July in the garden

I must have sat down to write this post ten times but then got distracted by various things; household chores, phone calls from friends and then realising how hot it is - 32 degrees! Much too hot to blog! Plus I feel like the garden is changing so fast, literally every time I walk outside I notice something else that seems to have just sprung up. Even today, just before I wrote this post, I ended up taking more photos of the garden!

Parts of the garden are starting to die back now and I've had a few casualties from the recent sultry weather. But all in all I'm quite pleased with most of the garden, although I do feel like this is mostly down to nature and not necessarily due to my gardening skills!
So many plants have been happy accidents or surprises; self seeding themselves with abandon - feverfew, blowsy oriental poppies and nasturtiums adding a blast of hot heat to my cool coloured borders (and, when picked, adding their heat to salads too!)

I've really enjoyed the Harlow Carr rose, so much so that I am already compiling a list of roses to order as bare roots in November. The Ammi majus (Bishop's flower) is doing really well despite earlier seedlings being decimated by slugs and snails and Ivy has taken to relaxing under the brassicas which offer her a little shade from the sun.

I made a decision earlier last year to plant more aliums so I got a mix of Purple Sensation, Violet Beauty and Sphaerocephalon (Drumsticks). The first two are long gone with only their skeletal globes left but the drumsticks are just coming into their own and add a nice bit of height to the borders. Every time I see them I make a mental note to order more in the autumn!

Again due to slugs and snails only one of my nigella seedlings survived! I haven't used nematodes this year but I think I will definitely have to give them another go. I've had a relatively good crop of peas, which are so lovely and sweet. There is nothing like growing and eating your own fruit and veg. Next year I am determined to grow even more, probably in a separate planter to keep them from free from slug and snail attacks.

The hollyhocks have really come into their own this year, they are such a typical cottage garden flower. I love the height they add. One of my initial aims with the garden was to have planting arrangement that, when sitting at the garden table, would make you feeling like you are surrounded by flowers. I think I have come quite close to that this year, but I'm already thinking about how to make next year even better.