Magazine style - all inclusive

[Perki]

It were a nice watch looking round Johns garden .

It rained most of the day again plants are starting to grow like mad . Planted a couple more pots up in the GH think I am done now for summer pots maybe the odd little one but they will be for small plants like night stocks / pelargoniums I usually keep them in the GH. Unless I buy some more plants which rarely happens .

Alstroemeria don't do to well for me , I had one in the garden but it just kept getting constantly nippled away , so I potted it up in a nice yorkshire pot but it still doesn't look happy bit spindly but at least its got a flower or 2.

 

[alp]

Good morning to all!

I knew I saw good weather for Zenj, but I might have made a mistake. Fancy going to John's garden when hepatics and hellebores are on. Hepatics can be so beautiful - neon blue and electrifying and some with several layers. Talking of which I still haven't sown the seeds I bought from another forum.

I must get going. I have watched too many crime docs and wasted a lot of time, but some docus are very good. Dead of winter really made me cry. Shaun Ouillette was killed simply because the sick boy wanted to feel what it's like to kill someone. When police came to see him early in the morning, he smirked and said good morning officer, good morning officer to those he saw. Now that he's incarcerated, he was crying, showing his remorse. But the lead detective said he was ACTING! He certainly was. I wasn't Shaun's mother, but I cried bucket. The mother's loss and obsession were so well captured. Watched them on dplay. Very raw and unsettling.

Yesterday on quest red, an incestuous father was bonded out and he kidnapped all his children. His baby cried, he ordered the daughter to shut him up, in the process of which she smothered and killed him. Her partner, Joe, was inconsolable. He ordered one son to take a son to rob another son's son to replace the baby. Thank heavens that son didn't open the door. Then he ordered another son to strange Joe to death whilst the father was holding a gun to his head. In the end, daughter, mother, father and one son all went to prison. If I were the children, I would sue the state, why bond him out? You would think parents wouldn't behave like that! There is evil out there!

So much about TV!

Perki

There are several short alstroemerias around. Not all of them tall. Shame that slugs really loved alstroemerias. All too true.

Saw this on GW last night. My Thalictrum Flavum Glaucum. Wish he would label the plants his camera lingers on.

So the camera isn't that bad. I just need to hold my breath!

2 tiny cucumbers from Mini Punch 4 seeds for nearly £4! No wonder there was no taker and I bought it for 50p

Neon - well, I didn't hold my breath and it's so blurred.

Salmon Dance

The lady with disability was such a positive person and it's so inspiring to see her approach to life.

 

[alp]

Good morning. Was supposed to hava a band of rain sweeping through.

Don't think rain has got the memo!

Met office seems to be more correct.

29c on the horizon! Son kept asking for icecream and his wish was granted yesterday. We have a watermelon ready as well. Quite expensive though £3!

Went gallivanting all over Essex yesterday - Saffron Walden, Great Dunmow, Chelmsford, Billericay. Got a Sanguisorba - not exactly the one I want, but not a lot of places stocked them. Bordeau has stubby flowers, not the slender ones I love. But they are better than pink elephant. A Salvia Blue Note which was overpriced as it had few stems and small. Now it has even fewer as I stood in the kitchen, giving it a covid hair cut. A very short and sickly looking Patio Blue was also the subject of a severe plucking, so was a lovely bushy probably Black on Blue or vice versa in the allotment (took cuttings home). A Salvia Involucrata Hadspen will be next. Strange that Salvia Blue Note was given as label to a Salvia Greggii Blue. They are so different and this was a proper gc.

Will plant out my water melons today. 29c will certainly spur them into action.

 

[Perki]

Got some pictures be the hail storm started ripping some flowers to bits. Been outside pottering around sticking plants in here and there while keeping my eye on the football . Went to one GC this morning and had a gander didn't see anything for myself ( I were looking for a Agastache Coral ) so picked up some Liriope Variegated for one of my clients I divided it when I got home but pricey to by lots which I need. Stuck my veg in as well about an hour ago swede - carrots and some red lettuce.

Talking about sanguisorba this is Martins Mulberry , suppose to flower July onwards but its been flowering for a few weeks now.

Rosa Lady of Shallot has been brilliant this year really happy with it.

Pinball wizard

Rosa Golden celebration and Geranium Dragon heart

 

[alp]

Perki Seeing your sanguisorba, I wish I had bought the pink elephant from Beeches in Saffron Walden. Mine, Bordeaux is the same size and shape of flower like yours, but might be a bit taller. Love the taller sanguisorba with slender red flowers and that's why I didn't buy pink elephant. Seeing the red astrantia, I wish I had bought one in Enfield - she had tons but no names, and I only saw some with same flowers as mine. Lovely plants and planting, Perki! My delphiniums are still indoors and hence no flowers. I am scared that once they are out, they are devoured by SS!

