As are the long awaited and beleaguered delphiniums:
The hollyhocks and lupins we sowed last year never made it through. The Canterbury Bells have been well worth the wait, though, and have put on a stunning show - despite the weather doing everything it could to batter them down:
Campanula medium
After a slow start the boxes and tubs are well away now:
Regal pelargonium and cuttings from last year's Zonal pelargoniums.
One of pride and joys - Lilium regale at the start of the month:
Jasmine through the pear tree:
Lilium regale again, this time halfway through the month. It was just starting to flower by the very end of it, so we will be kicking off the July post with it in full splendour:
More cuttings and the new fuchsias - Winston Churchill, Eva Boerg and Paula Jane. I still didn't manage to get the specialist fuchsia nursery in Essex this year but managed to pick up these cheaply from a stall in Chiswick:
Honeysuckle which I think is Lonicera Halliana:
It's going to be a bumper crop for the pear this year methinks!
We will hardly be self-sufficient in fruit and veg but it's a bit of fun to grow some.
This years tomato is Gardeners' Delight. We lost the first truss to the cold weather in the spring but have two healthy ones now. We also have branched out into growing soft fruit; well one strawberry plant. It is an old variety called Cambridge Favourite:
Last month we were hit by a plague of aphids. This month saw the arrival of a mass of Ladybird larvae. They were everywhere - loads of them, and now there is not a single aphid left! It has been truly amazing and fascinating to watch:
They have done their job and are now starting to turn into proper ladybirds.
The forecast for July is no better than June, but there is a lot to look forward to and the Lilies will brighten up even a dull day...
ttfn
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It is truly a miracle that so much has managed to flower/stay upright for more than a day, given the horrendous weather.
ReplyDeleteBut any time the sun comes out, our efforts are rewarded, dear - beautiful! Jx