OK, it’s time for a proper garden post, for all you who have despaired at being presented with so much history. And I thought it was time to remind ourselves that there are other times than winter, so this is a post with the same view (ish) taken throughout the seasons. Though strangely I found more winter ones than spring of this particular view. I think one above is not a very good picture, but the sunshine is cheering.
These are all views of the Crescent Border, which I have been planting things in for 30 years in the hope of getting a spring/summer/autumn display for us. With varying degrees of success, but next year…
Adding a touch of frost is sweet too, I think, and I do prefer it to snow, which not only leaves us snowed in or digging ourselves out, but tends to make things look lumpy. And bends the hedges, but I’ve stopped going round and shaking the snow on the hedges off down the back of my neck since it doesn’t seem to create permanent damage. One of the beech hedges has developed a beautiful arch as a result of snow weight.
So here’s more winter frost. I love the colour of the beech hedges and the Miscanthus, standing up nicely through everything the weather throws at it, at the back.
Now, I don’t rate this picture much but it still has the standard hollies in, as you’ll see. We removed them last year as they were suffering from holly blight. Which I hope you have never heard of and have never seen. It starts killing from the bottom upwards, so standards just get to look ridiculous. Let’s move on…
This is a cheat on the angle, but just wanted to show you how the border starts the real flowering year.
Then here is Campanula lactiflora, stealing the limelight. They pepper the garden in June and again in August, as I chop some down in May to make them flower later and lower. They are all from seed and self sown seedlings, so not a named form.
This may be a bit of a cheat, as I’ve stepped back a long way to get the rose in. But how could we ignore it? It scents the whole area when it flowers – and amazing rose. Here it is again, compensation because you can’t smell it on here:
And then…
I wait and wait for this to happen – I love the dramatic combination of the yellow and blue, however hackneyed some people think it is. (You know who you are!)
Now late summer and a spark of red – there are also some Helianthus in bright yellows but they’re not visible here.
Nor here! But there are phlox, smelling great.
Autumn anyone? Wish we got more groups visiting in late summer and autumn, it is such a good time. except when it rains, but that’s always a downer.
Autumn!!!! And that’s it! (for now)
I never tire of these views. It will be a while before my messy little garden achieves proportion and form, but it will never be spectacular….take a bow
O, thank you, love! I’ve just totally knackered myself doing this so your comment is SO welcome! Xxxx
This was such a treat on a cold dreary day here in Virginia. You blinked your eyes and 30 years just flew by giving us readers something glorious to look at and some ideas to aspire to incorporate somewhere in our gardens. I hope you are treating yourself well during this quiet time. You deserve it.
Thank you – I confess I like this quiet time. Time to think and look. It’s great if at the same time I can give some pleasure in a worrying and hard world.
I really enjoy the winter view and concur entirely on your comments about frost v snow. I love the poise of your garden.
Thank you, Joe. It’s doing the frost thing again tonight – very beautiful.
I love it Anne. It all looks great… the Alchemilla, such a humble plant in many gardens, looks so fine when planted in bulk like that rather than tiddly bits here and there. The blue Geraniums set it off nicely. I will be borrowing that idea.
I love borrowings – it’s like a web of connections. Xxx
Thank You for lovely photos in this grim time…. the hedges always look good but stunning in the autumn….
I do love autumn too. But maybe I love every season – I do rate their differences.
Lovely photos, a very good distraction in these dreary days. In the photo of Charles with his drone I was wondering what the gorgeous red is in the distance just appearing over the top of the hedge.
It’s a bed full of Crocosmia. Lucifer – and it’s too floppy really though it is a wonderful red.
`Just lovely to see it through the seasons. Beautiful. Thank you for that little sensual trip.
Thank you, Bronwen. Wish you could be seeing it in the flesh. Though maybe not on such a cold gloomy day as today. Xx
Just what I needed to remind me there is beauty and it will lead to spring!