Fish are jumping

The rain? Good heavens no, you must have misheard me. The heat! I was complaining about the heat! Somewhat stifling, I must say. Excuse me a moment while I fish out my sun hat and pour a large gin & tonic! In the meantime, here are some recent images of dear old Hidcote in all of its summer glory. It is such a joy to be free from the burden of college assignments, and to be able to enjoy the garden to the full in these final days. The rain ends, the sun comes out, and the butterflies return; can it get much better than this?
 

Early morning in the Old Garden, where the old Lebanon cedar provides a shifting shade

The roses have had a torrid time of it this year, poor things, battered from pillar to post. Actaea simplex though has revelled in the moist conditions, and has been looking utterly marvellous!

Rosa ‘Juno’ is one such specimen to have pulled through the earlier heavy downpours, and is flowering now up the Rose Walk

The Rose Walk, soon to be the ‘Long Borders’ as they were named by Major Johnston

Detail of the planting in these borders, with Eryngium giganteum, Anthemis tinctoria ‘Sauce Hollandaise’ and Eremurus stenophyllus

The spikes of Linaria purpurea (the lighter form is the hybrid ‘Canon J. Went’) screening the sumptuous trumpets of Lilium regale

Mixed pot display on the Red Border steps, with Cuphea cyanea and the light-green foliage of Fuchsia boliviana

Late-afternoon rays light up Ligularia przewalskii in the Pine Circle, with the glorious annual Cerinthe major ‘Purpurascens’ down in front

More Ligularia in the Stream Garden, with L. ‘Skyrocket’ combining wonderfully with Astilbe arendsii ‘Gloria Purpurea’

In the Old Garden, Molopospermum peloponnesiacum has been a most curious point of interest for almost two months now. Light, ferny foliage combines with these glorious angelica-like seed heads

Also in the Old Garden, this huge specimen of Philadelphus flowers later and more profusely than any other Mock Orange in the garden. The variety is currently unknown, and it was quite probably planted by Major Johnston

A beautiful Speckled Wood enjoying the shelter of the Long Walk hedges

Mrs Winthrop’s Garden, with the old favourite Hypericum ‘Hidcote’ shimmering in the corner

In the Orchard, the long grass and wildflowers provide an excellent habitat for wildlife! Here is Leucanthemum vulgare and the Field Scabious, Knautia arvensis

Although this might look like a dreadful pest, it is in fact a ladybird larva! Do not squish, simply move to an aphid infested stem and enjoy the spectacle of them munching away on those dreadful sap-suckers!

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