Summer Go-Slow

Published on by Catherine

The garden’s growth has been a bit sluggish lately. The recent weather has been cold and lacking sunlight, which is quite different from what I captured in my photos at this time last year. Back then, many plants, including the roses, were in full bloom. At that time, everyone here was basking (melting!) in the heat. This year has been different and I’ve been impatient for the garden to burst into glorious colour.

But I have to ask myself – why am I in such a hurry? The roses have plenty of buds, and perennials and annuals will flower soon. When they do, temperatures will have risen enough to be able to sit out and simply enjoy the garden, its colour, its perfume and the warmth of summer. Perhaps the plants are wiser than me. They’re patiently waiting for the right moment.

My apologies for missing all your blogs last week, I’ve been a bit under the weather for a couple of weeks, but on the mend and back working (gently) in the garden. My other half is the real workhorse in our garden now, and I’m mostly the one who points and says, ‘Dig this out’ or ‘plant this here’. It’s a pity he doesn’t love the garden, but I’m working on that! 😉

However, I’ve been around the garden with the camera and found plenty of prettiness to capture for this week’s Six on Saturday.

Rosa ‘Francois Juranville’ is a rambler that comes with a caution: ‘Exceptionally tall’. I think I missed that piece of important information when I bought it, or perhaps I misread the height detail, 7.5m and thought it was 7.5 ft. But no regrets. It was bought originally to grow through a tree that I didn’t like; it did that, but unfortunately, all the blooms went to the back of the tree and only the cows in the field could see them.

This spring we rescued the rose from the tree, or perhaps it was the other way about and the tree was happy to be relieved of the rose, but it did involve a lot of cutting and pruning, and not at the ideal time for a rambler. It’s recovered now and rambling across the 6 ft high fence – and thankfully producing flowers. I adore its lovely soft petals and I can at last enjoy its lovely fruity fragrance.

  • Rosa ‘Francois Juranville’
  • Fading, but those soft petals are still beautiful

Peony, nameless. I photographed this peony on the same date last year. At that time the peony was starting to fade, and the Astrantias behind it were in full bloom. Like everything else in the garden, it’s late in flowering. But it’s here now and making a big splash of colour.

  • Peony, with Astrantias & Allium sphaerocephalon in background
  • Peony close up

Philadelphus ‘Snowbelle’ (mock orange) is deliciously fragrant. The cold winds this June have masked the scent, but I still have the memory of its lovely citrus perfume from last year. Snowbelle is the perfect size for my borders, growing to a height and spread of 1.5m and most importantly, has gorgeous double white flowers.

  • Philadelphus ‘Snowbelle’
  • Very fragrant flowers
  • Snowbelle willl grow to 1.5m

Clematis ‘Luiza’. From the Raymond Evison ‘Tudor Patio’ range, ‘Luiza’ is a very compact variety, growing to around 45 cm (18″). Two plants are trailing over either side of the large planter on my patio and both have been flowering for a few weeks. It’s a great choice for a small area or a container.

  • Clematis ‘Luiza’
  • Large flowers on a short plant

Rosa ‘Valentine Heart’ isn’t showing off her distinctive frilled petals in this photo, but as she’s the first flower to bloom on the plant this year, she gets the honour of being posted here. 😀 ‘Valentine Heart’ is a floribunda rose and flowers abundantly in large clusters throughout the summer season and well into autumn. She’s a favourite.

Rosa ‘Valentine Heart’

Geranium psilostemon and Salvia Caradonna. Both these perennials have been in the garden for a fair number of years and previously they were growing separately. But the geranium is a vigorous variety and now invading the personal space of the salvia. I like the effect, but the geranium will have to be tamed a little in autumn.

The first shot was taken directly in front of the border. The following day I was working at the back of the border, at a slightly higher level and noticed the geranium outlined against an area that is landscaped with decorative pebbles. I liked the delicate appearance of the plants against the light background. In the second shot, the salvia is more pronounced and the fragile appearance of the stems and leaves of the geranium creates an almost painterly effect.

  • Photo taken in front of the plants
  • Photo taken from behind the plants

Six on Saturday is a meme hosted by the very knowledgeable gardener Jim of Garden Ruminations. On Jim’s blog, you will find many others from far and near, posting about their gardens this weekend. If you want to join in, and everyone is welcome, there are full details on his blog.

That’s it from me; I’ll sign off for the moment and go to see what is blooming in your gardens! Have a lovely weekend!

Catherine 😊

23 thoughts on “Summer Go-Slow”

    1. We have more sunshine on the way, lighter winds and higher temperatures ahead, Rosie and the garden is finally starting to respond. I can see more buds today that are almost ready to open. I’m happy! 😁

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  2. Wonderful photos. Taming a plant is a good expression – the Geranium does look splendid mingling with the Salvia though. I have a similar looking Philadelphus – Manteau D’ Hermine. The fragrance is lovely, but as you say, it’s not been as strong with all the cold weather. I hope you’re fully recovered soon and your other half ends up appreciating the garden as much as you do soon – maybe when all the flower buds finally burst open.

