We’re expecting our third mini heatwave, and it is certainly challenging to keep a container garden hydrated in dry conditions. There is no hosepipe ban in our area (yet), but this may happen. I don’t have an irrigation system, so I’m currently watering my pots every evening, when the sun has set. I’m slowly moving over to larger pots with more perennial plants, but I do like to have an ever-changing gallery of smaller ones, including annuals, and I don’t want to abandon them completely.
Sitting spots become increasingly important in hot weather, and we have our shady patio, protected by a huge parasol, and then there is this little area, near to the greenhouse, where I like to paint in the cool of the day.
I’m loving the dahlia collection that I have planted outside the mini greenhouse. ‘Totally Tangerine’ is my new favourite. I always longed to have the slightly random, colourful look of an old fashioned allotment in this area, and it’s happening.
Cutting a bunch of dahlias is one of life’s small pleasures. I started these off as tubers, and grew them on in small pots, before planting out in mid-late May. They have been relatively untroubled by slugs this year, presumably because of the drier conditions. A much better crop than my sweet peas, for example, which have struggled in the heat and are going over fast.
Displayed here proudly with a box of redcurrants from my parents’ garden.
I don’t have a good berry crop on either my blackcurrant bush or the red gooseberry this year, so a visit to the market provided some alternatives. Greenfly did for the blackcurrants, as it has been a prolific year for aphids! The red gooseberry bush is new to me, so we’ll see how that does next summer.
Topping and tailing blackcurrants for jam is one of the most mindful activities I know. Sitting under my parasol with a bowl washes away stress.
Journalism work has been extremely busy since Christmas, but it’s important to carve out time for other things. I’ve been getting up early, or staying up late, and painting with watercolours, adding some illustrations to my Instagram feed, and prepping fresh designs for tea towels. I’ve just taken two new ones to be scanned at my local printer, the start of the design process (I love that I can walk to the printers!). And, in exciting news, I have now added a web shop here on my website, so it will be much easier to make a purchase. Still fine-tuning that, but it’s almost ready to go.
I asked followers to vote for their favourite designs (out of four) on Instagram, and I had an incredible response. Hundreds of people stated their preferences. It was so lovely. These two designs just edged it. I have called them Garden Bunches, and Meadow. I’ll post here when they are ready.
Meanwhile, we’ve been hosting Milly from time to time. Here she is modelling the verbena ‘Bamford’ which is a lovely perennial.
Agapanthus is doing well – perfectly suited to hot, dry conditions, it also enjoys being root bound in a small pot.
And you can’t go wrong with a geranium ‘Rozanne’ – gorgeous saucer shaped flowers in a purple blue, which keep on coming.
Everything has flowered early this summer, but zinnias have remained faithful to their usual timetable. They are just peeping through now. They’re too flamboyant for some people, but I love them (and you can now get subtle, pastel varieties).
Another excellent purchase has been these ivy-leafed pelargoniums in a deep rose red.
There are so many butterflies in the garden, which is heartening. Also lots of moths, hover flies and ladybirds, doing sterling work chomping through the black fly and greenfly.
All in all, a summer with challenges, but also many, many pleasures. Every time I open the doors and step outside, I remember exactly why I have fallen in love with gardening.