Garden Post - Late July 2011

[endlessrarities]

With everyone reeling in the aftermath the Oslo atrocities, it's impossible to act like it's business as usual, so I'm going to postpone 'Castle of the Month' until tomorrow, and take refuge in a garden post.

I did something reckless this afternoon.  I followed Monty Don's advice and decimated my sweet peas, removing all the flowerheads so the next round of buds can come through.  I know you're supposed to remove the flowers regularly, but I like having them in the garden, so I don't usually deadhead in such a draconian fashion, removing just the seed pods instead. 

The flowers are now in a cut glass vase on the mantlepiece, which is a bit big and clunky to take them, but it looks nice nonetheless.  The living room smells of sweet pea, and my nose is running.   Yep, I think I'm allergic to the things!!

I took this photo of the rambling sweet pea plants before the cull took place, because I wanted to share this particular bicolour with you.  It's one of my favourites of this year's batch.

And on the subject of bicolours, Rosa Mundi is now in full cry.  I believe this rose goes back to the 16th century - as roses go, it's a bit of a pain, as it only flowers once, but it's so beautiful that I wouldn't do without it.  Apologies if I've shared this anecdote with you before, but when I found this particular rose in a garden centre, it was a scrappy miserable thing absolutely heaving with aphids, but because I'd always wanted a Rosa Mundi, I bought it anyway amd decided to try and rescue it.  It was expensive, too - £14 or thereabouts, which considering the state of it was daylight robbery 

I can't remember if we resorted to insecticides that first season - I suspect we did, because the plant's life was at stake, but it made it, and it makes a stunning addition to the garden each summer now:-

It's a beautiful rose, and quite uncommon, so if you see one in your travels, and if you can make room for a historic and attractive (though rather shambolic!) rose, I can fully recommend it.

My second recommendation of the day is a more humble plant.  It's Anagallis Skylover, and it's something I've only ever seen sold by Suttons as a mail order plug plant.  They also did an orange variety, Sunlover, for a couple of years which was equally attractive.  It's a very under-utilised plant, with a glorious dark blue flower.  I've planted it in two beds, including the front flower bed, of which I've featured a few pictures this year in varying degrees of completion.  The cosmos still aren't out yet, but with the snapdragons, lobelia, osteospermum and now anagallis all in bloom, this particular bed is finally beginning to peak in terms of its flowering capacity.

A general view, first of all, featuring the same section of bed that I showed you last time.  The anagallis is the cornflower blue flower behind the lobelia and osteospermum:-

And a closer view, featuring the combination of lobelia/osteospermum/anagallis:-

Unfortunately, my camera doesn't so the anagallis justice - it's a very deep, mysterious blue, with a dash of indigo at the centre.  I got mine free this year - dear old Suttons goofed up with my order last year and sent me ten orange ones, instead of five blue/five orange (not that great a hardship, believe me!!).  So this year, they made it up to me by sending through a complementary pack.  Of ten Skylover, unfortunately, rather than the combination of five Skylover/five Sunlover.  But, hey ho, at least they're still selling the things - I'm dreading the year when they decide to axe this plant from their range...

If you haven't tried anagallis before, give it a go.  It makes a glorious, though rather subtle, addition to a bed of mixed annuals.

It's also slug-proof, which in this 95% organic garden, is a real bonus!!

Comments

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

Oh lovely! I SO miss garden tending; even container gardening didn't happen for me this summer so I'll have to live vicariously through yours.

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

It's been one of the first days this summer when it's actually been pleasant enough to sit out (and I haven't been at work). And I had a lovely long spell listening to the birds and the buzzing things before the neighbours came home and put on Queens of the Stone Age.

Now, I've no objections to Queens of the Stone Age, but not while I'm sitting out in the garden communing with nature, please. And would you believe it? A small bug is creeping across my screen as I type this. He/she probably came in with the sweet peas and is undergoing a harsh case of culture shock!!

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

Yeah, rock music and the quiet of nature do not go together well; one of my objections when that same thing happens during a canoe trip.

Poor bug! Trapping or squishing?

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

It was a very tiny bug - about the size of a pinhead. It has sloped off in its buggy way and is now lost. So it will either die horribly, or set up a colony of minibugs on my prized begonia plants, and there will be much weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. (From me, not the bugs, I hasten to add)

Squishing was never an option. I can't even squish a vine weevil...

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

Oh, you're much nicer than I am which I think we've already established. If they're on their territory, it's golden. If they're in my home or on flowers or veggies that I intend to pick/eat/enjoy; they're toast.

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

Eviction is always my preferred option. The exception is ants - once the line starts marching through your house, death is the only option, because the line will be retrod, again and again and again, however many times you evict the marchers, until the line is broken...

Unfortunate, but true.

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

Oh yes. I had a lovely conversation with an exterminator the other day (now if that doesn't sounds like an oxymoron, I don't know what does!)

We were both judging 4H entries for the local county faire, I in home management, he in etymology and we got to chatting about bugs, like ya do. He confirmed that boxic acid works for roaches but not spiders (they don't clean their legs) and that talcum powder kills ants. Woot!

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

So levels of personal hygiene are better amongst cockroaches than they are amongst spiders.

I like spiders. I could never kill a spider. But then, our spiders can never deliver more than a slight nip, and they don't even usually do that. If I was in the US or Australia, I think my view of spiders would be slightly different. More along the lines of 'Eeek! It's a spider! Help! Is it going to kill me???'

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we had Brown Recluse spiders at the house in Oklahoma. I had sticky traps in all the closets and behind the stove in the kitchen. Apparently they never got upstairs where my fabric bins were, thank gods, but that didn't stop me from being very careful.

But yes, I give spiders a really good look and try to spare the 'good' spiders.

[dark-phoenix54.livejournal.com]

I have a Rosa Mundi! I have several striped roses, and while Rosa is the only one that is a once bloomer, she's the most fragrant. And, of course, puts out the most blooms at once, so while her show is short, it's the most flamboyant.

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

I also have JMW Turner, which is striped, but it's a Hybrid Tea and a bit of a prima donna. I haven't spent too much time sticking my nose in Rosa Mundi - the bees seem too fond of it and it's quite sticky! I usually end up with my snout buried in the old English roses.

Must remedy this ommission. And if I get a sticky or beestung beak, so be it!!

[dark-phoenix54.livejournal.com]

I've got Ferdinand Pichard, the striped Hybrid Perpetual; Stars n' Stripes the mini, Scentsation (or something like that) is a shrub I think; George Burns is a yellow and red striped kind of big mini; erm, I think that's it. I did have 4th of July, the climber, but this winter and gophers did it in.

I'm dying to try 'Purple Tiger' but I suspect it wouldn't be hardy here. "Oranges n Lemons" is gorgeous- a woman we gardened for had that one- but it's kind of tender for our area.

Why, yes, I do like striped roses! ;)

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

I didn't even know there WERE so many striped roses...

[clairehawthorn.livejournal.com]

I've always wanted a Rose Mundi, it's on my wish list. Yours looks heavenly - as do your borders. I particularly love the last photo and am now quite intrigued by the anagallis for I love the effect blue flowers bring to a garden.

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

It's a shame it's not sold in garden centres - I'm surprised, really, as I've always found it a reliable little plant. Perhaps it likes a damp climate...

[red-trillium.livejournal.com]

Beautiful, so colourful especially from grey-and-wet New Zealand.

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

Hey, until a couple of days ago, we were grey and wet, too.

And they call this summer...