Old Rose Discoveries

I was off work today and spent a few hours up at the allotment in the March sunshine.I was too tired to do lots of digging.I have one more shift before I can concentrate on getting the plot ready for planting and sowing.
The longer days have encouraged the Gardens Roses to start growing on really well.From bare stems to leaf covered plants.This photo is of the Lady Emma Hamilton,my oldest Rose bush.I got a review copy of a new book called Women In My Rose Garden by Ann Chapman.She has an extensive collection of Roses in her New Zealand garden the Trinity Farm Living Rose Museum.She thought it would be interesting to see how the Roses were named,and look into the history of some of the women who have had Roses named after them.She has written about thirty five different Roses.The only one I have in the garden is Gertrude Jekyll.There are lots of old Roses,French Roses,and more I have not read about yet.A whole new selection of Roses for me to look for on my travels around garden centres and flower shows.
I love gardening,and books.So combining both is heavenly!The book has beautiful illustrations and text to give a brief biography of the Woman,and a brief growing description of the Rose itself.
If you love Roses try to get a copy.It is published by Hardie Grant.
I will closely follow my Roses this year as they grow and hopefully bloom with masses of scented lovely Roses.

November Rain

After a weeks holiday in the Scottish Highlands and one day back at work i finally went back into the garden with a camera.The rain days and early darkness keep you indoors more watching TV.I emptied out all the hanging baskets ready for the winter bedding plants.Cats parents gave us three varieties of plants to grow over the winter.After my nights I will plant up the baskets and the pots around the garden.Violas,Pansy's,and Sweet Williams.I have some Blue Tulips to plant to.The Arthur Bell Rose has managed a late flush of colour.Beautiful lemon yellow with a lovely old rose fragrance.It glows after the rain has fallen.Gertrude Jekyll looked sickly and I did not expect her to re bloom but she has.The pink Roses are amazingly fragrant and the colour glows in the dying autumn garden.She needs training up the supports we bought so the flowers can be supported next year.
When we were away in Scotland Cats Dad and John helped put our bird box up above the backdoor.The birds have all winter to find it and suss it out.I topped up the birds food today.They will start coming into the garden soon with the colder days ahead.

I have lots more tidying to do in the garden.There are spring bulbs already planted so they need clear soil to grow up through the earth.I cleared one Teasel away from the pond area.I snipped some dead flower heads back so you can see the pond outline again.I think I will leave the pond clearing until spring.The frogs should be able to chill in the deep water without freezing.

I will keep going out and clearing the garden debris a bit at a time.When spring comes it will be ready for another growing season.

The mole that visits us seems to have moved away.There have been no more mole hills yet.I saw a small brown mouse the other day running along the fence.

The garden birds and the wildlife like the garden as much as me.I will do more blog posts too now after my little break..

Ice And Roses

I cannot believe it is September already.The year has flown by.As i'm writing this the wind is blowing hard outside shaking all the plants and flowers.It has rained for the past few days,and the trees leaves have started to change colour.It has an Autumnal feel to the day.The garden still has flowers blooming.This first one is the Ice Plant or Sedum.It is very attractive to bees and was brought from Fishponds drive.I love the succulent leaves and the small white flowers.These turn into brown seedheads which will stay over the winter.The plant regrows from the base in the spring.I look forward to seeing it as a sign that winter is nearly over.The Rose Wisley has one more Rose bud on it.Despite a poor start the rose has flowered,and the blooms are beautiful.It has an old rose smell,and the petals are so delicate.I love my Roses.I still would like to buy more in the winter.As the summer garden comes to an end I am already imagining the new growing season.It will be time soon to recieve the seed company catalogues,and gardening books for inspiration.The most outstanding Rose of this year has been the Harlow Carr.It has bloomed magnificently for months and stills smells lovely.The branches flop all over and needed supporting to show the pink cupped flowers off.
I have the next few days off to garden,and to go to the allotment.I hope it stays dry for some of my time off.

Summer Glory

It's the end of my first week of annual leave.I have shopped lots,been to the allotment a few times.Visited York,and Nostell Priory.We had a Sunday BBQ today.The sun was shining, the insects flying.I took photos of the summer blooming flowers.This White Scabiosa was from the plant stall.It is very angelic looking.The petals look like silk and lace.

My favourite Lily Casa Blanca has flowered today.Its heavy scent drew in the Hover flys from miles.The white petals contrast to the orange stamen.The scent travels on the warm summer breeze.This is about the third year I think that these bulbs have flowered in the pot.

