Early July in a village garden is a bright and colourful time. Fortunately the garden is now more or less looking after itself because I have ongoing back problems and need to be careful. At least I don’t have to water because there has been a lot of rain, encouraging everything to ever greater heights. Walking towards the house, or looking out of the front door, is like being in a giant flower bed! And as you can see the garden is densely planted and so there is very little space in which to do anything new!
1.Japanese Anemones are starting to flower although it is only early July! Looking back to last year I see they were flowering about the same time last year. They are standing very tall and upright in the back garden and have spread all over the front garden as well. I am in danger of being taken over and I can see that there will have to be drastic thinning in the autumn or early spring.
2.Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ is bright and beautiful. I just wish it would spread more plentifully, like the anemones.
3.The Peacock butterflies are absolutely gorgeous – ok, so I haven’t grown them, but they are in the garden! And when the sun shines there are everywhere, but particularly enjoy the lavender. (Note to self: plant more lavender in the autumn.)
4.The Fruit is swelling nicely: quinces, plums, pears and far too many crab apples. I am beginning to wish I hadn’t planted a crab apple tree, but perhaps a proper apple tree
5.Annabelle is falling over in the back garden, but in a beautiful kind of way. She really is a hopeless plant! But, yes, I would plant her again, with supports, and I would also like to try ‘Limelight’. And one or two other varieties – sadly there is no space left here for anything new.
6.My small pleasures this week are in white and yellow: Achillea, Curry plant, aster and butterflies.
And that is early July in a village garden, and Six on Saturday as well. The chiropractor hasn’t quite finished with me so it is just as well that the plants are independent, and I also face a long haul of recuperation with the physio. I hope everyone else is enjoying the sights of July and I look forward to following you via The Propagator.
The peacock butterfly is amazing! I have plenty of the whites, but very few colorful ones visit. I plant specifically for butterflies, and they fly right past me! I have lots of other pollinators though, so it still worth it.
Yes, the Peacocks were pretty yesterday. At the moment the lavender, Nepeta, Salvia and Knautia are absolutely crammed with bees and butterflies. The Peacocks seems to like a dark blue lavender in particular, but were in the garden in general as well. And of course it was a warmish day and I think one or two were drying out!
Your garden is looking lovely. Your front garden seems very harmonius – that blend of lime green (alchemilla mollis I think?) with the soft blue and purple flower tones works really well! I also have a lot of butterflies on my lavender – we have a large hedge of it in our front garden – but I haven’t got the patience to photograph them as nicely as you have done!
Yes, Alchemilla Mollis with lavender and salvia and Nepeta has worked very well. A little earlier there were plenty of geraniums too – blue Mayflower, Johnson’s Blue (now in a second flush), and white ‘Spessart’. I will soon be turning towards warmer colours!
Love all the butterfly pictures! And nice to see Japanese anemones too.
Thank you! Yes, the small beasties are out in force with the very welcome sunshine!
My Japanese anemones are forming flower buds too, I also thought it was early. And despite lots of butterfly friendly plants I am not seeing many this year other than whites fluttering by. Hope you get your back sorted, I had painful sciatica this time last year which went on for months. A chiropractor sorted me out, but I do have to be careful in the garden.
I have quite a lot of whites, big and small, and meadow browns; the peacocks are quite new. Sciatica is not at all fun; I go to the chiropractor once a year, and the physio in-between, with Pilates along the way. Sadly I hurt myself at a Pilates class about 18 months ago and it has been a struggle since then, but I hope I am on the way to something more robust!
I had a visit from a Red Admiral today, it perched right next to me obviously in the knowledge that my phone/camera was inside!
At least you enjoyed the experience!
feeling chuffed with myself this year Candy, I remembered to put some support in for my annabelle! as you say, it is a disgraceful flopper if allowed.
I have some supports in but clearly not enough. In Greenwich Park there is a large bed of Annabelle, growing strongly, and somehow they manage to stand up straight! Grrr!