Tuesday 31 July 2012

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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10 comments:

Wife, Mother, Gardener said...

Thanks for the summer views! Glad you all have made it into the sun; we are just starting to get our rain back. I cannot wait to have some moist soil for those beautiful Ligularias!

Curious: Are there plans to replant the Rose Walk? or is it just a name change?

Rosemary said...

As usual another lovely selection of photos from Hidcote. I wonder where you are off to next once your time at Hidcote is finished.

Diana Studer said...

wherever it is, you'll take us blog readers with you? Perhaps to a a new blog, anyway a title change?

Helen O'Donnell said...

I love the anthemis, eryngium, eremurus combination! Such good stuff! Nice ligularias too, we have had too much heat and not enough rain for those to look any good here.

Prue said...

Great photos as usual, Bertie. The one of the Philadelphus is a cracker against that blue sky! I didn't know the Rose Walk had been called the Long Borders. Thanks for that snippet of information.

The Green Lady said...

just lovely. The ligularia looks like fireworks going off. Must be a relief to have graduated and have time to relax and enjoy Hidcote. Congratulations!

Diane at My Cottage Garden said...

Hi Bertie! I miss reading your blog, but I have had little time for the computer this summer. I will be back to reading/posting when the summer is over.

And you want to talk about heat? We just got back from a vacation to Texas, USA, and the humidex was in the high forties! It was a sauna to my Canadian system!

Diane

Juniperhillfarm said...

Some great photos and some wonderful plant combinations, Bertie! But I must tell you, it will be a long time before I will be able to commit Molopospermum peloponnesiacum to memory. It just doesn't want to fit on my tongue. Cheers, Joe

Bertie Bainbridge said...

Greetings chumrades!
Julie, the change of name will not herald a replant.

Unknown said...

fffffffff

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