Also flowering in the garden today was my Oriental Stargazer Lily.These are some of the most fragrant Lily's ever introduced to the world.Leslie Woodriff created it in the 1970's.I love the pink and white petals, with the strawberry jam splatter and the heavy scent.These have to be sited away from where Cat sits due to her asthma.I think the scent is very heady, and the colours remind me of Arabian nights. The Rose Wisley has finally bloomed.After I snipped the dead branches away it has grown on and developed a few flower buds.The Blooms are small and dainty,with a lovely old rose smell.I'm pleased it has flowered.I was worried it would not bloom this year, as it has looked quite sickly.

The last photo is of the Rose Margaret Merill.She has grown a second flush of Rose flower buds.The scent is very strong.This is the best seasons flowers I have had off her.She is about four years old now.I love the sunlight illuminating the Roses petals.

Sunlight can make flowers glow like stained glass windows.The garden today had washing hung in it in the morning, and hosted the BBQ in the evening.The birds and insects enjoyed the garden when we were not there in between.A garden can be functional,and beautiful in the same turn.

I have a further week away from work.I plan on doing more gardening,more blog posts,and spending time on the allotment.The late summer garden only needs the odd tidy,and watering.Lots of time to entertain,to photograph,and to enjoy the garden in all its summer glory.

Blooms And Baskets

I spent the whole day today in the garden tidying up,cleaning the greenhouse up,planting my baskets, and taking photos.It was twenty degrees centigrade in the shade.The mystery Poppy in the planter box finally opened its crimson and black petals.It is very silky on the outside,and only opened in the sunshine.When it got cooler the flower was shut back up again.

There are about six smaller Poppy's with single flowers.This is a double flower, and is twice the size of the others.Is it a genetic cross between two Poppies?This is what they bred, but the other flowers are smaller and less showy.Maybe they lose vigour as they self seed and revert back to their parent plants.

The Lady Emma Hamilton is not blooming spectacularly like Harlow Carr, or Darcey Bussell. The LEH blooms are perfectly formed and scented so sweetly.The Apricot flowers seemed to glow today in the bright sunshine.She may not be performing as well as usual, but her blooms are perfection.

The pond has its edges softened now by planting around the pond liner.The pond plants have established themselves in the water, and have started to oxygenate the pond.The water is finally clearing after it became a green watery mess.It has now only been topped up by rainwater.My Norfolk Reed is also acting as a water filter.The pond is bordered by my Wildflower mix.This is a draw for many flying insects.Its busy air space around the pond.I have not seen any Dragonfly's yet this year.

This is a rare daytime photo of one of the Newts that is living in the pond.Tonight by torchlight I counted three frogs and two newts.Earlier I saw some lightning fast dark coloured Newts.They were extremely jumpy.This olive coloured Newt moves slowly through the water and between the oxygenating pond plants.I wander if the Black crested Newts are males looking to mate? They were so quick darting to the surface, before diving back into the deep water of the pond.It is so nice to sit by the side of the pond and look to see whats swimming, or chilling.My water Lily has made itself at home and is widely spreading its kidney shaped leaves.I saw a big frog tonight resting against the edge of a leaf.

Injecting some colour in the sun is the Armeria.It is a small clump of grass, that looks like Chives.It has these lovely pink football type flowers hoisted aloft over the grasses.I put this plant with my other Grasses for contrast to the airy light grasses.

The Rose Margaret Merrill has finally opened a bloom.It is the purest white with a lovely old rose scent.I watered all the Roses tonight with some Rose food.I want to try to keep feeding the Roses so they bloom all summer long.The Rose Flowers are for the eyes, and the scents for memorys and dreams.

The Starlings continue to brawl over the fat balls.There are three fat ball feeders around the garden.The Starlings shriek loudly and fly up to each other in aerial combat.They intimidate each other and eventually one retreats for a while.These are all fledglings I think that are arguing all the time.They are like the Keystone Cops waddling around the garden and pecking each other over the food.

I made the hanging baskets up today.Eight baskets and one wall mounted box.I used up five trays of plants but that did not even dent all the plants I have been growing on Petunia's, Pansy's,and Busy Lizzie's.I planted the Fuchsias and some French Marigolds as the centre plant in some of the baskets, and used different combinations of the three types of plu plants that were growing in the greenhouse.I added the granule food and water crystal mix.My baskets always end up drying out and dying.I hope the water is held in the jelly.

The pathway is lined with pots and planters.I added two brackets onto the old fence,I never realised that I had put these brackets one way, and on the opposite fence fixed the brackets on the other way.Cat told me before she went to work.

