Chapter 9 - Summer: June to August

      

Views of the garden from the upstairs of the cottage

The Spring Bank Holiday and early June herald the beginning of summer.  Frosts can be forgotten, bedding plants can be brought out into the garden from the greenhouse or cold frame where they have been hardening off and the roses begin to bloom in earnest.   Or at least they do in our garden.  Rosa 'Albertina' on the archway and Rosa 'Felicite Perpetue' on the top wall, both pinky cream, but the latter much smaller, fill their allotted places beautifully.  The other roses are not so prolific, though 'William Lobb' is improving as the years go by.   But summer is the time for perennials and there are so many to choose from.

         Rosas 'Albertina',  and   'Felicite Perpetue'    

Rosa 'William Lobb' 

The Top Border

Framed between the shed and the Summerhouse, this area is backed by the purple Cotinus coggygria, 'Felicite Perpetue' and 'William Lobb', but features several clematis as well as tall perennials such as Hollyhock; Allium; Astrantia and a yellow Verbascum.  The next layer, height-wise,  includes such things as a peony; Smilacina, the false Soloman's Seal; Heuchera; Tiarella; Papaver 'Orientalis' and, one of my favourites, Chaerophyllum hirsutum 'Roseum', a mauve cow parsley, which seems to be a rarity in our area, but is an excellent filler which spreads and sends its inflorescences just where they are needed, whilst not being a thug.  Smaller plants come in the form of primulas.

                       

                                           Astrantia                              Chaerophyllum hirsutum 'Roseum'                                                   

Hollyhock

The Right Border

The floribunda rose with, in front of it, the Yucca which we removed in 2012

This border is backed by the unknown pink floribunda rose, which spreads across the roof of the summerhouse; ivy, various clematis, a Ribes Speciosum, and a couple of honeysuckles with foxgloves, Veronicastrum virginicum 'Alba'  and several salvias making their way towards the front.  We have developed a special interest in salvias since our discovery of the vast range available.  On our Year on the Road in Europe from September 1996 to September 1997, Mick worked for two weeks in La Mortola, the garden on the Mediterranean border of France and Italy, originally belonging to the Hanbury Pharmaceutical family who donated the land for RHS Wisley.  Until that time, the only salvia we knew of was the bright red annual which is used extensively in displays in parks, but the gardener there staggered us by introducing us to over 200 varieties.  Unfortunately, many of the most attractive are tender, which we have learned to our cost, and there are many deletions in my database.  It is important when buying them, therefore, to check this out if winter storage is a problem.  However, some are hardy and we manage to keep several going from year to year, particularly  S. 'Glutinosa', a pale yellow; S. forsskaolii, a purple with a white stripe; S. mycrophylla 'Hot Lips', a white with a red tip; and S. sclarea 'Turkistanica', pink to purple/white.  Despite our losses, we continue to be tempted and a couple bought last year are still unknown quantities in the survival field!

Some of the salvias we have loved and lost:

Salvia 'Lady in Red' 

Salvia gesnerifolium        

Salvia 'Indigo Spires'

Salvia 'Uliginosa'

    

Following the removal of the enormous Yucca from the top of this border, its space was filled with a Viburnum sargentii 'Onondaga' so that the Crinum Lily and Geranium should now be seen to better advantage.

Penstemon and Knautia

Bronze Fennel stand at each end of the border with a Bamboo in the centre and the burgundy-coloured Knautia macedonica mingles with lavender at the end near the patio.   Deutzia x elegantissima 'Rosealind', a small variety with the prettiest pale pink star-shaped flowers  continues behind the table and chairs, alongside a heuchera, day lilies and Echinops ritro 'Veitch's Blue' which is really in the wrong place as it's spiky balls and leaves have to be fastened well back to protect visitors to the patio.

Deutzia x elegantissima 'Rosealind'

Next to the Rockery

This area is an effort at a hot border, with Crocosmia 'Lucifer' and Potentilla 'Monarch's Velvet' , though it does have the purple Buddleia at one end and the likes of Aconitum carmichaelii 'Arendsii', Ajuga reptans 'Multicolour', Trycirtis hirta - the purple toad lily, and yellow Lysimachia punctata at the other.   However, the pink version of Rogersia aesculifolia, Skimmia japonica, and red Monardas, Penstemons and Dahlias were planted there last year.  Rosa glauca 'Pourr' also stands in a pot on the patio in the hope that it will add its tones to the array.

