Blooming into Flaming June

[Blackpuddingbertha]

Keeping the potting shed party going from the previous Rhubarb Society thread and all threads before it.

Please feel free to join in all gardeners, whether novice, professional or aspiring. Plenty of blackberry gin for all.

I may know the names of the roses in the garden, because I really concentrated when I chose them, and I think about them a lot but I don't know the names of most of the plants. I rely on you lot to help me out

Funnyperson, if you or anyone else is ever in Wales it would be truly fantastic to meet up

Funny, I haven't eaten any of my kohl rabi yet but they look lovely and seem easy to grow. Even the slugs have left them alone.

kohlrabi recipes

I like kohl rabi. It was one of my grandpa's stalwarts so we were always getting given some when we visited. I've never grown it myself though - yet. I'm missing tomatoes this year. First year in donkeys years that I haven't grown any.

I went to Penshurst Place today. It was actually for a playdate with friends who live near there, so I cunningly suggested it as a venue as it has a great adventure playground - but really I wanted to see its famous 100m long peony border. The gardens are gorgeous; several ponds full of water lilies, wonderful old gnarled fruit trees, beautiful perennial borders and fabulous climbing roses all over the lovely old walls. The scent of the roses wafted over the whole garden. The peony border had gone over unfortunately, but was still pretty impressive.

When I typed that, I misspelt roses and the autocorrect changed it to 'tossers'. I'm still snickering about the scent of tossers wafting over garden

I'm usless when it comes to plant names. but I am learning.
one of my mature roses is in bloom (picture on profile) but have no idea what it is. but it's pretty and has a wonderful fine scent. one of the new ones doesn't have any buds, is there still a chance to this year?

the tomatoes are flowering and looking and smellng lovely, the pumpkin has loads of buds, the sunflowes now reach up to my shoulders.

hopefully I will have some time to tackle the ceanthus, it looks rather scruffy and has some russian vine tangled into it.

kohl rabi is lovely.
we like it raw cut into batons with dips.

Thanks for the tip about Penshurst Rhubarb. It is so lovely there. I have only been earlier in the year and promised myself a trip for the roses.

I was really pleased with myself when we were at Wisley the other week and I managed to identify a rose as the same as one we have. It does have (rather dull tbh) matt light green foliage, and lovely scented clear white messy flowers so I suppose is a bit different, but still, most roses look alike to me.

(Susan Williams Ellis: www.davidaustinroses.com/english/Showrose.asp?Showr=6195)

Does anyone else think it is a bit much that Gardeners World is hardly on in July?

agree funny
especially at this crucial time of year when things are happening and looking their best in the garden.

Funny - I couldn't agree more. When I am a benign despot in charge of the BBC, the sport will be shunted off to a digital channel and Monty will retain his rightful place on BBC2.

What glorious weather! I have just dug up a particularly invasive climber (a bigger task than I anticipated as it had a fleshy tap root as thick as my arm and at least a foot deep) and rewarded myself with ripe strawberries fresh from the plant. Is there anything more delicious than fresh strawberries? Like tomatoes they are quite unrecognisable from the dull supermarket versions.

What glorious weather! I have just dug up a particularly invasive climber (a bigger task than I anticipated as it had a fleshy tap root as thick as my arm and at least a foot deep) and rewarded myself with ripe strawberries fresh from the plant. Is there anything more delicious than fresh strawberries? Like tomatoes they are quite unrecognisable from the dull supermarket versions.

Sorry. Dratted phone.

Never mind, MooncupGoddess, it bears repeating (although I think a fresh raspberry tops even a fresh strawberry).

I need to buy some glyphosate today to see off the latest bindweed invasion. Grr.

Good luck Maud. I spent much of last weekend disentangling bindweed from my father's lysimachia and digging it up at the roots. It's probably sprouted again by now but it was strangely satisfying.

Alas, my pound shop raspberry canes did absolutely nothing, but I will buy some proper ones from T&M next year.

Yes, it's infuriating. I thought I had zapped it all, but a new clump has emerged.

My pound shop dicentra [now something else] spectabilis is great but I have to say that generally I find their plants fail. Then again, I can never resist a gamble.

Bliss finally. Chores done (almost) and we have had lunch al fresco and now everyone is snoozing chatting in the sun. The roses are doing their thing, and though the delphiniums really need planting out (because a neighbour's delphiniums are already in flower), they can wait. All the west end shows are sold out. What a relief. No need to go anywhere at all.................stares at sky...............

The weather is glorious, grass is cut, weeding done, roses deadheaded and i have a bottle of pimms

Could life get any better?

I have come indoors because it is too hot to do any more planting. I have filled one large pot with assorted B&W annuals and potted up a eucomis and some more agapanthus. I might have had more, but the fete we went to didn't have a plant sale. A fete without a plant stall. What is the world coming to?

Right. Gardening day today. All the plants currently taking up a third of the patio will be going in.(out of the planting season heh heh) If they dont go in today they will end up out there for the rest of the summer. Also we need room for the new swing seat.
I'm up early so as to fit in all the other stuff- home admin; picnic for the long walk the DC have requested, lemonade for the long warm day ahead, etc. The gardening has to be done before the visit to the aged mater and pater and before the long walk. Luckily DS wakes up late and DD has said she will help in the garden after her run. Happy days.

It's wonderful to hear about the summer flowerings. And heat. I shouldn't complain really as, cold as it gets at night, the days have been gloriously sunny, just a bit nippy the moment you're in the shade. I seem to have been weeding non-stop.

Winter's the time for succulents to bloom, the huge jade plant in the front garden has started, and the Christmas cactus should be in full bloom in two weeks. Grevillea are beautiful right now, and the wattle birds love it, being nectar feeders. Oddly, a small shrubby fuchsia, "Electric Lights" by the front door is going great guns, far better than in summer.

I've just nipped out to check the lettuce I put in eight weeks ago. Bolted. How does that happen? They're still titchy!!

I hate that echt! So annoying.

What a heavenly day it is.

I got up this morning to let the geese out and just wandered around in a state of beatific bliss

It is really really hot, just in time for the roses.

Ha! I tackled the blue tree this morning. will have to finish tomorrow as the bin is full.
it looks a bit sad now.
should I remove all the dead twigs or leave them on? taking them out would be a big (and spikey) task.
the roses seem to go off rather quickly in this heat, a couple opened last week and have lost all flower leaves already - but lots of buds still to open.

Hah. Predictably and pleasantly fell asleep, so no plants got planted though the other stuff got done. Glorious sunshine, fantastic walk with fantastic views, fantastic picnic in field, even saw some ngs gardens. Best garden moments were a lily pond, and crambe cordiflora planted in front of a rose so you saw the rose through the crambe. The reason the roses are so amazing this year, I was told, is because of all the rain earlier on.
I wish there were more hours in a Sunday.

I would remove all the dead material if you can, MousyMouse. Maybe do it in instalments, as it sounds like quite a big and painful task?

And you're right. Quite a few things in the garden are looking rather heat-stressed now. Tomorrow night I think I'll give everything a good soak with the hose.