Two of the new Baskets are cone shaped.I love the rustic feel off the woven Rattan and black cord that makes the basket up.This was put up near to the Clematis Angelique.

I spent all of my day off in the garden.I have to work tomorrow before going to Birmingham on Thursday night.We have passes for Gardeners World Live/BBC Good Food Show on Friday.I have sorted my camera out.I just need to charge the battery's up ready for the NEC show.

I may well buy a few things to bring back.

The garden is looking lovely now.I just need to try to learn how to sit still.But there is always something to deadhead/trim/water/re pot.A garden is best when its not fully done.

I loved working outside in the sun with the sound of birds singing (and fighting), and the wind blowing through the tree tops.It was a blissful day off.

Roses Today

I was on a day off today.We went out to the new Wakefield Art gallery called the Hepworth, which has just opened recently.I came back and decided to photograph all the Roses that are blooming.
I have a daily walk going up and down the path.I stop at each Rose and try to smell the fragrance to think of how to describe it.The first photo is the delicious Gertrude Jekyll rose.It smells very sweet like candy.

The second and third photo show my namesake Rose,Lady Emma Hamilton.Her Roses are Apricot coloured and have the most divine scent.Like Oranges and Lemons.

I highly recommend you try to find this Rose to sample the fragrance.This is one of my favourite Roses, and this is the fourth year of her growing.I love the blooms and the dark leaves contrasting to the apricot coloured flowers.The smell makes me want to eat the Rose.

This Rose bush is Harlow Carr, and the fragrance is very old Rose.Like your grandmothers perfume or soap.This is a fragrance from a lost age.The Roses seem to explode out of the buds and look lovely against the green leaves.This is the first year I have grown it.

The last Rose photo is of the Molineux.It is named after a football stadium I think where Wolverhampton Wanderers play.These Roses will form a low hedge in our front garden.They are sat in their pots still.The blooms are a beautiful bright yellow and they have a slight Fragrance.

The Roses left that have not bloomed are Dark Lady,Margaret Merrill,Arthur Bell, and Wisley.

Darcey Bussell is also blooming with her Crimson Roses that smell like tea .

The highlight of the year is my Roses blooming.The flowers please the eyes.The scents send signals from the nose to the brain.Memories are evoked by the Rose bloom/scent.

The photos and memories will keep me going in December when there are no Roses growing.

Bank Holiday Dozen

Its a Bank Holiday Monday and guess what?It is raining cats and dogs outside.I took this photo today.The Rose Harlow Carr is covered in raindrops.I guess its a good thing as the rain has been scarce for most of March,April,and May.Our pond needs plenty of rain to keep its level topped up.It had lost a lot of its original water during the hot sunny days as shown by tidemarks on the black edge of the pond.

The Flag Iris look beautiful covered in rain drops.The pond water below, and the raindrops above reflect the cloudy unsettled sky.

The Rose Harlow Carr is very fragrant.The plant has the smallest Rosebuds.They obviously pack more flower petal into a smaller space than usual Roses!I saw these Roses growing in the scented garden at Harlow Carr many visits there ago and had it on my wish list.

This is the tantalising Rose Bud of the Rose Molineux.We bought five of these to form a low hedge in the front garden.I will plant them in the winter.They are resting in the David Austin pots still by the house.These have a glorious golden yellow colouration.I cannot wait to see how they look with all five flowering together.

The only thing to do when its raining hard is watch the Gardens Wildlife.This is a juvenile Squirrel who keeps coming into the garden to raid the fat balls,sunflower hearts, and the peanuts.He is so agile like a fluffy tailed acrobat.He can leap between vertical structures, hang upside down, and is tenacious despite being disturbed by me many times.He runs off, waits, then returns to the food.I do not know if the squirrels live around here or if they cross the road where the deciduous woodland is?

The garden is always full of birds flying in and out.Eating, drinking,squabbling, and singing.They are a constant source of amusement and interest.The garden has attracted a lot of baby birds recently.Fluffy Blue Tits and House Sparrows.Beating their wings to be fed by the parent birds.I hope that the Baby birds grow up and return as adults to feed, and drink here.The only thing we have not done yet is put up nest boxes.This is on the to do list.

The Sun was actually shining yesterday.After I got soaked at the allotment the clouds drifted away and the sun came out.I took some photos yesterday that contrast to the wet flowers of today.On the decking outside the backdoor I have this decorative frog watering can with red glass eyes, and the red and yellow Primula that was dug up by a squirrel?,and left wilting.I rescued it,revived it, and put it into a smaller pot as a table decoration.It has re payed me by flowering away.

