Annuals as cut flowers, and update on gardening jobs!

…..or are they white Cosmos?

Yes rain! As you can see, the brown grass could do with it.

Gorgeous rose, Namsnanny
I pruned the Trachelospermum hard back last year as it developed sooty mould. It’s gone mad now! Yes, the scent is fabulous - all down the road!

(White roses)

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My beautiful oriental poppies sited among my low growing conifers at the front of the house. I bought them 4 years ago after seeing them in Oregon USA while on holiday coping with the heat effortlessly. And of course they are stunning. This year there were 41 beautifully delicate buds/blooms. With the first bloom came a storm but the blooms weathered it ok.

Having a dark brown garage door it always appears dark looking up the drive as it doesn’t get much sun. It’s a bit of a wind tunnel so eventually I had to stop the hanging baskets.
So what to do? At first I thought of painting sunflowers but came across these stickers on a leading selling site. I love my sticker sunflowers.

Just around the corner is my patio which is a beautiful surprise. 3 mature fruit trees whose branches span 2/3 of the way across the patio and provide a dappled sunlight where the wee dgc can safely play. The older ones climb the trees. Bird feeders and bird boxes in the trees and a bird bath underneath. There’s
red climbing roses against the garage wall with sweet pea growing through. Many curios and memories hanging from the fruit trees and all strung with fairy lights. Nasturtiums growing up through my obelisk made at the craft class in Centre Parcs. Cherry tomatoes growing in a pot sitting on top of the ivy covered wall to catch the sun. The wall is double at the bottom and has about 20’ of hostas. Maximising every inch of space.

Still room for seating..... just about.

My friend says it’s like walking into a fairy glen. I’m thinking of getting a Fairy Glen sign made.

Sorry to have rambled. I get carried way.

Beautiful poppies Coolgran

I love poppies they are so fragile and fleeting but to see a field of poppies is breathtaking.

High wind forecast -yet again- tomorrow. I have a Japanese cedar in a large pot which gets so battered, so going to try to protect it with something. Sort of netting or something to tie around the pot to break the wind. Last time the poor thing got blown completely out of the pot!!

Maybe bubble wrap WWM2 ?

lisa yes I’m going to have to dig around in the shed to see what I can find. But I’m going to have to rethink because we seem to be having so much of this Wind.

This climate change brings interesting times!

I've just planted out my zinnia and cosmos, both grown from packets of free seeds in a gardening magazine.

Should I pinch out the growing tips or just leave them to bush out on their own, please?

I don’t suppose it will hurt to pinch them out oldgoat

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A bit of a late answer Oldgoat, but I pinched out my Cosmos, I've yet to see the results.

Here is a photo of my seedlings compared with a Cosmos plant I bought from Lidl the other day!

can you believe it?! to miss quote Victor Meldrew.

The bought plant wasn't very expensive either.
I might not bother next year

LisagranI'm channelling your artistic flower arranging skills for my next photo!!

I have a Mock Orange shrub which I like to cut and bring into the house.
The scent is gorgeous, but I can't pick long stems from it, only woody stumps!
So I've put some in a mug with Heuchera leaves.
Hope you like it

Love the bunch of flowers Namsnanny! The Heuchera leaves really ‘lift’ it. I could plonk flowers in pots all day long!

Trying to get into the garden, but other stuff getting in the way which is driving me mad. Hopefully tomorrow is free apart from the chiropodist.

Loads of jobs to do. Take off the seed heads on rhododendron and feed them.
Weed the beds and feed the roses. Feed perennials. Feed the sweet peas to keep them going, I’ve had bowlfulS from them so far.
Deadheading is getting behind.
Feed the pots.
Clear the spring detritus and tidy up.

I’m getting all behind!

My sweet peas haven’t flowered yet WWM2. Mind you I was late sowing them. Quite a bit of colour generally though

Lovely flowers Lisa you have so much colour in your garden. The very hot dry weather has seen off a lot of ours, and the lawns are looking very brown.

Oh, that’s very selective picture taking in my garden, lemongrove! Our “lawn” looks like a hayfield, and I’ve lost a Pittosporum in a big pot (well I’ve cut it right back now and watered it like mad, but it looks a goner) and the raised bed at the end of the south facing garden is like a desert!

Wwmark" … I love Sweet Peas. If you get the time after all your jobs are finished, could you post a photo of them?
Mine are way off from flowering.

Funnily I feed the Rhodis yesterday with sea weed concentrate. What do you use?

How did your Japanese Cedar fair?

These were my sweet peas last year. I kept the seed, so I hope this year’s are the same colour and scent; they were lovely. No flowers this year yet.

Oh what fabulous Sweet Peas - they're luminous, rather like the colours in Morning Glory. I so love Sweet Peas!

I think the variety was “Cupani”

I shall look out for those when/IF we're ever allowed to get to the UK again, and maybe try them out here next year. Thanks for the info.

My 4" sweet pea seedlings were only planted out yesterday to climb through the red climbing roses on the side of the garage.
I'm up North so cooler and rather behind.

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Coolgran I agree with you your poppies are stunning. They make a good contrast with the yellow/green conifirs.
Your garden sounds magical. You must put lots of work into it.

Lisagran … Clematis, Love in the mist, roses pink and white, but what are the tall stems in your collection of glass bottles?

In the multi photo is the blue ground cover plant Campanula or perhaps a blue Geranium? But all the plants look so healthy.
My Geraniums were moved last autumn and this spring the leaves looked a bit yellow. I think the soil is too thin at the foot of the wall where they are relocated. I thought they could cope there but not so. I shall mulch and feed now, after I cut them down.
Your clematis have really done well in this weather haven't they?

lemongrove … Our grass is brown and dead looking too!
Also lost a plant or two. Well, the Camellia might make it after a severe prune and water, but it's looking quite sorry for its self!

I've (lots of help ) cut back the Ceanothus and pruned out some of the lower branches yesterday and today.
It might help me to get to the blessed bindweed that is a nuisance behind it.

I keep thinking the poppies are coming to an end, and up pops another bud!
So, some more photos of them and Dutch Iris.

Coolgran65 … My pea plants are about a couple of feet tall now (I did take a chance and put them out early).
I lost a few plants because the soil I planted some in was too compacted, and then the weather became cold and windy so they gave up the ghost.

Is the rose repeat flowering, or are you letting the sweet peas provide the flowers whilst using the rose for support?

Grandmafrench … your description is so apt Lisagrans sweet peas do look luminescent.