End of Month View: Busted!

The end of June came round far quicker than I was expecting somehow – a whirlwind of a month in the garden, June definitely bustin’ out all over! Now that July is upon us there is still plenty to come, plenty of promise, although the roses have had their day and will now plod along with a reduced showiness. It is good to look back over previous posts to compare the garden from month to month and year to year, and Helen’s End of Month meme at Patient Gardener has been a useful encouragement to keep a record – thanks Helen.

On a sunny day at this time of year the garden has distinct areas of sun and shade, as was clearly noticeable when I took these photographs – taking them in the afternoon would have given a different picture altogether! Below is the view from directly behind the house over the paved area, the streamside grass with a clump of Zantedeschia aethiopica ‘Crowburgh’ that seems to be flowering quite happily, and the woodland, always a place of shade.

The main borders are looking better than they have done since the big revamp two years ago, with plants clumping up and making more of a stand for themselves. There are still a few unworthies that could be removed and, much as I love it, I will be reducing the size of some of the clumps of Astrantia ‘Buckland’ which was spread about when the borders were enlarged to help fill gaps.

Taken almost from the same spot, the clematis colonnade is improving from month to month, with Princess Diana, Hagley Hybrid and John Howells all flowering, and a young Vyvyan Pennell who is very leafy and I am hoping will be equally floriferous. In the foreground is the caramel-hued heuchera border.

Also from the same spot is the first of the two views of the woodland edge border, taken from two different directions and demonstrating the contrast  between light and shade in the garden.

The bold borders are still looking more hot than bold, and quite jungly too. These have been great beds for the early sown sweet peas as they face south and have the wall behind them. The geums which have been making a statement for what seems like months will be cut back now as their flowers are increasingly sporadic and perhaps there will be another flush to come.

Beyond the wall, raspberries and loganberries have provided much in the way of early pickings and the redcurrants are ripening nicely. Despite the woolly vine scale there may even be a handful of blackcurrants to come as well.

The main greenhouse is now full of tomatoes and peppers, all potted up now, whilst the early days of the cutting beds are giving way to something a little more promising, particularly now those later sowings of tithonia, zinnia and tagetes have been added to the gaps and joined by an earlier successful sowing of cleome.

The blue & white border continues on its promising journey:

The rose garden, roses diminishing, lavender increasing:

The species snowdrop border, now with a range of greens and splashes of white:

And finally, back by the house, is the hedge border with Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ loving her new improved spot and offering me her nascent flowerheads for a Monday vase – perhaps next week…..

Thanks Helen, for facilitating this meme and getting us into this monthly habit.