A RAINY WEEK
Gosh it's been a rainy old week. I don't feel I've been able to spend more than a few hours in the garden manically pulling up weeds. But we must have had sunshine at some point since I seem to have a few half decent photos with some rather bright and cheerful blooms to boot.
First up is Helenium Moerheim Beauty. This one has come into flower quite early. I don't know if that is typical of this variety or whether it's due to it's sunny location. Regardless, for first year plants they are doing very well indeed. I bought them from Crocus in late October when they were doing some good discounts. I find Crocus plants quite expensive, but they have always been excellent quality.
They form part of my new Piet Oudolf inspired borders. They are next to a gorgeous blue Eryngium and Achillea Hella Glashoff. I'm looking forward to seeing them fully grown as they make an eye catching combination.
Let the gluts commence! It's courgette time already. So far I've managed to pick them before they got massive.
A slightly random choice next as this is not anything I've planted. I'm assuming it is a cross between the common yellow Verbascum (Verbascum olympicum) which self seeds around the garden and is tolerated by me in certain places and Verbascum chaixii album which I did plant deliberately. It's rather nice I think.
Another poster (and I wish I could remember who but I'm getting old and these things happen) featured Hemerocallis 'Catherine Woodbury'. I moaned that I had yet to spot a flower in this three year old plant, but I was being a bit premature as it has now decided to show what's it's made of. I have lots of orange Hemerocallis and thought this paler one was rather pretty. I'm also drawn to the name Catherine in all it's spellings since it is my name too even though that's not a good reason for choosing a plant.
Since I know you are a generous lot, (and are all busy cramming a few extra ones in yourselves you naughty things) I'm going to put two Clematis in at number 5 on this weeks six.
We have Comtesse de Bouchard and Madame Julia Correvon, which I've had for years. They grow in some rather substantial planters against a North facing wall, and seem very happy there.
I'm going to finish with a Dahlia, as they are just beginning to flower This is one of my favourites - Glory of Heemstede, and not just because of its fab Dutch sounding name. It's a lovely soft yellow and a good waterlily shape.
Thank you for reading this weeks Six and I hope you enjoyed my mixed bag. Don't forget all the Six on Saturday posts can be found on Garden Ruminations where Jim collates all our garden ramblings. See you next week.
I love your clematis as well - I do not have any, but as with nearly everything I like in a garden, it reminds me of my grandmother who was an avid gardener. She favored a clematis with small white flowers that she called "little fairies" or something like that. I secretly longed for the large colourful showy ones.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds lovely for a more natural look, but for pots and in the Rose Garden like you, I do love the showy ones.
DeleteLovely Verbascum, even if it has cross pollinated. And the Clematis are looking grand.
ReplyDeleteI think it turned out rather well. I hope it decides to seed around.
DeleteGosh those clematis look magnificent in the planters. And the Helenium are grand. I only have one plant and it struggles each year to get going as the S&S take great delight in it. I have bought plants from Crocus too (and plant pots when they are discounted, but yes they can be expensive). I find https://www.ballyrobertgardens.com/ and Beth Chatto do a lot of interesting plants at a reasonable price. And the Ballyrobert guarantee them for a year too!
ReplyDeleteThe S&S seem to have been distracted by eating the echinacea next to it. Thanks for the nursery suggestions. I haven't tried either of those suppliers before.
DeleteChoice clematis and the Dahlia is a rather lovely shade of pale lemon.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to find a Dahlia that's a little more subtle as I have plenty of really bright ones.
DeleteThat's a lovely yellow Dahlia and wow to the Helenium - that's the second one I've seen today.
ReplyDeleteNo sign of flowers on my other Heleniums yet.
DeleteAh heleniums, if only they would last more than a year in my garden! They are a lovely warm shade of orange. And isn’t it nice to have fresh courgettes - until it isn’t, after a few more weeks - heehee.
ReplyDeleteIt will soon be time to dig out the Jamie Oliver courgette scones recipe. It uses up quite a lot of them and they can be frozen.
DeleteThat is a beautiful Dahlia indeed. Waterlily types are my favourites. I’ve tried ‘Moorhead Beauty’ but it doesn’t like my heavy winter soil.
ReplyDeletethequiltinggardener
I lift all the Dahlias here as we have heavy clay. I did have a rather ugly yellow pom pom one that insisted on coming back for about four years, but any others that I've left in have failed to reappear.
DeleteI think I was the one with H. Catherine Woodbury, you chose it for the name, I chose it because it because Woodbury is a village near us! Your clematis are amazing and look wonderful in their pots and your dahlia is such a wonderful colour.
ReplyDeleteAt least you have a good memory!
DeleteIt doesn't rain enough here for a courgette glut.... so I water and wait patiently. Always amazed by the very pretty Helenium 'Moerheim Beauty'...!
ReplyDeleteAt least it won't be as bad as the year I had the leaky tap and they were so well watered that they grew huge!
DeleteYour Heleniums are looking terrific. Mine have flowered early too. I have Sahin's Early Flowerer and Moerheim Beauty. MB usually flowers well after Sahin's. Not this year though, they have both flowered at the same time. MB is looking rather droopy though and I'm not sure what's wrong with it.
ReplyDeleteThe two clematis are gorgeous, they look so healthy and are obviously happy in the containers.
Wonderful colours! :) I just love dahlias.
ReplyDeleteI love the pink daylilies! Haven't seen very many of them either, now that I think about it. Might have to look into that. The orange ones, combined with blue agapanthus, always remind me of the mass plantings they do in Southern California at schools and shopping centers, so I think I might have developed an aversion to them without even realizing it. Also, waterlily dahlias are my favorite too! It's full and fluffy but still manages to feel so light.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame when something gets over used in mass plantings. When I visited New York there was Echinacea purpurea everywhere, which was a shame as I usually think they are lovely.
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