The garden in late August

 

The garden in late August

 Lavatera 'Barnsley Baby'

A couple of months ago We moved this buddleja from the front garden, where it has lived for several years, to the back garden, and feared it would not survive. It has flowered beautifully - I hope it's not its last gasp!

 Achillea millefolium 'Summer Pastels'

 Coenosia tigrina on yarrow

Little fly with a big name on yarrow

Honeysuckle

Hibiscus

Garlic chives

Rose

Buddleja

Saururus cernuus in the pond

Commonly called 'lizard's tail', this aquatic plant disappears completely in winter.

Pears have been disappointing.  Lots of pear rust and only three or four pears from the trees.

Apples have been very productive - a large basketful every day.

                                                    Polyanthus

                                                       Apple mint

                                                        Plums

                                            Greengages

                                                    Chillies

Begonia fuchsioides on its summer hols

This cane begonia is ridiculously easy to propagate and grows like a weed. 

This is another of the house plants enjoying a summer holiday outside. This is Pachira aquatica, known as the Guiana chestnut or Money tree.

ABC Wednesday Z is for . . .

Zéphirine Drouhin

This beautiful old Bourbon rose is a constant reminder of my parents. It was one of their favourite roses and they gave Barry and me our first plant.

It is a good rose for beginners as it is easy to grow, is virtually thornless and has a sweet, mouth-watering fragrance. It will also grow in poor soils. It likes to climb but is not rampant, not growing much beyond 10’. Since its introduction in 1868 it has become a firm favourite both with ‘proper’ gardeners and those who dabble. It’s a rewarding rose and when it’s regularly dead-headed will flower continuously until November. It’s fully hardy so needs no special winter coddling. It is prone to mildew unless there is plenty of air circulating around it and is also a favourite with aphids – what isn’t?

The last photo could be called ‘The A-Z of Gardening’ – Aphids on Zéphirine Drouhin.

Zonal pelargonium  (Pelargonium x hortorum)

The Free Dictionary gives this definition: zonal pelargonium - an upright geranium having scalloped leaves with a broad colour zone inside the margin and white or pink or red flowers.

Pelargoniums are often erroneously called geraniums. Geraniums are hardy, herbaceous perennials. Pelargoniums are evergreen perennials native to southern Africa and are tolerant of heat and drought. In temperate climates they are grown as tender annuals, a favourite in summer gardens.

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ABC Wednesday Y is for Yellow

Yellow is such a cheerful colour in the garden particularly after the often dreary winter days when daffodils bloom in Spring . . .

 . . . followed by Kerria japonica which often flowers again in summer

Yellow Archangel (Lamiastrum galeobdolon ) is a wildflower native to central and southern England and common in Europe. It is a plant of ancient woodlands and old hedgerows, its yellow flowers in May and June bringing brightness to damper, darker areas. It grows well on chalk or heavy clay but can be invasive in the garden. Young leaves and shoots and flower tips can be eaten when cooked. In herbal medicine it has been used to treat sores and ulcers and to stop bleeding. It is rich in nectar and attractive to bees.

Yellow nasturtiums and marigolds also attract bees

Yellow pansy

Yellow courgette flower followed by green or yellow courgettes

Yellow honeysuckle

Yellow roses

Yellow honey bee (Apis mellifera)

We saw very few of these in 2011. I hope there will be more in 2012.

Yellow sunflower. 

Until last summer I thought all sunflowers were yellow but there are some very pretty red ones.

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