What are the names of those beautiful roses, especially the ones above the red astrantia please? Very pretty. I don't have any allium going for nearly 2 weeks. Interesting when you said my cornuses were early. Indeed they were crazily early. I saw some for sale in Billericay with flowers on Saturday. Amazing that I had mine flowering so early. I am actually very happy with all my cornus. Wish I had my Miss Satomi though. The seller is no longer active.

8pm I weeded the front paved area. Planted out 6 dahlias or more to the front, replanted osteospermum as it had been overwhelmed by the eryngiums and green foliage. Take cuttings of Salvia Involucrata Hadspen and a few others. Also planted out some dahlias to the back, sanguisorba, salvias (patio blue, hadspen, blue note)

Removed all lower thorns of Rosa Novalis given by friend and planted a Targa and Jackmanii in the same pot. They will go nicely together.

This is how big Salvia Euphoria is! Huge!

Madame Julia Correvon - smothered with flowers and will flower again in November.

I kept having to remind myself that these are quinoas, not weeds!

Jackmanii scambling up my bamboos and the rain and flood will certainly make them think they are mosso - they will do something crazy this year. Already I have had tons of new shoots.

Targa

The last 2 in the same pot as friend's gift, Rosa Novalis!

 

[alp]

Watched Alan T's Grow your own on itv and was very disappointed. I wish I could pour compost into a 1 foot tall raised bed like the other male presenter. That raised bed required AT LEAST 10 bags of compost, all at the courtesy of Homebase I think. It's like watching yuppies doing up their instant garden. OK, they looked OK, but there is no sense of nurture, which is the most important part of gardening.

As Sue Kent from Wales said, there is always something surprising in the garden each day. For me, it has to be my ghostly cactus

Martagon lily Guinea Gold

Penstemon Arabesque F1

can't find the name, but it's a pretty one!

Lady in red Salvia coccinea

Cherry Fall tomatoes

Salvia Bulleyana

I need fainting salt for this kind of temperatures

 

[Perki]

Its warming up , looks like you'll be and the plants frazzled over the next few days alp.

The apricot rose is Lady of Shallot isn't she beautiful , I've been admiring it again today with even more flowers on her.

Mowed the lawn today with my dads cylinder mower mine needs the blades sharping which is quite expensive . Done a bit of deadheading and pulled out some sweet rocket blocking the views of other plants . I've been looking at my two newer variety's of DAustin rose Lady of Shallot and golden celebration and comparing them to my old variety Mary Rose , Mary.rose is nice but the flowers aren't a patch on the other two but its is nicely scented . I'll have a think about replacing it with a nicer one .

I do like that red Clematis how long as it been flowering now ?

 

[alp]

I was already a bit out of sorts yesterday. For some reason, the heart felt a bit tight. The plants were dry and looked half dead. In between tv adverts, I watered my plants in the lean to and some were limp and lifeless. Might erect the gazebo today to screen off a bit of heat.

I also out some of my Piel de Sapo melon and water melon babies. And I wish I had cantaloupe seeds. But I am not very keen on its flavour. I might have some yellow melons somewhere.

Lady of Shallot is the prettiest. I will ask for my friend some cuttings. She's a big fan of roses. Madame Julia Correvon flowered for quite a while before I took that picture and that wasn't the first time I took the pics this year. I took one with red hot pokers when the latter were in bloom. Last year, it flowered till November but the flowers faced my neigbour's garden in November. I think there was a gap between the flowering. It's very popular and you can easily pick one up as most gcs or even diy gcs will have them in stock.. For the LONG flowering season, I bought a prince charles. Nick Bailey whose face I so wanted to give a steep shave recommended it no end. Let's hope and see. I got a freegled obelisk and planted charles (I don't like the man) and Princess Kate lying down so that I get heirs from layering. I also planted some sugar snaps around the obelisk.

I don't like cylinder mower as the grass cuttings got flailed all around the lawn, spilling onto the brick pavings on both side. Perhaps mine was defective. Bought this Qualcast which is no better as it left a trail of grass cutting all along as there is a gap between the box and machine. But I have tried to delay mowing for wildlife's sake.

I trimmed my cistuses, yellow jasmine and cotoneaster yesterday morning and suddenly, my plants could see the sun. I want to plant some tall plants at the back or around these trimmed plants. I bet I will watch TV instead because of the sheer heat! I hate the heat and find those who toast themselves terracotta colour stupid. A bit of sun is good, but to be dark and brown is so dangerous. I think summer is here as I have been kissed by mozzies twice. The lady up the road came here and talked to me and I could see mozzie hovering round her face 8am yesterday morning. The perils of summer which will leave me with a year or 2 of itches!

