless Steel, like it’s partners in the long border. is not only abundant with flowers it is laden with bees

Into the front garden, which is a complete mish mash and in mainly home to plants that have no home in the back garden – the bright orange Gladiolii have survived another winter and are multiplying!!! There are 3 lavender seedlings growing (I removed the lavender 5 years ago) 2 of which might produce flowers if this weather continues.

A huge clump of white Leucanthemum is surprisingly still vertical, it’s usually bordering on the horizontal by now.

Campanula persicifolia really should have a spot in the back garden somewhere!

There is a special plant (my opinion) that happily grows and self seeds in my front garden – Tropaeolum speciosum (Species Nasturtium) – one problem being is that it grows through my privet hedge and I have to carefully trim the hedge when it finishes flowering, the other problem is that although it sets seeds readily, I have as yet been unsuccessful in transplanting said seedlings despite numerous attemtps.

One of last year’s seedlings I am attempting to keep separate from the hedge in order that I get a larger plant to move.

A few collages of what’s been in flower this July

Cool blues and purples

Plenty of pinks

Crisp whites and yellows

Thank you for joining me in my garden this July, sorry the blog is so long – I wanted to record everything as I think this year will be ‘an exception’ rather than ‘the norm’

I hope summer is being good to you and your garden!

• 21 Jul, 2013
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