At this time of year it’s hard to choose just six garden things,

In the evening the scent of the honeysuckle is amazing, but the bindweed also deserves a mention as we have it by the bucketful! We’re trying to keep it from smothering the honeysuckle, with partial success.

The bench by the yukaa is looking lovely, surrounded by fuschia, crocosmia lucifer, snapdragons and perlagoniums. They’re so colourful right now.

I stopped the yukka flowers falling down by simply using string to tie them to the bay behind them. They look all the better for it, but I’m somewhat annoyed not to have thought of doing this before.

The roses are a delight!

Roses, from left… A lost label rose I’ve had for a long time. In the centre a ‘Pirouette’ rose, and on the right (ironically, given his political position) is Nye Bevan, a rose named after one of the founders of the NHS.

Last week I called this ‘the rose patch’ instead of ‘rose bed’ which is more appropriate for how informal this little patch of roses is… But it’s an absolute pleasure and has come along well since we planted it in Nov 21.

My next selection is this little oak, which will hopefully stay little for a long time.

Over the years we’ve bought or been gifted the odd bonsai, and only one has lasted more than a few years. I want to see if of the little oaks I’ve grown from an acorn could be a bonsai, and so I’ve popped it into a pot, and wished it luck.

Here he is next to his bigger brother, Phil Oakey, who is about five years old now, and in amongst the pots by the backdoor enjoying the summer sunshine. Lovely husband has plans to do a bigger bonsai with this super sapling. 🙂

GARLIC BULBS

Just when we’d almost given up on veg this year, after a handful of peas and a lot of unsuccessful sowings, my lovely husband harvested this bumper crop of delicious garlic. Hanging in the greenhouse, next to the solar powered light bulbs, they looked and smelled absolutely smashing.

Garlic bulbs with light bulbs in in the greenhouse.

We moved the garlic bulbs to a cooler space as it’s super hot in that greenhouse this week. But the scent was amazing when I watered the tomatoes and basil with the garlics hanging there.

My final selection this week are these verbascum, a HUUUGE plant which has grown taller than most of the rest of the plants in the ‘horsey border’.

The horsey head was here in the garden when we arrived. The ‘banana custard’ verbascum at the back of this bed are the largest of the plants we added here this spring, they’ve put out enormous leaves and tall flower spikes.

This is a verbascum called ‘banana custard’ and it’s currently taking on the yukka flowers for the most ‘showy display’ in the garden award.

To see more garden highlights visit Garden Ruminations for Six on Saturday.

I hope you have a lovely weekend.

J x