Ruislip & Eastcote & Northwood Gazette
Summer standouts
AT THIS ENCHANTING TIME, GET OUTSIDE TO APPRECIATE OUR
ON Midsummer’s day, I took a stroll through the garden. This time of year is probably the most colourful in my plot. The garden is full of greenery and there are lots of beautiful flowers everywhere.
One of the main jobs is to go around and deadhead so the plants will keep producing their wonderful displays.
And the other big job is watering, not just the potted displays but some of the thirstier plants like hydrangeas, tree ferns and bamboos, which love a soaking. It’s been a dry year and it may remain so for much of the summer so hydrating plants is a priority.
The rodgersias are in flower – they send up a dramatic tall spire of creamy flowers above their fresh bronzey leaves. It’s a great plant for shady boggier areas – handsome and low-maintenance.
Foxgloves, both white and pink, have self seeded in the shade and another superb shade lover, Aruncus or goat’s beard, is in bud and ready to produce its fluffy creamy plumes of flowers. It’s a bit like Astilbe on steroids and takes up twice the space.
In the sunnier parts, roses and peonies are scene stealers but it’s worth taking a closer look at the plants that surround them that enhance their beauty.
Hardy geraniums make good partners for roses, providing a cloud of ground cover in pretty pastels without overpowering the star plants.
One of my favourites here is ‘Mrs Kendall Clark’, a diaphanous blue, its almost translucent flowers shimmering in the sun. It’s a tall groundcover so does a fine job of hiding bare and not-so-pretty rose stems.
Another hardy geranium that is quite sizzling at the moment is ‘Ann Folkard’. The magenta pink flowers have an almost black eye which is quite striking.
This herbaceous perennial is a good mixer, gently scrambling over and through its neighbours without bullying any of them and the light green foliage makes a pleasant foil for its companions. Tulbaghia violacea is a delicate perennial just coming into flower. It smells of garlic, hence its common name, society garlic, and has pretty pale lavender flowers that are very long lasting – it seems to keep going until autumn.
In colder areas it might need protection so grow it in a pot where it will be quite happy and can be protected over winter. Fairweather plants, otherwise known as tender or half-hardy, love this time of year. Dahlia ‘Sunshine’ is a ray of light, the zingy yellow flowers contrasting beautifully with the darker foliage. Nemesias are one of my top bedding plants – they give a lot in return for little and in a sunny plot are top bloomers.
Finally there are the steady eddies who do a fine job, so utterly reliable they don’t always get enough praise. Astrantia, alchemilla, geums, lavender and nepeta quietly weave their magic through the garden. It’s an enchanting time of the year – make sure to spend some time outdoors to enjoy it all when you can.