greenbenchramblings

I began my August entries in my Garden Journal 2024 by writing, “August, according to our childhood memories of the 1950’s, is a month of permanent sunshine, pure blue skies and calm days. This year such days mingle with dark grey, but the garden is so colourful it makes up for it.”

I then share a set of pictures of colourful patches in the garden.

On the page opposite our Crocosmias I wrote, “May is the month when most of our Alliums are in flower enhancing the garden with so many shades of purple, but their flower heads are fascinating through the rest of summer and on into autumn and winter. I have drawn a flowerhead as its seedheads are developing and still green. Not all of the flowers were pollinated however.”

On the next double page spread I shared gardening jobs for the month of August and looked at some of our many colourful sedums.

I noted that, “In the summer many garden jobs need doing almost daily such as deadheading and tying in climbers. Others are done less frequently but regularly such as brushing up the drive edges . Hedge cutting happens once a year, a job we leave to Ian.”

Now for a look at some of our sedums about which I wrote, “We grow so many different types of sedum and we chose them for the different flower colour and foliage colour and shape. Below are just a few of our many sedum.”

The final two pages are all about wildlife and phlox.

When looking at some of our insect friends I began by writing, “As we sat enjoying a coffee at the big table in the ‘Secret Garden’ we were entertained by bird calls. Our local Jackdaw flock, known as a ‘clattering’, regularly gave us a noisy flyby. Smaller flocks of starlings joined in on occasion. A swooping ‘gulp’ of swallows appeared for the first time in weeks,’ possibly a group from further north taking a well-deserved rest break. All around us insects explored flowering plants.”

Green Shield Bug eggs and youngster (left) adult (right) Palomena prasina.

Left: Pimpla rufipes ichneuma Right: European Potter Wasp

Anciotroclerus gazell

Opposite the wildlife little bugs I focussed on phlox and wrote, “We have been gardening together now for over 5 decades and until 2 years ago we refused to grow phlox. We both disliked them but slowly we started adding them to some of our borders as we both totally changed our minds about them.”

Below are 9 photos of some of the phlox we now grow!

So, with Phlox we finish the look at our garden in August 2024. I will look at my garden journal next time in September.

Not as warm or sunny as recent visits to Oakgate have been but we still found plenty to interest us as we followed the well-worn grass pathways taking us around and between the garden beds.

We were sat outside enjoying our coffee and cake and once finished we followed the pathway that took us over the bridge across a pond. This clematis was back in flower as was the water lily. Young Rudd and Goldfish played follow the leader in and out of plants.

Within a few yards of the garden entrance we had discovered several interesting perennials, including this Lysimachia with flower heads like the head and necks of ducks.

Hydrangeas are a real feature of the Oakgate borders, some we like others have flower heads that are just too large.

All the photos of hydrangeas so far have been white varieties, but far more cheerful and interesting were the more colourful ones in shades of pinks and blues.

Although not many of the resident perennials were in flower the day we visited the sunlight when it appeared lit each petal up for us to enjoy.

It was a surprise to see that the old orchard has been repurposed as a picnic site for visitors to enjoy.

I shall finish off my report of our August visit to Oakgate Nursery and Garden by sharing photos of two berberis with very different variegated foliage. The darker one I think is called ‘Harlequin’ but the other is new to me.

We enjoy visiting all of the RHS gardens from time to time. We would like to go more often but they involve long journeys and only one is doable in one day.

In mid-March we travelled down south of London and stayed in a hotel in Woking which is very close to RHS Wisley, which we visited the following day. The gardens are simply too large to enjoy in their entirety so we chose the areas we wanted to see most of all.

There was a special reason for choosing the date for visiting. A display of artwork in the greenhouse featured screen printing panels created by ‘Post 19’, a Life Skills and Support Centre for young adults with learning difficulties based in Farnham. We know about this very special place because our sister-in-law Vicky teaches there. I think it best to start with their display for you to enjoy.

Before entering the glasshouse we were attracted to these rather beefy hares boxing.

We wandered through the amazing collections of plants before finding the screen prints, which looked so effective among a selection of succulents.

I love ferns so enjoyed discovering some unusual specimens in the glasshouse. The colours merging into greens looked so striking. In others it was the textures that struck us.

Leaving the grand glasshouse we wandered slowly made our way back to the car. There was so much to grab our attention on the way, some typical of March time others pure joyful surprises.

Wisley in spring is a magical place indeed!

As promised I will continue reporting on our visit to the National Botanic Garden of Wales, featuring our wander around the fields, woods and lakes beyond the dome.

This fallen tree was Mother Nature’s sculpture working in collaboration with the weather. So beautiful!

We soon found a sculptural piece created by the hand of man. This is such a simple piece but it changes as you walk around it.

From the sculpture we waked down the gently sloping grassland towards the lake. As we reached the prairie type planting we came across this powerful piece of sculpture. He wasn’t very welcoming!

After enjoying the imaginative planting in this area we followed a mown pathway towards the lakeside, looking for interesting plants bearing fruits, lichen or flowers.

The pathway led us through the woodland and back towards the dome.

Here we are once again looking at our visit to the National Botanic Garden of Wales and as promised we will feature the dome, known as the ‘Great Glasshouse’.

Some beautiful planting on the approach to the glasshouse sets the tone for what to expect inside.