Crocosmia 'Lucifer'

You may remember from Chapter 2 that we were in two minds about the Salix caprea 'Pendula' which lived next to the rockery.  As it had developed rust and showed no sign of recovery, I can now report that it was removed. 

The Rockery

 Many of the plants here have been and gone by the time June arrives, but nevertheless there are usually quite a number of small plants which carry on flowering for a while longer.  There are also the Geraniums hymalayensis 'Flore Plena' with its lovely double purple flowers, and the pale pink 'Endressii' , the old favourite, London Pride and Fragaria 'Ruby' , the pretty ornamental strawberry which spreads by its runners, but is easily controllable.   Lilies of the valley, and Euphorbia cyparissias 'Red Devil' - both real thugs - also grow well here, but have to be pulled out at regular intervals to reduce their hold.

      

                                   Convallaria majalis                        Ajuga reptans 'Multicolor and

                                                                                     Euphorbia cyparissias 'Red Devil'

The rockery is finished off at the end by what was supposed to be the herb garden with a Bay tree in the centre.  The Bay Tree has survived well,  but lavender has now replaced the herbs within the sections, which were created by box hedging, as it was found difficult to access them, sited as the garden is on top of the wall and at the side of quite steep steps.    Hopefully the lavender will survive the winter.

The Water Feature

Spring-flowering shrubs are in the majority in this corner, so when the Spring bulbs have finished, there is not a great deal to provide colour, but on one side is the Deutzia pulchra, a larger version of the elegantissima 'Rosealind',  which should flower in June; it is relatively young, but I am hoping it will have grown enough by this year to put on a good show.    On the opposite side is the Catalpa which is beautiful in summer and enhanced by other climbers.  Beneath the Catalpa small cyclamen have been planted, but a Crocosmia, Penstemon and Lily add to the effect as summer advances.

       

                                               Catalpa flower                 Crocosmia 'Emily McKenzie'

       

                                                                 Lilium longiflorum                     

The Centre Ground

This quite large area is full of all sorts of perennials, but is also home to shrubs and trees.  The Daphne and Hamamelis have finished flowering by this time, but the aptly-named Viburnum opulus is super with its white 'snowballs'.  The Corylus is a disappointment in summer, with its heavy, dark-green, crinkly leaves and we do our best to hide it behind delphiniums and other tall plants.  

In my opinion, some work needs to be done in this area, with several large plants needing to be removed.  For instance, another yucca has outgrown its space and a tree peony adds nothing to the design.   However, discussions are yet to decide their ultimate fate and in the meantime there are many good things to see.  Tall grasses, such as Miscanthus sinensis 'Silberfeder' and Molinia caerulea ssp arundinacea 'Windspiel'  and Kitaibela, a very tall white flower with separated petals give some height and the large pink Lamium orvala provides a good clump of medium-sized flowers.  Nepeta and several varieties of geranium  are very showy and mix well with Love in a Mist and Origanum.  Poppies,  Penstemon, Phlox and Phlomis  vie for space with Salvias, Sisyrinchium and Sidalcia. 

            

                                         Papaver 'Curlilocks'                         Papaver orientalis                                   

                                                                            Phlox

The edges of the path are overlapped by Oxalis, Trifolium, Persicaria and Alchemilla Mollis, whilst seed from violets, aquilegia, poppies and many others force their way through cracks in the paving in an abundance of new growth.

     

                                            Alchemilla Mollis                                Persicaria      

The cottage garden in summer is exuberant and colourful, bursting with vigour and vitality and only contained by stakes and rings and nets if they are put in at the right time in the right place.  If not, precious plants will be dashed by the English rainstorm which 'came out of the blue' .

For those of us who love our gardens and want the best for them, someone has to spend many hours planning, propagating, pruning, preparing and composting before the flowers arrive, as well as watering  and dead-heading when they do.  

To maintain a garden at its best throughout the summer is truly a labour of love. 

The Back Courtyard