JUNE (or August?)

The calendar says June but out in the garden it feels more like late August.  I’ve never known the ground be so dry and dusty at the beginning of June as it is this year.   Half a mile down the lane there is a field of barley which is turning golden, but it remains to be seen if it is a worthwhile crop, whilst a little further along the farmer has taken a cut of hay, I’m not sure of the acreage of the field but our one acre plot would fit in it several times.   He has an astonishing total of 6 large round bales of hay for his trouble – I know, I counted them, twice.  That won’t feed any of the local horses for very long this winter.

However as I look out of the window – oh joy! It’s raining.  Second day in a row and I just hope it fills the water butts and soaks into the soil a little.   It nothing else it is freshening everything up and settling the dust.

I planted more Allium bulbs last autumn to boost those that were already in the garden,  this was a success and the Alliums have been stunning this year.   I must remember to order some more in the autumn to keep the display going.   They are all over the garden but look particularly good growing in a bed mixed in with Roses and Bearded Iris.  I do like Bearded Iris and have a lovely dark coloured one called Sable, the only slight disappointment being its lack of scent.   Its deep coloured flowers looked lovely in amongst the Alliums.  A new Iris for the garden last year was Iris germanica Carnaby,  it spent last year settling in to its new home and this year has flowered magnificently.   It is a new favourite, with a slight scent too.

Peonies are coming into flower, dark red ‘Karl Rosenfield’ is in the back garden with Oriental Poppy ‘Patty’s Plum’ growing at close quarters.   Both have enjoyed the hot weather and have never looked so good.    In fact the Poppy is growing right through the middle of the Peony but both appear happy at the moment and I don’t dare try and separate them in case it spoils both.    In the front garden we have pink Peony ‘Monsier Jules Elie’, surrounded by Alliums and another ‘Patty’s Plum,  nearby is the white  double Peony ‘Duchesse de nemours, which is tightly in bud at the moment, leaning across a small box hedge reminding me I need to find a stake to prop her up.

Rain showers are seeing me taking cover in the greenhouse – just the right temperature today – where I am busily tying in the tomato plants, and taking out the side shoots.   On the opposite side of the greenhouse is my collection of scented leaf Pelargoniums some of which I have trimmed back and dead headed and finally everything has had a feed of tomato food.    When the rain stops I will take the opportunity of pulling out the Queen Anne’s Lace and tidying up Geranium phaeum Samobor in the spring borders.   Both are now looking well past their best, this is a job which should keep me happy for a few hours!