The garden continues to race along, filling out its borders, opening its blooms and generally providing an endless degree of wonder and awe on every ramble. There are new shining stars waiting to be discovered each day, and I have included a selection of them for Jim’s Saturday meme at Garden Ruminations, making no apologies that there are yet more roses amongst them.
Let’s start with one of the alliums, above, this one being A christophii, and the first of the clematis to bloom, C ‘Kingfisher’, below. So far, the majority of the clematis are looking very poor this year, with a number of complete no-shows (which I hope may just be very late to get going) – has anyone else experienced this, I wonder?
Pollinators are given very clear instructions by the unnamed rhododendron below, and the seed-sown herbaceous poppy makes its presence felt too with its glorious scarlet colouring:
The roses are increasingly wonderful, although I fear their first flush may be on the wane before we have our garden visitors towards the end of June. Climbing rose ‘Crown Princess Margarita’ has now joined the party, whereas this year ‘Eustacia Vye’ confirms she is happy in her position in the woodland edge border and is flowering prolifically, each bloom exuding the most delightfully strong and fruity fragrance.
The final star, each bloom a star in its own right, is striking astrantia A ‘Ruby Cloud’ which, like most astrantia, is taking its time to bulk up but will be worth the wait; in the meantime, however, it makes a bright contribution to one of the bold borders, which both look set to be more than just satisfactory this year, also worth the wait!
Rambling in the Garden 
I love your roses. The colour and petal formation are unusual. (or at least for me)
They receive the flower of the week from me.
I only had one rose, and it died. Sadly my friend forgot to water it when we were on holiday. 😦
Allium christophii alongside allium ‘Purple Sensation’ are my favourite alliums Cathy – both gems. I can imagine your roses in all their glory. My friend who’ve you met grows ‘Eustacia Vye’ and the scent especially on a warm day is absolutely knock out! This from somebody whose sense of smell is impaired. The astrantia is unbeknown to me but looks such an appealing dusky pink. I must investigate forthwith 😂 I hope that this week’s rain didn’t cause any damage in your garden.
I like Allium ‘Miami’, which flowers a little later than Purple Sensation, and taller too, so it’s a useful variety to have. You will see from Monday’s vase that there was some monor damage from the rain… 😢
and ps the astrantia is a much darker shade than it looks in the photo
Every thing in its own time…Even your pretty flowers..
Yes, and I do accept this, Beverly, honest!
Several of my clematis have been eaten as they appeared from the ground, and my Nellie Moser has even had her lower flowers totally stripped! I have never seen anything like it, but I have found larger slugs than usual and lots of snails. They cunningly hide in the daylily leaves, so I am thinking maybe the daylilies will be heading for the garden waste bin at the end of this year.
That’s a shame about your clematis (and day lilies), although I am pretty sure mine just haven’t emerged at all. We are inundated with snails this year, more than ever before and far outstripping the slugs, or perhaps I jsut don’t see the slugs!
Every flower is beautiful, Cathy. I so wish I could grow Astantia!
Yes, it is a joy to see each one of them, Kris
I particularly like the pink astrantia. 🙂
It’s actually redder than it looks, certainly a much darker colour
What a lovely selection of blooms!
Thank you – so many more to come and sometimes I can hardly contain my excitement!
You can’t beat Allium christophii, can you! I am often tempted to plant others, ut this seems to be the most reliable. I hope your Clematis pick up soon. Mine are doing well so far, and are a couple of weeks ahead of last year (which was not a good year for them here.) Love the Astrantia!
It’s good to have allium with different flowering periods, to extend the season
Astrantia is interesting. I had to look it up.
Lovely selection Cathy. My clematis are dismal so far this year too, I can’t work out why – it can’t be temperatures, as it was much colder last year. Can it be the wet, or low light levels?
I am really not sure and wonder what the ‘experts’ would say – it’s the fact that so many of mine have not appeared at all which I find particularly strange
I have had some disappear for a year or more and then reappear, so don’t give up hope!
Yes, I am still hopeful Arwen, as sometimes I have had one appear well into summer and quickly catch up with the others…🤞