Ornamentals
I know I'm unusual but I'm not a great fan of roses: some smell beautiful and the simpler forms can be pleasing to behold but quite frankly I don't think they 'earn their keep' in a small garden so I don't grow them. But the one in this photo caught my eye at Hatfield House yesterday because it was such a delicate shade of apricot. Mind you, it was covered in tiny black beetles which I had to blow away before taking the snap. So typical of roses, if the wind and rain doesn't ruin the petals the pests and diseases will get them!
It seems that almost every day I have something new in bloom. Over the weekend the first of my dwarf Sweet Pea 'Cupid mixed' flowers opened and they are a lovely shade of deep purple. The Jasmine is a 'white froth' now and smells heavenly, particularly in the evening. I have massive flower heads out on the Buddleia which is far too big for the garden at over 9 feet high, even 'though it's on dwarf root stock and was heavily pruned back in February. I haven't touched it since (apart from reducing wayward branches blocking the path) because I wanted to see if it would bloom earlier, but it hasn't made much difference. So next year I'll go back to pruning out the growing tips after every four leaves in the hope of a shorter, more managable shrub. And all the Tagetes on the kitchen windowsill are out too. I'll be moving them to the greenhouse and outside over the next few days as I find room for them - then watch the slugs and snails arrive. :(
Wildlife
Some good news and bad news. Thanks to a thread I saw on A4A I've noticed that I have a number of ladybird chrysalises in the garden. They will probably turn out to be Harlequins but that's the way of things here in London these days.
The sad news is that I found one of my froglets dead in the pond today. I gave it a checking over but couldn't see any obvious reason for its demise. It had back legs and tiny front legs and the tail was beginning to wither. It's such a shame that it got that far but didn't make it.
Georgie
2 comments:
Awww, what a shame that your little froggie didn't make it. Is there another one left? I hope he doesn't come to the same end.
I was thinking just today about roses. I'm not a huge fan of them either. When we moved into this house there were a whole load of roses in the front garden and I promptly dug them all up. I do see some quite pretty ones though, especially the climbing roses, I love the delicately coloured yellow ones, so I'm wondering at the moment if I should get one. Watch this space.
That is one gorgeous looking rose! My mum loved roses so it's not surprising that I do to. My favourite colours are white and yellow, and like you I prefer the simpler forms.
That's a shame about your froglet. xx
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