Last night my husband and I had a rare night out without the kids who were staying at my parents and I was looking forward to a lie in this morning when I was rudely awoken at 8am by Southern Water drilling a hole outside my bedroom window. They are still there and the whole house is reverberating, putting paid to my plans to tackle the front garden this morning. So forgive me if I am a tad grumpy.
I will cheer myself up by sharing some of the flowers currently blooming in our garden, joining in with The Propagator’s weekly invitation to blog about six things happening in our garden this weekend.
- Geranium ‘Southease Celestial’
I planted this geranium from Marchants Hardy Plants in the autumn, so this is its first time flowering in our garden. It is named after a village just down the road from us and I love its delicate purply blue. I wanted it as a contrast to the pink cranesbill which is ubiquitous in our garden.
2. Pink Cranesbill
Here for contrast is the pink geranium which has self sown all over the place. I don’t dislike it and it serves a purpose, but it is not as refined as the blue IMHO.
3. Totally tangoed
This combination of Rosa ‘Lady of Shallot’ and Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’ makes for an uplifting explosion of orange.
4. Astrantia major
Another purchase from Marchants Hardy Plants, this is their own Astrantia major, elegant and feathery with its pinky white black tipped petals and starburst of stamens.
5. Bold and brilliant
I like to think Sarah Raven would be a fan of these bold colours in our back garden herbaceous bed: bright purple alliums, hot pink gladioli and electric blue nepeta. They are almost too much though and I think I need some frothy white to soften them – Ammi majus or foxgloves perhaps.
6. Romantic tangle
I love this romantic tangle of Gertrude Jekyll rose, broad beans, wisteria, sweet peas, wood sorrel, clematis, Japanese anenomes and hibiscus, but it could do with a good weeding and cutting back. That was on my list for today, but just out of shot are some men with big drills. Did I mention that? Grumpy, moi?
Carrots and Calendula 
As we said, the geum Totally Tangerine is very pretty with this orange rose, the mixture is perfect. You were awakened by a driller this morning, me the shovel of my neighbor! …grr….
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Your roses are way ahead of mine, but I suspect because mine were new and bare rooted when planted in February so probably I am expecting too much. Your combination of the orange roast and Geum is spectacular and one I am definitely making a note of.
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It’s all looking really colourful and a soothing place to relax, well if wasn’t for the drilling. The buds of our new Gertrude Jekyll rose are just opening here. Hope they look as good as yours do.
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I’m sitting in the garden where the wifi is weak so I read the text before the photos loaded. Couldn’t wait for totally tangoed as Lady of Shalott is a favourite and teamed with that Geum – Boom. Love it!
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What brilliant timing, well done Southern Water! 😦 Love your orange combo and also your Marchants plants, sound like a good nursery to have down the road.
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Geum is pretty cool. I saw it for the first time in many years just last year. It seems that others have been enjoying it all along.
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Those gorgeous flowers are sure to cheer you up! I’m eager for my own Gertrude Jekylls to bloom. Your color combos are inspired.
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You could put some of that lovely, white astrantia into No:5 but I think it’s lovely as it is. I’m still waiting for my roses.
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Lovely looking astrantia, almost metallic looking.
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Love love love that orange rose. If only she came as a climber…
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Love the Rose ‘Lady of Shallot’! Such a strong colour.
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Really like that rose and Geum combination. Is so good. Astrantia is one of my favourites..
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‘Southease Celestial’ is a pretty blue. I have too much of the pink geranium too, need to start removing some of it I think and it has self-seeded all through the gravel! I think some foxgloves would look lovely in that purple/blue border. The native pink would look nice. Ammi majus is good too.I grew that last year and it was so lovely.
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Meant to say, at least you weren’t woken up at 3 am by a delivery of cattle next door! To say they weren’t happy is an understatement. Good job I keep ear plugs on my bedside table!
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Your garden would get rid of any grumps I might have, too. Love that astrantia. Really is elegant.
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