July 09

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The month began with very hot weather, which continued for a couple of weeks before becoming unsettled. This has continued with most days having a shower or longer periods of rain.

With everywhere so wet, even on the dry days, it has been difficult to keep on top of weeding. I tend to do what I can reach from paths so that I don’t have to walk on saturated soil.

This year, for the first time, I have grown sweet peas for cutting from seed. I have grown ‘Cupani’ but I didn’t find this lasted in the vase and the stems are a bit short.

When ‘Gardeners World’ did their sweet pea giveaway I sent for ‘Monty Don’ seeds but was unlucky. A search on the ’net found them at Roger Parsons so I sent off for them. Twelve seeds and every one germinated, so some for me and some for friends. The flowers are a new colour for me, I don’t usually have dark colours (I don’t know why, it hasn’t been a conscious decision). I am really pleased with them; I am looking at other varieties to grow next year.

The wet weather seems to really suit the shrubs in the garden; they have all put on lots of growth. I even have hazelnuts on the contorted hazel which has never happened in the nine years or so since I planted it.

A couple of years ago, I bought a foxglove called ‘Foxy’. Its a very pretty plant with tiny pale flowers. I thought it was a perennial and was disappointed when it didn’t come up the following year. This year I have found a plant flowering. I am really pleased to have it. I’ve done some research and I think it is Digitalis lutea, which is an annual. I am keeping an eye on it and will collect the seed when it’s ripe.

Still haven’t laid that path.

Erigeron speciosus

Malva moschata var. alba, Penstemon ‘Hidcote’, and Geranium ‘Blue Cloud’

Sweet Pea ‘Monty Don’

Hazelnuts

• 5 Aug, 2009
• 6 likes

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