Summer colours

At last we’ve had some warmth; good weather, mostly, in late July and early August, with sunny and warm days and only a little rain now and then.  It has benefitted the garden, and the gardener has been able to get out and do some work combatting the weeds!

New bed a couple of weeks ago, with daisies in flower

The garden has more flowers in it this year, thanks partly to the new bed by the patio which is doing well, although the planting will need some editing in the medium term.  In particular the leucanthemum (white daisies) and anthemis (pale yellow daisies), both flowering well, are too similar and too close together.  But overall I’m pleased with it, and it’s been good to see old friends such as Dianthus ‘Mrs Sinkins’, the penstemons and the blue veronica back in the ground and thriving.  The Verbena bonariensis has also done well; it’s a beefier plant than I realised, and none the worse for that.  I need to expand that bed outwards into the lawn, and some of the plants can be moved there in the winter if I get round to clearing space for them.

Self-sown poppies in the new bed

The patio pots, mostly dahlias, are doing well; there are two ‘Sam Hopkins’ pots, one ‘David Howard’ and one ‘Bishop of Canterbury’.  The other, smaller, dahlias haven’t found homes yet; I’ll try to make room for them somewhere so that they can build up their tubers for the winter.

Dahlia 'Sam Hopkins'

Dahlia 'Bishop of Canterbury'

They’re over and gone for this year, but I was pleased with the pots of Allium nigrum, the black allium; I’ve no idea why it’s so called as there’s absolutely nothing black about them.  They were pretty and prolific, and I may plant out some corms in the ground for next year.

Allium nigrum

The orchids are also over, but not yet cut down so that they can set seed.  The one common spotted orchid flowered this year, all the rest being pyramidal orchids.

Pyramidal orchid

Common spotted orchid

The pot containing the ‘Exotic Emperor’ tulips was seeded with the remains of various packets of annual seeds.  What has flowered is mostly cornflowers and blue echium, with a nasturtium or two at the base; it’s a colourful display and worth trying again another year.

Pot of annuals

The oregano and buddleja are in flower, but there have been few butterflies this year – a couple of common/holly blues earlier in the summer, some brimstones, a couple of peacocks and a red admiral, otherwise the usual gatekeepers and meadow browns.  And some weeks ago I found a magpie moth resting near the fig tree.  Otherwise I fear it’s going to be a bad year for butterflies.

Magpie moth

Peacock butterfly on the buddleja

Gatekeeper on the oregano

And a male brimstone on the raspberries