The Lupins,Geums,and Californian Lilac always shimmer in the sunlight.I keep trying to capture the diffuse light they make when the sun illuminates them from behind.I love the Alium Everest seed head leaning at forty five degrees.

The Teasels have grown massively in the wildflower area, and the sunken border.They are now towering at six feet high with sharp edged leaves, and pouches where they capture and hold water between their leaves.These are plants I have grown from the original Trilby Street seed head.These did not flower last year, but will this year.I have collected four self seeded plants so far which are growing in the greenhouse. Next year they will replace these plants.The self seeding plants will guarantee this plant in the garden for years to come.I love how tall, and architectural they are.Tough,rugged,and elegant looking.The dried seed heads are beloved by Goldfinches allegedly.

Another pleasing feature of the garden is the wildflower area.This flower has bloomed a few days ago.It looked like a Chrysanthenum as it was growing.The flower opened out to this beautiful Sun daisy.The wildflower mix has been sowed twice now, and is being left to grow itself.It will hopefully self seed and perpetuate itself.Every year should have a different feel to it as various flowers win the battle.There will be no compost added to the area around the pond.I want it to stay poor soil to encourage Wildflowers.The Bee's have already been drawn to the Wildflower area.

This was the first day that the Harlow Carr Rose bloomed.It looks beautiful.It is named after the RHS garden in Harrogate.I have the Wisley rose too that my Mum sent me for Xmas in 2009.I think Roses are so pretty, and romantic.I think gardens need at least one (if not eleven Rose bushes like me).I still want a Dog Rose,some Climbing Roses, and a few more upright ones from David Austin.The David Austins have been bred by an expert, selected, and trialed before they go on sale.The price is more, but the Roses are superb in shape,colour, and health.Botanic Gardens around the world mass plant these I bet.

The last photo is of a Blue Tit eating fat balls from the cage that is closest to the house.These are amazingly agile birds, very quick, and hard to photograph.

Springwatch starts tonight on BBC2 from Wales.Kate Humble,Chris Packham,and Martin Hughes-Games present three weeks of wildlife watching from RSPB Ynyr-Hirs reserve.I love Springwatch.It is one of the tv highlights of the year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/uk

Our garden is made for us, but is designed to attract wildlife,Bees, and Butterflies.Our pond has attracted Newts, and Frogs.The organic garden has a Hedgehog that visits to dine nightly on the slugs and snails.There are Pipestrelle Bats that fly around the house at twilight and night catching all the flying insects.We can hear the nearby Owls twit-a-wooing or screeching at night.All the wildlife is within a short distance of the house which is amazing.

The garden can attract wildlife, and be beautiful to look at.

Friday Photos

I am off work for four days now.I can spend my time gardening, going to the allotment, baking, and shopping.I have just made some Scones to go with clotted cream and strawberry jam.I have been out with the old camera taking photos of flowers in bloom in the garden today. The first one shows a Red Astrantia with a Bee resting on it.This is the second Bee I have seen today alighting on a plant.Do they get tired and have to stop for a while?

The Oriental Poppy is flowering away beautifully in the pot on the corner of the greenhouse.Its red/orange petals look like silk.The centre is very ornate like a sweet.The seedhead looks like a pepper pot I think.This is a perennial so has flowered for the last two years.It gets bigger the clump every year.It may need re potting after it has finished flowering.

The David Austin Gertrude Jekyll Rose has finally began to bloom.There are about eighteen Rose buds on the plant.I bought a support ring for the Rose to grow up.The Roses smell so divine, this was Britain's best loved Rose before.The scent is heavenly and every time I go past I have to stop to inhale the Roses fragrance.yum.

The Rose is a flower of beauty grown for centurys.A garden must always have at least one if not more.I think I have eleven rose bushes so far.Every time we go to David Austins I buy another one.

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The Red Hot Poker is looking fiery likes its name.The bottom flower buds are beginning to open to reveal yellow petals.I am so pleased that this plant is flowering now in its third season.I was worried it would never flower.I hope that it attracts the Bee's.

The Clematis by the backdoor has three flowers on it now.The plant is slowly scrambling up the Trellis that i planted in the pot.The flowers are a lovely light lilac colour with jewel like centres.I cannot remember what the Clematis variety is called.

The last flowering photo is the Astrantia Major, my favourite flower.It is the one I first saw at Harlow Carr (where the blogs title photo came from) and I have loved them ever since.I bought the Ruby coloured one from the Gardeners World Live show last year, and the White one from Hampson's.

The Bees love the pin cushion type flowers and are always flying up to them.The weather is decidedly unsettled but I hope that I can get to the plot whilst it is not raining to check on my vegetable plants progress and to do some weeding.

