It wasn't actually a lie, but I was misleading myself as well as anyone who reads my blog, when I talked yesterday about how behind the clematis were. In reality, it seems to be mostly the C viticella and C integrifolia that are either slow or not showing at all, whereas C texensis like 'Princess Diana' and 'Duchess of Albany' are as floriferous as usual although not yet in bud, and the few Group 2 clematis are growing and flowering (or about to) as usual, like the striking Clematis 'Kingfisher' above.
You might have noticed from pictures of the main borders that they are well-splashed with purples of allium and cerise of geraniums - the latter range from tall and sprawling G 'Anne Folkard' to a short variety, its label buried under foliage, trailing over the retaining wall. I love them all, especially the long-flowering varieties.
Another good do-er is the annual bunny tails grass, Lagurus ovatus, such a well-behaved and tactile grass and so quick and easy to grow from seed. This batch is from seed sown last autumn, but I usually sow it in spring as well although this year neglected to do so until a couple of weeks ago. I was taken aback to see a yellow Welsh poppy sneaking into the photo below, and will be dealing with it at my earliest opportunity!
Talking about good do-ers, I have this year been really surprised with Sweet William, technically a short-lived perennial but usually grown as a biennial, frequently growing into straggly and often unattractive plants, but I now have plants that have hung around for a few years and the substantial clump below, Dianthus 'Alba', could be described as stunning. I also have a dark pink variety D 'Oeschberg', not as substantial, but still doing pretty well, and I now plan to look into other varieties and see if they will perform as well.
I know astrantia does not grow well for everyone, but they seem to do OK here and I can say with confidence that although they can be slow to establish, once they do they increase well and grow taller too, and this year they really are making their presence felt here more than ever before. Below is a small selection, clockwise from top left: A maxima, 'Ruby Cloud', 'Buckland', 'Star of Beauty', all lovely
As we progress rapidly towards summer in the northern hemisphere, contributions to Jim's Six on Saturday meme are becoming increasingly diverse, and well worth checking out, so why not go and have a look?
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