Round and round the garden......

 

 

One of my favourite flowers is Alchemilla mollis - Lady's Mantle.

It is such a good, useful garden plant with its acid yellow tiny flowers and beautiful distinctly shaped leaves, freely self seeding but not invasive, and complimentary to so many other plants - especially roses and geraniums, and any blue or purple flowers such as these Campanula Glomerata - it is also perfect as a cut flower, its delicate florets of tiny yellowy lime green flowers looking good with those same flowers it is a companion to in the garden.

  I love the way raindrops and early morning dew drops sit whole and unbroken like drops of molten glass on the leaves

a small campanula peeping through amongst the ferns - this was only planted a few weeks ago and has settled in well

 

a rusty green glass lantern - I love lanterns and have sadly even got a Pinterest board just for images of lanterns - there is something magical about a garden at night lit by lanterns, adding a touch of magic and excitement, a hint of  mystery and the unknown, a taste of the east and the Orient - atleast thats how they appear to me - must be something from my childhood that gives me those associations.

 

the roses have been wonderful this year because of  all the rain - this beautiful orange red bud has yet to open

 

another favourite garden flower - Lychnis Coronaria - some say it can be hard to place this in a garden, but to me as long as there is a generous clump of it then it seems to work well in many situations, and is easily moved if necessary, the pale greeny grey downy foliage perfectly offsetting the brilliant deep pink of the flowers.

It looks great mixed with fresh yellowy green foliage too - see a few photos on

 

beautiful palest of pink rosebuds

 

a clump of lychnis coronaria

 

more lychnis peeping through the yellow lime green leaves of a Hibiscus
(and can you spot the stone meerkat?!!!! The previous owners left many interesting stone statues behind, some classic and attractive, others quirky including this meerkat and a swan!  And I think we have a little fishing gnome hidden away near the top of the pond!)

 

better late than never - newly planted hanging baskets filled with pastel coloured petunias and trailing blue and white lobelia - these should look good in a few weeks time I hope. I cannot believe how late I am in planting them, but I didnt have the urge until this morning.

 

a few geraniums newly planted too

 

I have been so impressed with these little violas which have been flowering profusely in the shade, in pots either side of the back door, for a couple of months now

 

 

what a colour combination - mauve and orange!

 

 

I haven't seen so many rosebuds and flowers on this rose since we moved here - this rose must love the rain we've had - these are all on one stem.

 

There are five or six stems currently like this, and more to come

 

Homegrown herbs on the kitchen window sill - here I have Oregano.....

 

and Basil ........
And Coriander, but that is starting to run to seed now   - I must sow another batch.

The foxgloves have been glorious this year too - am loving this one growing up in front of the red leaved shrub (I must check up what it is called) and the ferns too are prolific at the moment.

I love the tiny unfurling fronds.

I still have more garden photos to share, as well as recipes to share, as Bella has been busy in the kitchen since her exams are over.

Wishing you all a Happy week.