Barbara's Garden Chronicles: July 2009

This is just a quick mad dash around the garden. I'm scheduled for surgery tomorrow and ready for the new improved me. I've been doing lots of boring hospital stuff that I'm confident will soon come to a successful conclusion. However, the next 4 weeks will be a bit of a write-off garden wise - so if there are photos, I'm warning you now...there will most likely be weeds off in the corner of the frame. Fortunately I'll be able to catch up on all those 1000+ Botanical websites during my downtime.

Geranium praetense striatum 'Splish Splash' always makes for a good close-up. However, if I had only enough money for 25 perennial geraniums, I don't think it would make it onto the list. In my garden, it's a bit of a novelty. The plant itself is a scrambler, sparse and a little weed like overall - but it does have a pretty face doesn't it?

OK - here's one of my favourite biennial/perennial plants - Symphyandra hofmanii - and it's just like one of those good looking people who really don't take a good photo.

It blooms all summer - takes hot/wet/dry/shade/sun - whatever. I've just let it run wild back here and as you can imagine, it is very easy from seed.

Here it is close-up - still prettier in person.

Aaaagh, Blogger is turning my photo again. Pretend the Enterprise is heading left at warp speed, tilt your head to appreciate the great colour and form of Hosta 'Captain Kirk'.

Erodium - what a great little plant. Learned that I can just yank the spent blossom stems and they come off neatly at the base of the plant. Discovered that one day when I didn't have my #2s at hand.

Leucanthemum x superbum 'Crazy Daisy'. From seed two years ago - really coming into its own. Each plant is different, but good. I've had the experience with perennials from seed that you end up with 5 plants - 4 ok, and 1 great - this is the exception. They are all wonderful. And such a bright clean white - to do this shot again, I'd go back inside, switch my glasses, come back out, fiddle around to find out where the manual f-stop selector was open this up at least one if not two stops to give me a little less Black Velvet effect.

Who knew that chin hairs could look so divine?

An Alcea that I grew from seed last year - did not bloom last year and was distressed this year to see that the crowns were really whacked by our cold wet spring. Was delighted to see that in some cases five stems developed at the base and they are full of buds. This colour reminds me of ballet tights, leotards and slippers.