There is a new lesson to be learned: Buy plants with flowers on; at least that way, you won't buying flowers with gappy petals.

Pretty sure this is a named beauty, but I have no idea and couldn't even google a proper name for it.

I never paid these attention and they were clumped with pots with no hope in a corner I don't need to water and suddenly, they have come alive.

Lady in Red captured by iphone

 

[alp]

Been watering for half an hour and still haven't finished. But they should be OK. Might do a little bit more after this cup of tea. Going to be sunny all over the country! Slap on your suntan if you go out or work outdoors.

Trying to capture my Penstemon Smallii

Gypso

A magenta sunseeker - quite expensive! What you do is not what you get! Petals are so gappy.

Pallida with Mellow yellow echinacea underneath. See that yellow label underneath! They are both yellow mellow, but NOT yellow. Might dig up one to get a refund.

 

[Perki]

Well its been a hot one out there today especially working in it, I don't mind until your pants / t shirt starts sticking to you. Just been pottering around the garden the past few days plonking things in here there and everywhere and lots of watering. I've been a bit preoccupied with the football being back on so I've been in and out of the house consonantly doing bits in the garden and back in for the footy. Chelsea stuffed city as well shame liverpool had to win the title I supposed they deserved it this year.

I've just dug up a sedum autumnalis before chelsea game Iam not so keen on them common as muck and always encroach onto the lawn , much rather have a deep burgundy sedum .

Cylinder mowers have the best cut by far that why I use them. Yours shouldn't be dropping grass etc maybe the box wasn't attached correctly ?

 

[alp]

Me too. I love the burgundy sedum. Saw it in action in a border in Hyde Hall RHS with dark coloured aeonium, some dark scarlet flower and they literally sang in harmony.

Finally, Liverpool won! Shame even the spontaneous celebration was deemed breaking the law! Some matches are free, but I couldn't be bothered watching them. The matches are far too long for me.

Poor design for my Qualcast. The Argos/Homebase version.

Very, very hot here. Didn't do a thing but just watched TV. Went out and watered whatever I had planted and was hot and bothered for an hour. Very unpleasant.

Biggest courgette so far, with a few sugar snaps

Penstemon pensham ???

Chinatown

Echinacea Flunky white

Cirsium V Atropurpureum

Kniphofia flamenco

Salvia Patens

Helenium could be Sahin Early?

Salvia Bulleyana - a lovely response to the heat, or HEAT!

Met office is correct - not a drop of rain! East London is ALWAYS an after-thought for the rain! With the word London hiding where I live, I could never see the rain forecasts properly. I'm getting very stupid, as if watching more forecasts would bring me rain! Er, NO!

This is what they call hit and MISS! We're missing the rain! Funny thing is that Tomas Schafernacker has suddenly grown a mop of hair - he sported a total skin head cut before. Wonder if it was a wig!

Correction: BBC is correct! It's raining now, albeit gently, the dishwasher noise has drowned the noise of rain. I could smell the chlorine! Thank heavens for remembering me and my plants!!

 

[Zenj]

A lovely warm day overcast but very warm thunder storm maybe later.

 

[alp]

Steady on! Cosmos flowered already???? You have masses of Astrantias. By Jove! Such happy flowers and plants. My delphiniums which i raised from seeds are still in the pots and trays. I couldn't bear putting them out, knowing full well they would be devoured by slugs the following morning. Very successful planting, Zenj!

Loved that 2nd pic and the last but one! Well captured Trollius too. Mine has all gone to seeds. The remnant from last year didn't manage to say hello and not even a leaf.

Did went out and did a bit of work, but the heat was shocking. Stood there and sweat dripped over my eye onto my cheek. In the end, I reclined on the safa again and was a TV junkie for hours. Saw Garden Rescue which must have been a very old episode. Just 2 workmen and the boys looked very uncertain. Rained for 2 hours and the same old bright hot weather came back with a vengeance.

 

[alp]

Good morning!

New Samsung - very heavy

Cuttings with flowers - some penstemon

Alstroemeria Summer series

Funky White Echinacea

Very prolific penstemon Smallii

Salmon Dance salvia

Penstemon Mt Etna

Mt Etna

Giant Euphoria

Could be a butternut squash.

Penstemon Arabesque F1

 

[alp]

Trent Alexander-Arnold produced a stunning free kick and I really enjoyed the condensed version of the goals. Fabinho's goal was stunning!