Throughout July there have been many colourful blooms in our garden but also a good supply of pollen - food for the bees, butterflies etc.
Small patch of Helenium (taken earlier in July) that now needs dead heading to promote some secondary blooms & a good location for capturing the occassional butterfly that perches (see previous posts).
Hibiscus syriacus, a deciduous shrub that prefers full sun on well drained soil but we have heavy 'London' clay. Over the 10 - 20 years since they were first planted they have become overshadowed by other trees and are not producing quite the volume of blooms as in the past.
Hibiscus syriacus, a deciduous shrub that prefers full sun on well drained soil but we have heavy 'London' clay. Over the 10 - 20 years since they were first planted they have become overshadowed by other trees and are not producing quite the volume of blooms as in the past. 
Top L - H. Hamabo; Top R - H. Red Heart; Bottom L & R - A seedling of H. Red Heart that as usual reverted to produce mauve-blue flowers.
Clematis (possibly Polish Spirit?) now climbing high into the Prunus & Hawthorn.
Despite the problem of the Lily Beetle I still enjoy growing Liliums. Many are grown in pots but a couple of clumps of Lilium Golden Splendour, Casa Blanca, Lady Alice & the turkscap Black Beauty are now performing well directly planted in the garden but all need supporting as they grow quite tall. (L. Golden Splendour now reaches over 6 feet!)
Top L - L. Casa Blanca; Top R - L. Black Beauty 
More Liliums
Top L - L.Calgary; Bottom L - L.Lady Alice; Bottom R - L.Golden SplendorOne of many bees enjoying the Echinops.
Dahlia with plenty of pollen for a passer by.
Now all we need is some continuous sunshine for more blooms to appear and provide food for the bees, butterflies and bugs that might pay us a visit.
Such lovely flowers. I really enjoy your blog.
ReplyDeleteSunny :)
Beautiful sunny blooms Frank guaranteed to cheer us during this rather disappointing Summer.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful flower shots Frank...you Lilies are FAB :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful blooms Frank. Looks a paradise for the insects.
ReplyDeleteI recognise the Hibiscus, thanks to your ID a while ago of mine. It always gives a good show.
And those Lilies are superb.
Lovely pictures Frank. I have grown Lilies this year, both in a pot and in my garden. Because my garden is shady due to trees and hedges I decided to try out the lilies and planted them in areas of the garden where it is quite shady and they are doing well and flowering. Moths like them, I have my pot of lilies in front of my lounge window and when it is dusk, the moths come and feast on the lilies and the bats come flying past my lounge window for the moths, quite a show, beats watching TV:-)
ReplyDeleteVery, VERY nice photos. Love close-ups of flowers.
ReplyDeleteVery nice capture of your gardens..so much work but so worth it...
ReplyDeleteLove the dahlia shot..what a capture with such nice lighting!
London clay?? We also have very heavy clay beds in Pennsylvania and just digging a hole can be challenge let alone getting something fragile to take root!! I use a lot of Miracle grow potting soil when Im planting something new. Love your side bar pics
!!
Your Hibiscus and mine appear to be the same indeed. It's nice to see a different view of the same flower. The colors are truly eye-popping. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSunny. Thanks for dropping by again. I'm pleased you enjoyed the blooms.
ReplyDeleteJan. Yeh, we need sunshine & more sunshine.
Crista. Cheers....I'll need to do some re-potting to ensure they are happy for next year.
Keith. "Paradise for insects", but why are they never around when I'm looking for them?
Lynmiranda. You are so right...Lilies do better in the shade. Bats & months from the window...I'm jealous.
Mona. Thank you very much.
Tina. The garden is not very big, but having looked around tonight I've realised how much there is still to do! Unless I'm planting I adopt the 'no dig' policy - just mulch with a good layer of organic compost every year.
Lisa. Yes they do.
Cheers everyone, enjoy the rest of your week. FAB
Very lovely flowers. Hard to even pick a favorite.
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...you certainly have a spectacular garden! I can see tending the flowers and plants is a passion for you. Lovely photos as well.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful show of blooms you have there. I also have the lily in the solo photo and the other day it was attracting swarms of hover flies. Also it is the first one I have noticed with a lovely scent.
ReplyDeleteLeedra. Cheers. I also wouldn't attempt to pick a favourite as all the blooms are special.
ReplyDeleteKelly. Long, thin and fairly green; and that's just the garden! Parts of the garden were sort of planned but I've let everything take over & do it's own thing. I just enjoy the peace & calm of pottering in the garden.
Midmarsh John. Thanks. Many of the Trumpet & most Oriental Lilies are fragrant. There was a pleasant waft of scent as I walked past the white Casa Blanca this evening. Last year I saw Hummingbird Hawk Moths feeding on the yellow Golden Splendor - quite a sight.
Such beautiful flower pictures. I particularly like the dark orange daisies. Thank you for visiting my site and your kind comment. I have saved your blog as one to follow and will pop in regularly.
ReplyDeleteYou have a lot of things blooming! My lilies have finished up, but they were spectacular this year. I have some white ones that are about 6 ft and amazing. I just love the fragrance!
ReplyDeleteNW Nature Nut. Our Lilies are now past their best but I agree the fragrance makes the effort of growing them worthwhile.
ReplyDeleteStunning , and love the bee. How beautiful.
ReplyDeleteLisa RedWillow. Thanks for your visit..much appreciated.
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