And Finally

It’s been a relaxing fortnight, after the fantastically busy garden open weekend, I thought I would have a break from serious gardening. I’ve potted, sat and enjoyed the view. I didn’t even think I could do justice to a post.

So here I am back again full of enthusiasm and buying plants again. I’ve even got some visitors coming back this week for plants that were ordered.

In this last two weeks the garden has truly come alive. With 54 different roses in flower and lots of peonies, daylilies and many other perennials now filling all the remaining spaces.

Salvia sclarea looking magnificent, I often see these in walled vegetable gardens but have never grown them until now. I got the seed from a seed swop locally last year and this is the result. I will save seed again as it is so impressive.

Another unsown seedling. I grow pure white foxgloves but this is a beautiful rogue.

Iris Ellenbank Damselfly I just love the markings and it’s delicate colouring.

Aquilegia longissima. This is seed from L and G ‘s garden there it grows to only about 50cms as it is growing in poor soil on their drive. Here it is in my secret garden, semi shade good soil and more than a metre tall. They will have to be moved later in the year, but they do look good.

Rosa Buff Beauty

Roses…for many years along with several other plants these have been my passion. I now grow far less than I use to. Mainly because quite a few got old and past their best so I discarded them. Some didn’t perform as I would have liked either. So now I grow around 70 roses. This year seems to be an exceptional one, the weather is good so the blooms are not being damaged by too much rain.

William Lobb one of my all time favourites. This fades to a soft grey/lavender with a lovely perfume. The buds are covered in a perfumed moss.

Lady of Shalott a Mothers Day present from my daughter a few years ago. Now looking splendid amongst a dainty white iris and a pale purple viola cornuta.

Rosa Moyesii a rose I have had for many years now and as you can see there is a hip starting to form at the side of the bloom, but I know it will drop off. In the 20 plus years I have had this rose not one hip has managed to form properly.  !!!!!

Madame Hardy now looking a little sparse as the wisteria is covering most of the growth. A rethink needed.

Ispahan a wonderful rose. Healthy strong, full perfume, long flowering season. What more could you ask of a rose.

Constance Spry a once flowering lax shrub or climber, has wonderful perfume and large full blooms.

Cornelia a lovely rose from start to finish, pretty buds opening a coppery/apricot fading to pink, excellent perfume. Picture does not do the colour justice.

I hope you like the small selection of plants and roses now flowering in the garden. I could bore you to tears with the roses but I will stop now.

And finally, I got the total raised at the open weekend, it came to £3700 not bad considering how awful the Saturday was. We have all received our share of this based on the number of days we opened. All of our chosen charities have now benefited from everyone’s hard work.  Will I do it again next year …never say never.

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Wow…. Garden Open Weekend 2015

Wow. What a weekend, it has been truly amazing. When we got up on Saturday morning it was already raining hard and had been all night, the garden looked sad, the wisteria had a limb practically lying on the ground and plants were also prostrate. Urgent attention was needed and quick. With the wisteria propped up temporarily, wet plants lifted out of legs way, we thought, know one in their right mind is going to turn up in this. How wrong we were…

The poor Wisteria after it’s propping up.

Our first visitors were Cathy and Mr Golfer from Rambling in the Garden, I thank them for coming all the way to see us in the pouring rain. Armed with hot coffee we had a wet walk around the garden and a catch up. Thinking this was going to be a slow day Mr Malc and I had our lunch and then, the visitors kept on coming. Wet and bedraggled these stalwarts trotted round the garden, asked questions, hopefully got the right answers and bought plants. Around 60 people came on Saturday. One couple, admittedly they were visiting family locally, came all the way from up state New York, I hope they weren’t too disappointed what with the weather. They did give me some nice feedback. Loving the roses and the perfume in the garden.

Nice couple from up state New York and a family member.

Still Saturday in the rain…

Sunday morning no rain and a bit brighter. Decided to put the bunting out and more signs etc, thinking this would be the better day. We got a bit worried for the first hour as only our friends arrived and some of our family. Then suddenly, that was it, the starting gate was open…..

Me in the middle with my back to you, chatting to Anne another blog follower who is creating a new garden from scratch…..

Such nice people…

For the next four hours we were full to capacity, there were folk every where, plants were rolling of the shelves and bags were filled. I was giving advise on anything from pruning wisteria to ‘how do you make your wire birds’ the questions kept coming and I was in my element.

We had some lovely visitors from whole families keen to know where to start with their plot to really knowledgeable folk whom I learned a lot from. I thank them all for coming, especially all those followers, be you Facebook or my blog followers, who all came to make this weekend truly great. We counted up and we had around 200 people through the gates on Saturday.  Thank you…

Some of the comments and questions I got …

‘I’ve never seen so many different bees in a garden’….

‘Where did you start’…

‘Who inspired you’…

‘ How long did it take the wisteria to flower’

‘What was it like when you came here’

‘Have you got any more Viola Cornuta ‘… no but just come with me and I will dig one up for you…

Thank you to every one for making what could have ended up being a very disappointing weekend, turn into a really happy friendly one….

So this evening we, the owners of the gardens that opened, will all meet up and go round each others gardens. This will be interesting as there are some new ones this year. It could be a long evening, but there are drinks at the end of it to make it all worth while. I will post again soon when I know the total raised this year for various charities….

Garden Open 2015

With only one week to go and a list that’s longer than my arm, the nerves are setting in. Have to say in a good way though.

Here is the poster the G/daughters did for me for our plant sale.

They will be manning the stall, and running to me for information about plants all afternoon, I bet. With ice creams at the ready I’m sure they will enjoy themselves.

Looking forward to the weekend and hoping for the wind to drop and the sun to stay shinning. Till next week, when if I remember, with lots of pictures……