Thursday 31 July 2014

Shall I compare thee to a summers day.............

 It is good to see her smiling.....she has such  a lovely smile.
 We gardened together.    Cyclamen Hederifolium has the seasons muddled, generally she flowers in October in this garden.
 Clematis ..............a second flush of flowers, what a treat.
 Cosmos is always reliable and something I would not be without.
 My favourite hydrangea.......paniculata Vanille Fraise, I love it when she begins to blush.   Without a doubt she becomes more beautiful as she begins to fade.
 I promised myself I would not buy any new plants this year, that was until I saw Salvia 'Royal Bumble' at a nursery.     My love of the bumble bee took over my mind, and out I walked with three plants.    You naughty girl Cheryl :)
I would like to say the bumbles loved the Salvias but their preference is the Nasturtiums at this time.......

August tomorrow.........we walk the path to Autumn.     My favourite season and one that I always look forward to.

13 comments:

  1. Hi Cheryl
    Love the picture of the bee's bottom - I have a lot of nasturtiums for that very reason - not the bee's bottom but because I love them as much as the insects do. I also wouldn't be without Cosmos it is the mainstay of my summer garden - I always grow them from seed every year and they never disappoint.

    I'm not a big fan of the mop headed hydrangeas but like the lace caps unfortunately they don't like my free-draining soil - I agree they are lovely when they begin to fade like antique lace.

    Nice to see Poppi looking happy out in the sunshine - is that a wild area I see behind her.
    We had a rain shower this evening the garden smells wonderfully of damp earth mixed with the fragrance of the flowers - just a little rain makes all the difference and the plants look relieved.
    Elaine

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    1. Hi Elaine,

      I also grow Cosmos from seed. Sadly I have to plant in containers because, once again, rabbits love them. They would never survive here.

      I understand your dislike for mop head hydrangea. I use to dislike hydrangea in general but over the last few years I have really begun to enjoy them. I have several in the garden now.

      I have several wild areas in the garden. I have a small copse in the corner of the garden. It is fenced off and I do not let anyone in there, apart from the Grand-children. They come in with me and we look at the hedgehog boxes etc to see if we have any visitors :)

      Envy you the rain....another hot day here, the smaller trees are starting to shed their leaves and the grass in some areas of the garden is straw coloured.
      We should get some rain tonight but ...............

      Enjoy your weekend and hope the decorating is well in hand :)

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  2. I bet that Nella has a time trying to keep up with Poppi when she is on a motorized vehicle. She looks beautiful especially when she smiles. She is looking so grown up. Those beautiful bee butts. I bet by next year they will find the bumble salvia. I know you couldn't resist them. One needs a treat now and then.

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    1. Hi Lisa,
      Poppi loves her little scooter. I don't usually let her ride it on the grass but the lawn is so hard it is not going to hurt anything. It does not go too fast, so Nella does have fun chasing it.....
      Absolutely Lisa, you have convinced me we all need a treat now and again.

      Have a lovely weekend........

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  3. It's so hard to resist a purchase when visiting a garden centre, I generally come away with something. What a beautiful hydrangea, so pretty, especially as she's blushing. How lovely to see Poppi smiling away there, she looks like she's having lots of fun in your garden, and it's wonderful to have a gardening buddy.

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    1. The thing is Jo, having wild rabbits in the garden, so much gets eaten. It feels like putting money down the drain. I am very selective now. I have learnt to understand the mind of the rabbit :) They do not like salvias.........

      Poppi and I had fun, she is a wonderful gardening companion.

      Enjoy your weekend......

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  4. Poppi is really growing up. And so lovely indeed. Great photographs of the flowers and the bumblebee.

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    1. Yes, she is growing fast. Each time I see her, she looks taller :)

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  5. One of my favorite poems--no, there is nothing quite so fair as the smile on a grandchild's face; Poppi looks like she is certainly having fun. Cosmos has become a favorite of mine, too; besides the ones I scatter from seed every year, I also usually have quite a few volunteers. This year a volunteer cosmos is in the middle of my green beans, but I didn't have the heart to pull it. I wonder if hybrids are given different names in the UK? Your 'Vanilla Fraise' hydrangea looks much like the 'Vanilla Strawberry' that you and Mr. P gave me while here a few years ago. By the way, that hydrangea is still doing well and is absolutely covered in blooms this year. As Lisa said, though, it's more Vanilla than Strawberry:) Still, it's lovely. Have a wonderful weekend, Cheryl.

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  6. It is a lovely poem, Rose. I remember reading it at school and can still recite most of it.
    I cannot think of anything nicer beautiful blooms growing amongst the vegetables, a true cottage garden :)
    I believe Fraise is French for strawberry, again school was a long time ago now, so I could be wrong. As you can see, it does go a beautiful pink as it approaches Autumn, I really do love it.

    Have a lovely weekend Rose.

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    1. Just checked with google Rose.....yes fraise is French for strawberry :)

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  7. I promised myself I would not buy any new plants….. Ha - you know that that's a "pie crust promise" easily made and easily broken (do you remember that line from Mary Poppins?) I usually start out the same - until I see something wonderful! Irresistible. And then I bring it home too. A nice, healthy habit, I think. And your salvia look so pretty too.

    Poppi looks like she's have a blast! Summer is for fun so why not enjoy?

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  8. I can never resist a pretty plant if I'm passing a garden centre. I think you've been very restrained if the Salvias are all you've purchased this year, I definitely need some of your willpower! I really like the look of the Fraise Hydrangea, the bloom is a very pretty colour.

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