Wednesday 8 July 2015

Making the most of cooler days..........

A dull cloudy day,  still no sign of rain.    I think I may resort to a rain dance soon............    
 Containers are doing well.    Feeding with comfrey tea on a weekly basis suits them ..........
 the added bonus is that it costs nothing, just a little time and a peg for your nose :)
 I love Gazania.    I bought these from a neighbour.     She had grown too many and was selling them.   I bought 18 plants at a ridiculous price, virtually 'give away'
 Hemerocallis Stafford is my favourite daylily.    I could not capture the true colour.   It is a beautiful deep red with a yellow throat.  It produces an abundance of flowers each year.   I would not be without it.
 My favourite plant combination at the moment is white musk mallow and a cerise salvia.   I would like to say I planted them together.    The salvia is not hardy so I did not expect to see it this summer and the mallow is a 'self seeder'.
Hydrangea paniculata grandiflora has lovely lacy blooms.
Sometimes the best way to view them is flat on your back and that is what I did to take this photograph.
The flowers this year are magnificent, the size of a football, and lots of them.   

Back to the garden, so much to do, so little time :)

26 comments:

  1. Hi Cheryl... Hmm I have never heard of comfrey tea for plant food. I learn things from your post just about ever time I come here :} ...your going to have to tell me about that one. I have plenty of comfrey, and if it doesn't involve the flowers I can get some leaves, you see the deer just love it :(. They eat it right to the ground.
    I love your White Mallow. I have a gorgeous white mallow that I can't take credit for either. It is what I call a volunteer, or a self seeder as you call it ;}. I used to have a pink one that would show up, but haven't had one in a couple of years.
    I grew Gazania's once and they didn't grow that great for me. They are a lovely cheery flower though!

    Lovely photo of your lacy Hydrangea.

    Air quality quite oppressive here today. Very high humitidy, eighty degrees with off and on shower
    Yuck!!!!!

    Gardening must go on in spite of the weather.

    Love
    Grace

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    1. I also have a pink musk mallow that keeps seeding around.....I love the delicate flowers.

      Comfrey tea is made from the leaves Grace but I fear you are a little too late to make any.

      You need a bucket with a lid..........

      Fill it with as many comfrey leaves as you can, fill the bucket with water and put the lid on.
      In around four weeks it will be ready. It smells dreadful but is a wonderful feed, full of potassium. You dilute one part comfrey to ten parts water. I so the same with nettle leaves which is full of nitrogen...........

      Your weather sounds similar to ours last week...............so tiring Grace.

      Take care my friend.

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  2. Hi Cheryl... Hmm I have never heard of comfrey tea for plant food. I learn things from your post just about ever time I come here :} ...your going to have to tell me about that one. I have plenty of comfrey, and if it doesn't involve the flowers I can get some leaves, you see the deer just love it :(. They eat it right to the ground.
    I love your White Mallow. I have a gorgeous white mallow that I can't take credit for either. It is what I call a volunteer, or a self seeder as you call it ;}. I used to have a pink one that would show up, but haven't had one in a couple of years.
    I grew Gazania's once and they didn't grow that great for me. They are a lovely cheery flower though!

    Lovely photo of your lacy Hydrangea.

    Air quality quite oppressive here today. Very high humitidy, eighty degrees with off and on shower
    Yuck!!!!!

    Gardening must go on in spite of the weather.

    Love
    Grace

    ReplyDelete
  3. We've had rain today, we had rain yesterday too. Enough for a proper soaking. I was going to say that I love the combination of red and white in your third photo but the musk mallow and salvia are doing it for me. I think Mother Nature knows more than we ever will.

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    1. Could you send some rain this way Jo ? I would love the garden to have a proper soaking, I really would.

      Mother nature rarely gets it wrong, in my experience :)

      Delete
  4. Your garden is so lovely, we have had a week of rain, thunder and wind, some of the plants have taken a battering and the hanging basket plants just look soggy..I like the third photo showing the mix of white and red....
    Amanda xx

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    1. A week of rain sounds delightful at this moment in time. Although I mulch every year, the garden is beginning to show signs of drought. Cracks in the grass, leaf drop, wilting etc.
      It really does need a good soaking.............oh the woes of the gardener :)))

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  5. At last we had a lot of rain today, I'm so glad. Your garden looks so beautiful and the orange Gazanias are gems. Thank you for the advice making comfrey tea for plants in pots. I go the collect comfreys, there are many along the canal.

