Gardening weekly with Lynne Allbutt

Goodbye Flaming June – you were indeed flaming challenging! I wonder what July will bring, weather-wise and in general.

Thankfully all of my plants and veggies seem to have survived the latest ‘heat-wave’, which is more than I can say for one of my hens. A very brazen fox killed her and took her off into the undergrowth whilst I was only about 10 feet away. No amount of shouting and arm-waving deterred him and I now have to try to erase the whole trauma from my already frazzled mind. I am able to take some solace from the fact that she had the best chicken-life but am still battling the ‘if only’s, and reminded of the phrase my friend’s mum used when I was about six. ‘If you’ve got livestock, you’ll have dead stock’. Not particularly comforting, but it is a fact that to share and have the joy of a life, you risk the pain of death – whatever it is that dies.

I’ve learned that life is all about perception. We live what we focus on. I can focus on her ruthless death – or the joy she brought (and had). And to reset my inner peace, I have also been consciously focussing on the wonderful sights around the cottage, in client’s gardens and in nature in general. There are some beautiful shrubs and plants in flower right now. My summer jasmine makes me catch my breath every time I walk outside. Its fragrance is just so uplifting and how tiny little flowers can throw out such a gorgeous scent is a reminder of just how magical (some) things are. A particular passionflower also catches my attention at this time of year. Just look at the flowers if you get a chance. They are head-shakingly intricate, so dramatic and yet just also beautiful. Interestingly though, that the Latin word ‘passio’ means suffering, and the climber is so called as the fruit of some species of Passion Flower are poisonous. So - dramatic, exquisite and occasionally toxic – sounds a bit like passion itself.

Also catching my eye in various borders are the aptly named Angel’s Fishing Rods. Dierama have grassy evergreen foliage for most of the year rendering them pretty easy to overlook, but at the moment they have the most striking arching stems (like a ‘successful’ fishing rod) dripping with pink, bell like flowers. I would highly recommend them for the garden although they can take a little bit of nurturing to get settled in – and don’t like being moved. They don’t like damp conditions, nor being allowed to dry out totally in the summer, but they are definitely worth the required TLC.

Lilies are also one of my favourites at this time of year. There are loads of different varieties, so you can choose a height that is suitable for your tubs or borders and a colour that you like. Asiatic lilies are hybrids of many different species of lilies and have sturdy stems making them great cut flowers – but most are unscented, which I think means you are missing out. I would choose a variety from the Oriental Lilies, Easter Lilies or Candidum Lilies, all of which have the most amazing scent.

My swathes of Ox eyed daisies are going to seed a bit quicker this year due to the heat, but if I can get around to cutting them back soon, then they may well have a second flush of flowers – and it will reduce the self seeding (which I don’t need). I know a lot of people consider them to be a weed, but then we are back to perception.