A WEEK IN MY GARDEN - 20 JUNE

Blimey! It's hot.  The garden is coping, but I'm not.  After a little light dead heading I have retreated to a cool shady room where I am listening to the bird song and the wind rustling in the trees.

Here is a cooling scene for you to start this week's post.  The Aruncus dioicus is flowering in the Long Border with some sisyrinchium in front.  The Aruncus is specified on Gertrude Jekyll's plans for her long border at Munstead Wood but the sisyrinchium is my own substitution.  It's a plant that likes free draining sandy soil (allegedly) but it self seeds very well on my Nottinghamshire clay.

It has to be admitted that everything seems to be flowering in a mad rush this year.  Even the lavender is in flower already.  Spot the bumble bee.

Lavender 'Munstead Wood'

More cool greenery is clustered in front of this North facing wall, where the blue leaved hosta mixes with the 'Frizelliae' fern and others that have self seeded in the garden.

Lavender 'Hidcote'

I'm dotting all over the place this week because the next photo is from an hotel called the Angel which we stayed at in Abergavenny last weekend.  This amazing plant display stopped me in my tracks. It was beautifying the entrance to the hotel from the car park (not usually an area of beauty) and of course I'm now wondering how I could create the same effect, whilst ignoring the effort that would be involved.  There's a lovely range of plants here from Agapanthus and Hostas to nasturtiums, herbs and geraniums on the table with standard bay trees behind.  Morning glory was growing up those wigwams.  Just beautiful.

While I've been rabbiting on about roses for the last two weeks the peonies have been flowering.  They're not around for long though so I have learnt to pick some for the house as that way I do get to see a bit more of them before they disappear for another year.

 
The 'Piet Oudolf' borders are also flowering like its August already.  Despite the name, these borders weren't designed by Piet himself (as if I needed to tell you that) but feature some of the most excellent plants that he uses in his garden designs.

Knautia macedonica

Mounds of catmint

Sedum Matrona

Those of you who follow me on instagram (there's more than one!) will already have seen yesterday's breakfast of berries.  The large dark berries are Tayberries from a plant generously give to me by a friend.  

Despite the dry weather, the berries are plump and juicy.

It does like a lot of space though, one plant is filling the entirety of this fence.

We have nearly come to the end of our garden ramble for this week.  I hope you have enjoyed this miscellany.  I've tried to highlight some other areas of the garden, but nevertheless we shall end our walk in the Rose Garden where the scent is sweet and the oak tree offers some welcome shade.

That trip to Wales I mentioned above?  We made the return journey via Wolverhampton and just happened to stray into David Austin roses.  Only three roses were purchased so there is no need to stage an intervention at all (just so you know).  I'll fill you in on which ones another time.

Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again soon.