July in the Northern Hemisphere

[Tristan_He]

The lawnmower has packed up so I am having to use the scythe at the moment. Actually I love scything - it's relaxing sort of work and you get to feel virtuous too, as there are no fossil fuels and the amount of wildlife that gets killed when cutting the grass is much less. It also makes a much cleaner cut which I think it better for the grass and other plants. The raking up afterwards is a pain though.

[ian mcdonald]

Tristan, it reminds me of my old front lawn.

[Tristan_He]

Last year I bought a few different lavender varieties to try on a dry slope below the boggy area where the pitcher plants spend the summer (the liner intercepts a lot of rainfall). They did not thrive in our very wet and cold summer last year but are making a nice display this year. I thought some different varieties together might give a more natural effect than the large bloc plantings of single clones. Below them are dwarf tulips which are dormant now. I intend to prune the lavenders hard in spring to give the tulips space and I may also try some Frits there in time.



'Arctic Snow'






L. x chaytorae 'Gorgeous'. It has a beautiful silvery leaf as well.

[ashley]

Very nice Tristan, and a good reminder of how we can diversify conditions in the garden.
I like your lichen-covered rocks too.

[shelagh]

A little bit cooler yesterday and today so out with the camera.

Astilbe Willie Buchanan.

Campanula and Clematis.

Correopsis Bengal Tiger.

Heuchera Marmalade.

First batch of ferns. From left to right Adiantum reniforme, Aspenium trichomanes incisum, Polystichum seitiferum plumosum densum, Cystopteris fragilis, Phyllitis scolopendrium muricatum.

[shelagh]

Second batch of ferns. Asplenium lonchitis, Pteris gallinopes, Adiantum aleuticum, Asplenium fontanum, Polystichum lemmonii and Asplenium fontanum.

Inula ensifolia cmpacta.

Pelargonium trough.

Pritzilago alpina.

Saxifraga stolonifera in the shady border.

[shelagh]

Finally.

Scutellaria Texas Rose.

I've posted Seddum dasyphyllum Lloyd Praeger before in a pot this one is desperately trying to escape from the greenhouse.

Silene Mt. Snowden form.

Another view of the raised bed.

[Robert]

Shelagh,

Thank you for consistently posting such a variety of attractive plants. I do indeed enjoy the variety of plant species; rock garden species, perennials, etc. that you grow in your garden. Hopefully your garden has received some much-needed rain and there is no need to drag a hose around or carry a watering can.



In our garden the “Sleeper Bees” gather in clusters under the petals of Rudbeckia ‘Autumn Sun’ each evening to spend the night.



They also like our California native annual Lessingia leptoclada, spending the night clinging to the narrow stems and small flowers.

With the full moon, the white flowers of Nicotiana ‘Priscilla’ and Nicotiana sylvestris glow in the moonlight. Both are fragrant, especially at night. I would not want to have a garden without such common plant species. It is such a magical experience!

[shelagh]

Thanks Robert. I love the picture of the bees under the Rudbeckia flower. Our R. goldstrum is just budding up bit, it grows so fast it is in danger of taking over the garden. A very vigorous plant.

[Leena]

Robert, interesting to find where bees stay overnight.

Shelagh, I admire so much your variety of plants and tidy garden! The sunny part of my garden is full of crowded big plants, and I can't give them up to have space for smaller ones. In the woodland beds I can have small plants though.
It has been a dry July, today we are getting much needed rain but before that it has rained only 8mm all July. Plants are looking surprisingly well in spite of drought and hot weather.
This has been a good summer for butterflies and there are a lot of them in the garden.

[Leena]

I love Phloxes and they seem to do well in my garden. They give much colour to the garden.

[Leena]

Also Heleniums are my favourites. Most of them are flowering later in August, but the two earliest varietys are already flowering.
I use Mentha longifolia for tea but it is also a good butterfly plant.
Paeonia anomala seed pods are already opening, it is the first peony to ripen it's seeds, with P.veitchii just behind it.

Earlier this week I made a youtube video from my garden, Phloxes, Heleniums and butterflies (in Finnish).

[ashley]

Earlier this week I made a youtube video from my garden, Phloxes, Heleniums and butterflies (in Finnish).

Kaunis kesäpuutarha ja perhosia!  Thanks for showing us around Leena

[shelagh]

Lovely plants Leena. I love the bronze Heleniums best, but everything seems to thrive in your garden. It simply wouldn't be half as exciting if we all grew the same plants.

[Herman Mylemans]

Also Heleniums are my favourites. Most of them are flowering later in August, but the two earliest varietys are already flowering.
I use Mentha longifolia for tea but it is also a good butterfly plant.
Paeonia anomala seed pods are already opening, it is the first peony to ripen it's seeds, with P.veitchii just behind it.

Earlier this week I made a youtube video from my garden, Phloxes, Heleniums and butterflies (in Finnish).

Leena, nice video. Beautiful flowers and butterflies. Thank you for showing.