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    1. P. Manteau D’ Hermine was one I ordered a couple of years ago, but didn’t receive from the supplier. It’s another lovely philadelphus. MY OH is getting a lot of good exercise and secretly, I think he enjoys being outdoors! 😁

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  4. That peony is stunning. We have a white one but it’s a very early flowering one. Sorry to hear you’ve been poorly but glad you’re starting to feel better. We had dinner alfresco last night in our garden. Hopefully the weather is going to be better from now on. Having said that, I dislike too much heat due to my fair skin.

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    1. Oh, dinner in the garden would be lovely, Laura! I think the temperature will have to be a good few degrees higher before that happens here. Having said that, my son & his family are having BBQ tomorrow evening – I’ll have to look out a few extra layers before I go! 😁

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  5. Your first rambling rose, ‘Francois Juranville,’ has a wonderful unique structure, doesn’t it? Is it fragrant? The geranium and salvia seem perfect together – great photos!

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  6. Seems like a few people have been under the weather recently, glad you are feeling a bit better. Your photos as beautiful as ever and I love the colours this week. A patio clematis sounds interesting. I might have to look into those. My clematis are rubbish this year. But maybe some will surprise me later on in the summer.

    BTW your blog still insists in me logging in to comment, even though I am always logged in!

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    1. Thank you, Jude, I’m just about fine now. The miniature Clematis, Luiza is no longer on the Raymond Evison site, they seem to change their selection fairly regularly. I had a look a couple of days ago and liked ‘Bijou’. Tempting… 😁 I only have one clematis in bloom so far, but I think (hope) the others are just late.

      I have the same problem when I want to post on Jim’s blog, yours, and a couple of others, yet Graeme’s site and Fred’s and Rosie’s I have no problems with. Someone else commented a couple of weeks ago, saying she was having problems “leaving comments on WP blogs” even though being signed in.

      I get round it by entering something in the comments box, refreshing the page and that logs me in. It’s weird. I wish I had an answer.

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  7. Take it gently and enjoy your lovely garden, I too have had to be a little hands off recently. I love your Philadelphus ‘Snowbelle’ and will be looking in the rose Valentine Heart as it is such a lovely colour, and if you give a plant top marks it that is a good recommendation, and the same goes for the small clematis

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    1. It’s sometimes good to be able to step away from the harder work in a garden and let someone else take the reins for a while. Rosa ‘Valentine Heart’ is the second I’ve put in the garden. The first had to be dug up to allow some landscaping work to be done. My daughter-in-law took it and it’s thriving in her garden. I bought another from David Austin roses as soon as the work was finished and now it’s thriving in mine! 😊

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  8. Sorry to hear you’ve not been feeling well, I hope you’ll be back to full fitness soon.

    The roses are beautiful this week but the photo that’s really caught my eye is the geranium and salvia against the lighter background – what a stunner!

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    1. Thanks, Helen. I think it’s one of the photos that doesn’t quite look like a real garden photo! But I spotted it, thought it was unusual and had to try to capture the moment. 😁

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  9. Your photos are as lovely as ever Catherine. And your garden is looking wonderful despite the cold wind and rain recently. Hope you feel much better soon. And perhaps your husband will grow to love gardening as he is a actively playing a role in caring for it now! My peonies and Philadelphus have been over for a couple of weeks now, finished off by the rain mostly. But at least it is now warm and today is windstill…. wonderful. Have a lovely Sunday!

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    1. ‘Windstill’ is a nice expression and one I’ve not come across until now. I must remember that. And thank you, I’m ok now. I had planned to escape to the garden today as we have a new boiler being fitted and the water and gas is off. But true to form, it’s raining. The plants did need to be watered though, so that’s one job ticked off. 😁

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  10. Sorry to read that you have been under the weather Catherine. Your post rang bells with me as more often than not I’m ‘Director of Proceedings’ these days and himself is the workhorse, except when it comes to weeding and dead-heading 😂 He’s not especially keen on gardening but occasionally surprises me with his observations and knowledge. He has also become almost proprietorial about anything he has planted. You might yet convert your other half 🤞 Hopefully the weather has warmed up with you now. Your rambling rose is such a soft shade of pink – what a beauty!

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    1. I love that expression ‘Director of Proceedings’. 😂 I think you have hit the nail on the head as I’ve noticed my other half observing and commenting exclusively on the plants that he had put in. Our temperatures have gone up a few degrees and it’s more comfortable outdoors now, but we don’t have a heat alert the same as England has this week. I think I’m happy about that. 🥵

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