Roses are reminding us that it’s summer!

After what seemed like a very short spring, fabulous roses in the garden remind us we are well and truly into summer. One is ‘Nostalgia’, a delightful rose which always brightens my day. Its red petals are tinged with pink and it has a white centre. A very old floribunda rose which never fails to perform is laden with deep red roses, each stem bearing what seems to be a mini bouquet. It’s amazing how plants and shrubs transform themselves from spring to summer. After a particularly stormy week,

the bright white blossom on the pyracantha changed overnight to a pale orange hue. I’m hoping for a profusion of orange berries soon.

Centranthus ruber, or red valerian, punctuates the garden with its bright flowers popping up everywhere! It does need a bit of control as it can be a bit invasive, but I can forgive it as it’s very pretty. Another summer favourite is love-in-a-mist, Nigella damascena. I randomly scatter the seeds around and have been rewarded with bright blue,

jewel-like flowers. On the allotment, the new strawberries I planted earlier in the season are fruiting up nicely. The good mix of weather is helping them swell to a good size. Artichokes are doing well, needing little attention, and will soon be ready for picking.

I’ve dug up some very healthy garlic bulbs and have laid them

out to dry in the sun before they go into storage.

Rose ‘Nostalgia’ always brightens my day This was my pyracantha before the flowers went orange

I sca er nigella about and it comes up in abundance

An urban oasis in Twickenham combining trees, shrubs and general planting with a variety of pondlife and wildlife.