The structure of the glasshouse took our breath away even though we have seen it a few times before. The curving metal ribs invite the eyes to explore the whole roof and the sky beyond.

Of course the plants are the stars! Sadly we felt a little let down by the planting as there seemed to be more gaps where plants had expired and the labels in some cases were missing while others were not as clear or useful.

As we followed the gravel pathway gently uphill we found several colourful, unusual flowering plants.

Foliage is of course of equal value as flowers and offers so much interest, as it varies in colours, textures, shapes and size.

We continued to follow the pathways around the glasshouse in search of flowers, foliage and interesting bark.

Once back outside in the fresh air, we made our way back down the central roadway stopping off on the way as interesting vistas called out to us. A tall gateway took us into the unique double-walled garden, where we could seek out interesting borders.

In the centre of the walled garden we discovered a wonderful glasshouse packed out with tropical specialities.

So after a wet unpleasant start to the day we went on to enjoy our visit very much. There is so much to see and so many places to explore.

The months seem to be racing by through 2024. It is hard to believe that it is already the end of July and our garden plants remain confused. The weather varies so much as it has all year. We have plants in flower several weeks too early.

I wrote, “July takes us into the second half of the year. Our garden seems full of fledgling birds, robin, wren, blackbird, and blue tit. Their parents are busy feeding these youngsters often devouring the aphids who cover fresh growth on roses. But roses just carry on flowering.”

The two photos above show a tiny rose bush called, “Rosa alpina ‘Cutie Pie’ which grows to just 4 inches tall and 12 inches across.”

Turning over to the next double page spread I consider flowers with scent especially roses and lilies.

Concerning our roses I noted that, “Over the years we have accumulated lots of roses in so many colours, shapes and scents. We grow several for pollinating insects to enjoy not just us!”

So next I shared eight photos of all sorts of lilies after writing that, “Another family of strongly scented plants is the lilies, asiatics, martigans and the more delicate callas. Lilies enjoy transferring their bright orange pollen on to our clothing!”

Over the page I looked at some of the gardening jobs we tackled early in the month. I wrote, “Whatever the month we always have jobs in the garden or glasshouse to keep us busy. July is no exception. Ian, our Monday garden helper, tackled the two large topiary hollies – always a long job!”

Jude sorted out the field edge meadow planting. She then moved on to potting on over 200 succulent cuttings I had taken last autumn.

Next I looked at the tw0 main types of Lychnis we grow in our garden. Lychnis coronaria and Lychnis chalcidonica. Here I noted that, “We grow two different sorts of Lychnis around our garden, L. coronaria and L. chalcidonica.”

Currently we have just two different coloured L. chalcidonica but throughout the flowering period we can appreciate several more.

The many shades of Lychnis coronaria.

Over the page onto the last page for July I took a look at a few more garden tasks. I wrote, “And the work goes on ………..”

“Checking seephose and repairing leaks.”

“Remaking a whole border and cloud pruning an Osmanthus.”

“Replanting a border.”

We leave my garden journal for July with us working away reworking a border and giving it a fresh new look. We will return to visit the journal at the end of August.

For our July monthly visit to the gardens at Oakgate the weather was dull and overcast, which suits taking photos as when the sun is out harsh shadows tend to take over the picture leaving too much black.

Climbers looked particularly good especially roses and clematis.

At the moment the way colours work well together can be enjoyed by looking at wider views of the borders.

The hardy perennials look even more floriferous than they did last month’s giving bright patches of colour deserving of close up study. The Gaillardia below on the left and the Phlox paniculata next to it positively glowed beneath the dull clouds. They are both unusual shades of orange with hints of red and pink.

Some perennials though look extra colourful when partnered with contrasting flowers or interesting foliage.

Earlier in the year I shared a photo of a newly planted alpine trough so here it is now looking so different, each plant having grown away happily. The rest of the photos in this group are of flowering shrubs, a strong feature of the gardens here at Oakgate Nursery.

There we have it, our look at what caught our eyes on our July visit to one of our favourite gardens and nurseries, Oakgate. We always enjoy our coffee, the garden wanderings and selecting yet more plants to buy for our garden.

Almost half way through the year and we have enjoyed every one of our regular monthly wander around the garden at Oakgate Nursery and Garden.

As we started off on our June wanderings we were instantly amazed by the amount of foliage growth and rich patches of flower colour. There was so much variety in foliage colour.

Many shrubs boasted interesting foliage worth a closer look.

Long views along pathways were impressive.

While sat in the outdoor area of the cafe enjoying our coffee and carrot cake the sun highlighted a yellow leaved berberis which also had contrasting red stems.

We then wondered how other berberis might play a strong role in the successful use of colour throughout the garden. Berberis are often grown alongside other shrubs to enhance both sets of colour.

The photo below shows another yellow-leaved berberis partnered with a golden catalpa – a great combination!

The next photo shows a red and pink variegated berberis which goes by the name ‘Harlequin’.

Several specimen perennials were putting on a good show of flowers to catch the eye of the visitors, including us.

I think it would be a good idea to finish our June report of our wanderings around Oakgate Nursery and Garden with a gallery of interesting hardy perennial plants with foliage that takes centre stage when their flowers are not around.

Our next visit with camera in hand will be in July but we will visit many other times for coffee and cake and a perusal of the plants for sale which change all the time.