Hot July

A little sunny and hot weather and the bright flaming colours of the July plants start coming into their best. The reds of the perlargonium pots, the oranges of the crocosias and vivid pink shades of the begonias are tempered and softened by the gentle, soft hues of the lavenders, hydrangeas and anenomes, which are also springing into bloom. 

Honeysuckle and climbing roses are racing up the walls and trellises in full flower now and giving off heady scents in the hot sunshine and balmy nights. The archway around the front door is swathed in honeysuckle and I keep finding myself stopping and loitering for a few minutes under the front porch, as I breathe in the beautiful perfume that lingers. The rose and honeysuckle tend to flower on and on all summer and will often continue through into December if the weather remains mild. 

This is always a magnificent time in the garden, the whole garden a jumble of spectacular colour; the whole garden buzzing with bees and butterflies amongst the froth of flowers. 

September in the Garden

It's been a beautiful September so far and the sun has kept on shining. The garden is still full of colour. I've been especially enjoying watching our new front garden bloom and bloom. We had a large tree taken down earlier in the year and this created lots of space for new plants and also turned a dark dull space into a bright and sunny one. We chose a mix of varied lavenders, anemones, purple wallflowers, catmint and a whole mix of purple and pink hydrangeas to create a beautiful jumble of frothy colour. One of the best things about it is how it has just grown and grown and now there is little room for weeds, so it's been relatively easy to manage. It's also been a real haven for butterflies and bees and that has been a really lovely surprise to see just how many have been visiting. I sometimes walk past to my car and a whole flurry of butterflies will rise up and flutter above the plants. 

I'm now thinking about planting some spring bulbs in readiness to give some colour in spring and perhaps a few autumn sedums to just add a bit more late colour as the summer flowers die back. 

Beautiful anenomes

Mop cap hydrangea

Lace cap hydrangea

Late flowers on the Daphne

Catmint behind the bird bath

The butterflies love the purple wallflowers

Blues, pinks and purples

Catmint

A patio peach tree in a terracotta pot amongst the jumble

One of my firm favourites lavender

Holehird Gardens Cumbria

This is the Lakeland Horticultural Society's flagship garden, set on a hillside as you drive from Windermere and follow the signs to Ullswater towards the Kirkstone Pass. As you reach the gardens you are rewarded with a most magnificent view over a pond and woodland areas reaching out across the valley towards Lake Windermere in the distance. 

The gardens are worked by volunteer members of the Lakeland Horticultural Society and many were happily busy about their work as we had a wander through the gardens. It felt as though we could just pick up a garden trowell or hoe and join them. 

Glorious views of the Lakeland valleys and mountain tops.

Holehird houses a stunning collection of hydrangeas.

There are a series of ponds with waterfalls, pools and rock garden areas.

Beautiful foliage of all colours.

Stunning crocosia.

Our visit was in late August and there were stunning displays of vivid autumnal colours.

Beautiful anemones giving a wonderful show.

A view of the stunning walled garden.

Colourful arrays of heather in the rock garden areas.

A peaceful place on the hillside to sit and enjoy a peek of Lake Windermere.

Pretty display of mixed flowers in the courtyard.