Gardens Summer 2019

Roses have been the stars this year. Especially new arrivals (planted bare root last October/November) from David Austin "Dame Judi Dench". Glossy leaves, fabulous colour and a multitude of repeating peach/orange flowers.

The weather though has not been very favourable over the summer.. Hot dry days are followed by cold sharp winds and downpours from the bible. The plants dont seem to know if its summer, autumn or ring Noah.  In all honesty its been the kind of summer where one can only wish with hindsight that we had taken another cruise..

However at the same time its reinforced a couple of things here on the wet cool hills of Rossendale - the roses love it they have taken it all in there stride and been absolute stars (again). So the orders are out and we will add to the ranks for next year with a session of bare root planting this November. Herbacious planting has either struggled - drowned or shrugged its soldiers and asked "why did you plant me here" - The normally successful annuals (Cosmos etc) have basically grown into panic mode and produced a lushness of non flowering bushes (which the wasps have loved eating from the inside out) - still they kept the greenfly down on the roses so its not all bad.

Apr 2019 - Spring has finally arrived

Hot and sunny days mid April finally bring out the plum blossom.

The hedges are just starting to fill out

The tulips are a new variety for this year - irresistibly called Disneyland Paris.

The daffodils are also a new variety for this year "Narcissus Acropolis"

Plenty of beds now await the summer planting.

Tulip "Olympic Flame"

Feb 2019 - Let it Snow

The beginning of February leaves us with a dusting of snow. We've got off  lightly this year.

 

Its pretty, if a little cold. Luckily we are all stocked up on bread and milk and the wood stack is full.

Spring finally arrives

Christmas and Kitchen Changes

Before

Sometime last month we decided that the flagged kitchen was really crying out for an island to be installed into the space. Our local  joiner has taken my rough drawing and created it to match exactly the style of the current units.

After

There was never any doubt about colour of island; Farrow and Ball downpipe is such a rich and fantastic colour - in this room with the sun on it it takes on more of a very very deep grey. The granite however did take a long time to choose - then when we finally saw Giallo we knew it was just what we wanted, even the granite man  agreed it complimented the house & kitchen perfectly.

The original kitchen units have all been repainted and given new brass fittings to match the island

Elsewhere the light switches have been changed to nice and simple Victorian style switches. Shiny chrome against the downpipe paneling in the cloakroom and a more traditional antique brass everywhere else.

Add caption

September is here already.

Sunny start to follow what has been a rather mixed (but mainly wet) August. The giant sunflowers have finally opened (a month after the rest of the countries no doubt) - they do remind me of triffids and always seem too much effort and wait for not much of a result. Next year if we bother with them its back to the multi-headed coloured varieties.-  but at least there would be some contrast in flower colour from the Rudbekias which have gone rampant this year and will have to be split - split and split again.

Roses have been great this year and are still producing flower after flower with little effort from us. All we do is feed every once in a while, dead head daily and give them a mulch of the rotted manure from the stables down the track. The two big performers have been 'Rosa super fairy ' on the south wall; this is  now in its first full year the aim being to train it around the windows.
The first rose we planted is a now two summers old  Gertrude Jekyll which is being trained around the west wall and into the porch area. If you are ever looking for a reliable rose for scent Gertrude is your lady - absolutely stunning.

We order our roses bare root from David Austin in the autumn and the new addition last October was a pair of Lichfield Angels which we planted in a new terrace  against a rebuilt  south facing stone wall - created when we had to move it back a few feet before it collapsed.  The soil  under the wild coarse grass is a rich loamy dark mix that turns to clay the deeper you dig. At first it appeared this pair of new arrivals were just not taking to this position. Eventually we realised the terrace was getting extremely dry and wasn't holding onto water very well (even after a downpour) so we mixed in a lot more organic compost and topped up with more manure from the stables.. Beautiful apricot tinged flowers and as long as the roots establish well before October it should flourish into a full shrub by next year.

High Summer Downpour

Well it has been a real mixed bag of weather this summer.

 

The roses are doing superbly. Even the climbers and ramblers this year are putting on a second showing whilst the continuous varieties have just been - well - continuous. Two newcomers for this year from David Austin are a these Lichfield Angels.

Inside a couple of changes  to the downstairs cloakroom. It used to have solid oak tops which really didn't work in any practical sense due to the amount of water spillage.  So out with the wood and in with a classy marble - and a  new sink. Farrow and Balls "downpipe estate eggshell" is used on the panels  to make the white porcelain & radiators pop and the marble shine. The wallpaper is Kelda Scion. This has transformed the room to classic modern.

Looking back on the garden.

Jun 2017 - Garden Update

June has seen a mix of weather to start with. Wet and windy (very windy at times) has given way to hot hot hot. Gertrude Jekyll is a s usual the first rose to open. Soon have this trained all over the front (west and south facing) entrance wall

Have extended the lawned areas (or in other words tamed the field) even further now and added two more apple trees and two Rowan saplings to line the grass pathway.

Beds not really springing to life yet - other than the Iris which has been superb (split it into three after last year) and the Antirrhinum (snap dragons) which have over wintered. Peonies (Sarah Bernhardt) just starting to flower - smell gorgeous but must remember to move the one from the woods this time (way too shady.