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    1. Hi Janneke,

      I have used comfrey for years. It does smell dreadful but I have found it most effective.
      It also appears to keep aphids away from plants (do not know if that is my imagination or fact)
      Make sure it is well diluted.

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  6. We've had a bit of rain recently but certainly not enough to bring up the ground water. Having said that, I miss that lovely sunshine we had a week or so ago - this overcast damp weather isn't to my liking!

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    1. I am happier in the present conditions....last week was too hot for me !! Even as a child I did not like the heat :) My Grandson is the same............
      In saying that I do not like continuous grey skies......

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  7. I really don't mind some cooler days ...
    Your garden does look lovely, very peaceful to look at and enjoy your photo's. The colour of the Gazania is stunning.

    Enjoy the rest of the week ... the days seem to go too quickly somehow.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Yes Jan
      It is moving too fast...........suddenly everything gallops along, doesn't it.

      Delete
  8. I think the rain clouds must have stalled over here--wish I could send some your way; we're all pretty tired of rainy days here. I love the combination of whites and reds in your containers; reds and oranges really stand out against the white. Seeing the hydrangea bloom reminds me that the one you gave me when you visited several years ago keeps getting bigger and more beautiful each year. It's full of blooms at the moment that are just starting to open up. Enjoy your garden time. I'm not doing anything in the garden this week other than enjoying it, because Daughter and family are here so I'm enjoying littlest grandson every minute I can!

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  9. How wonderful Rose.............have a wonderful time. I know like me you cherish the moments :)

    So pleased the hydrangea is still doing well. I have fallen in love with them since visiting you all.

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    1. Some of that rain would be good Rose............

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  10. We had a terribly long dry run too, I find once that once I connect up all the hose-pipes, it instantly begins to rain.....good luck with your rain dance, a lack of water wreaks havoc doesn't it?
    I love your pond and those containers look lush and delicious! The Gazania is beautiful, how lucky you are to have got so many so cheaply....my neighbour and I often swop plants, always a win-win!
    I love the muskmallow, I have pink ones...oh....what an interesting angle of the hydrangea.....what a lovely plant! I would love to have a white one!xxx

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    1. Lack of water does indeed wreak havoc Snowbird. It goes against the grain but I think I must resort to watering the flower beds. I have held off until now, but some plants are looking very sad :((
      I love white hydrangea............I love white anything actually :))
      Have a good weekend.

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  11. The cooler weather is very welcome but we could do with some rain - preferably 3 or 4 hours nice and steady and overnight:) I have 'Stafford' in my garden too, it's a beautiful colour as is that lovely Tanzania.

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    1. Hi Rowan,
      We seem to have similar taste in plants.............I fell in love with Stafford when I saw it in a neighbours garden, so simple and yet so beautiful.

      That would be lovely, rain overnight would be absolutely perfect............but just at this moment any rain would do :))
      Have a lovely weekend.

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  12. Oh my goodness, hydrangea as large as a football! I would love to see that. Our Vanilla-Strawberry hydrangea is looking it's very best this year with all the rain. I believe we are getting all the rain your area usually gets Cheryl. ;) I love those surprise plant pop ups. The salvia will put itself here and there when it gets a chance. I wonder why I never think to buy seed and sprinkle it around? Mainly because I forget to put out seeds. I do have a big sunflower rising up out in the border.

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    1. I have never seen such large blooms on an hydrangea Lisa..........I have a fear that if it rains (which we really need) they may flop. I have put supports in, just hope they hold if needed.
      I love vanilla fraise ..........it is so beautiful, I just love to watch the changing colours over the summer season.
      I wish I could grow sunflowers :) They never survive here, rabbits love them.........

      Have a good week Lisa.

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  13. Fantastic photographs for a cloudy day. Here's hoping you get some rain soon.

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  14. Hi Cheryl
    Your containers certainly are colourful - I must strain my comfrey tea - I have a dustbin full of the smelly stuff - my neighbours always know when I am feeding the plants - a peg on the nose is definitely needed! Your pond is looking beautiful as is the lovely gazania and day lily - gorgeous colours. Hope you have had some rain since you wrote this post.

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    1. It does whiff Elaine, doesn't it ? The first time I used it, many years ago now, it blew my socks off. I am used to it now but it is unpleasant to say the least.

      Drizzle this morning but nothing to wet the garden. We really do need a day of ground soaking rain. I actually pulled the hose out yesterday to water the beds, and that really is unusual, something I do not like to do...............but needs must this year.

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