The Tomato plants need sorting out in the greenhouse,Half are going outside in planter bags, and the more delicate Cherry Tomatoes are going to be grown inside the greenhouse in grow bags.

I need more garden compost to be able to do this.Maybe I will go to Hampson's tomorrow.I saw some lovely Festuca Glauca grasses that would look lovely next to my Stipa Tenuissima, my Pony tails grass on the concrete base by the greenhouse.

There is one more day left of the Chelsea flower show.I need to watch the programs that I missed whilst I was working.I have started to formulate my highlights.

Whilst the eyes of the world have been at Chelsea I have been enjoying my own little patch of earth.It may be small but it is tended with an equal amount of passion, but costing much less.I have seen some plants at Chelsea that I think would look good.

The next thing I'm looking forward to it the return of Spring Watch from Wales.I love Chris Packham and Kate Humble.They make the every day things around us more exciting and makes you go looking for it.It starts on the 30th May.

I hope to have a good weekend outside in the garden and allotment.

May Flowers And Frogs

The first photo shows some of Cats Hostas catching the raindrops.After the driest March and April it finally rained.We got our water butts fixed to the sheds down pipe.In one night the whole 220 litres was filled up to just under the pipe to the second Butt.I have now got a source of rainwater to use on the garden and to top the pond up with.It will be natural water with none of the chemicals that are typically used in our tap water.The sunshine and showers has caused the Hostas to explode into new growth. They line the gardens concrete path.I am trying to grow smaller pots of Hostas on hopefully into barrel planters.The concrete path seems to stop the slugs and snails damaging the leaves.The house sparrows are constantly flying into the Hosta pots, so maybe they are deterring the slugs and snails.

The Ceanothus has formed these beautiful blue flower buds just waiting to open.I hope that the Wakefield Bees will be drawn to these honey scented flowers. The buzzing noise around a California Lilac is one of the sounds of summer.

The Geum Mrs Bradshaw is flowering away with these crimson red flowers.They have yellow centres and are held in the air and move in the breeze.I'm hoping the Geum flowers much more than it did last year.It is almost double the size now on the corner of the sunken border.

One of the joys of this year has been to see Wildlife moving into the newly constructed pond.The Frog is chilling in the Flag Iris pot.The only gravel we could find at Hampsons was this coloured aquarium stones.This keeps the mud in the pot and stops it from spilling out into the pond.The Flag Iris is just opening its flower buds now.A hint of yellow at the end of the long green stems.These are a British Native Wetland plant, and have been around for thousands of years.They were the symbol of the Anglo Saxon Kings.Flowering in May and June they are one of the glories of the summer.

The pond edge has been softened slightly by the planting of grasses and flowers.I have sowed some Wildflower mix too in the area that surrounds the pond.There is a Frog hanging onto the side of the Flag Iris pot in the top centre of the photo.

This is a second Frog I photographed.He moved in a few days ago.I love how they sit and watch you slightly submerged.He was joined by a smaller darker Frog soon after I took this photo.I have had a weakness for frogs since i was small.I actually collect Frogs, ornaments and cuddly toys.They are like the Water spirits of the garden.After the Harsh winter killed ours I hope that this winter will not be as severe for them.The pond is much deeper now so hopefully will not freeze entirely.

After the heavy rain that filled the water butt I photographed this Collared Dove immersing himself in the birdbath.I have seen Starlings and House Sparrows bathe before.He splashed about like mad for five minutes.I think it drives the parasites off the feathers.He flew up to next doors pergola to primp his feathers afterwards.

The Rose Gertrude Jekyll is almost in flower.She will be the first Rose of the year to bloom.The others are in varying states of budding or just with leaves.The local House Sparrows have been on aphid patrol for me.I got a spiral support for this rose so she could climb skywards and not fall down all over the place.The Gertrude Jekyll is named after a famous lady gardener and has highly scented pink Roses.

The pond has also attracted some Newts.They are like prehistoric dragons swimming around the pond rising to the surface to gulp down some air.This one was feeding around the small Water Lily that I planted a few weeks ago.There is also a large newt with a prominent blue stripe on her tail.With their fish like tails they are like a link between fish and amphibians.

The last photo shows the darker Aquilegias flowering in the sunken border.They are very striking to look at with their burgundy petals and spurs.The centre of the flower is reminiscent of a church window i think.

The garden is growing in beauty and depth over time.It is a pleasure to walk around and just enjoy the blooms and the wildlife.Dodging between rain showers there is always something to look at.