What’s looking good at the moment

The paeonies haven’t quite opened yet, Paeonia ‘Buckeye Belle’ is often flowering by now but it’s a little late this year and even the bees are getting impatient (as can be seen in this photo). I know they are fairly fleeting as flowers go, not to mention if there is a particularly windy day or a rain shower the petals quickly flutter to the ground. However I still plant them, I have deep red varieties on one side and white on the other. While often planting pink varieties in clients gardens.

Rosa ‘Souvenir du Docteur Jamain’ is flowering for the first time in my garden, I love the deep red of this rose and am happy to see it back again. I had one a few years ago but it was hacked (not by me) when the fence was replaced. This meant finding a new spot in the garden to plant one and now it has finely reached a height when I can enjoy it as I wander down the garden.

Thalictrum ‘Black Stockings’ is in full bloom, creating lilac clouds above all the green foliage. Mixed in with aquilegias, astrantias and roses. The roses have been given a little extra support this year, the mixture of heavy rain and the numerous flowers are causing some of them to topple over.

Care and Development

The continued rain along with a few bursts of sun, at least here in the UK has meant many gardens have filled out in every direction, plants and weeds alike.

• Whilst the rain encourages growth, it also means many plants become taller and more floppy. It’s worth wandering along the borders to check on progress and stake any plants that have bowed in the rain, because they’re reaching for the sky or taken a battering by the weather. Something that I’ll be doing in the front garden this weekend, to help the postie reach the front door. The roses have become detached from their supports (they aren’t particularly prickly but even so) and the geraniums are trying to smother the path.

• The rain has encouraged the weeds too, it’s worth hoeing them off from time to time to keep on top of them or digging them out if they have deep tap roots. Before they outcompete any favourite flowers or takeover any gaps in the borders. I have a few gaps where I’ve been digging up plants that need to go for various reasons and re-arranging the existing plants before I plan and add new plants. I’ve noticed forget-me-nots that I’ve never had before have made themselves at home in the gaps, they can stay. However the Goosegrass or Galium aparine (it has many colloquial names) is one I’m trying to keep on top of, I don’t want it wrapping itself around existing plants or filling the borders.

• Any flowers that have faded can be deadheaded and any spring flowering shrubs that have finished can now be pruned. It is something that I quite enjoy doing while I’m waiting for dinner or with a coffee in hand.

• As sweet peas and climbers grow they will need to be tied into supports. I have some roses that are finally tall enough to start tying them into the wires and it also means that I can finally see the flowers above the rest of the border, hurrah!

Trends

Having recently been to the Chelsea Flower Show I was noting the trends, particularly the colour palettes being used in the gardens. Green and white was widely used this year, giving a calming feeling to many of the gardens. Creating a calming retreat away from the stress of everyday life.  There was oodles of Cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris), I have to admit I have plenty of photos of cow parsley but can’t resist taking more when wandering past a verge or through a woodland. This was often underplanted with sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum), a dainty star-like flower that makes a great ground cover plant. To lighten up woodland or areas of dappled shade the zingy acid greens of euphorbias were used to great effect. Some of my favourites are Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae (wood spurge) which creates great ground cover or Euphorbia palustris ‘Walenburg’s Glorie’. This years RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) plant of the year was a white flowering cherry, Prunus ‘Starlight’. I’ve already thought of client’s garden I could add this too.

Purples and pink palettes were another trend, whether as a colour palette in their own right or as highlight colour in the green and white schemes. I always enjoy a mass planting of Allium x hollandium ‘Purple Sensation’ in particular. Other plants widely used included Tulbaghia violacea, almost like a looser flowering allium poking out from behind grasses in all its pink-lilac daintiness. Given that many varieties of iris are in full bloom during Chelsea week they are an often-used flower.  One of my go-to varieties and one much in evidence at the show was Iris siberica ‘Tropic Night’. On a warm evening there is nothing more enjoyable that sitting out and enjoying the luminescent qualities of the violet flowers. Cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpureum’ punctuated borders with their magenta flowers and architectural green-grey leaves. Along with the white and pink daisies of Erigeron karvinskianus (Mexican fleabane).

Sustainability has quite rightly become more important, when the designs are submitted for selection, one of the documents must be a sustainability plan. The gardens need to have a life after the show, whether being rebuilt as a complete garden or used in parts. There were also plenty of ideas and talking points for any garden. From using wool pots instead of plastic to grow plants in, they can then be put straight into the garden and will biodegrade. To show that bug hotels can be beautiful, the one on the side of Mr Kazuyuki Ishihara’s garden (MOROTO no IE garden) particularly caught my eye. Full confession I always head straight to look at his garden at the show, the attention to detail is mind blowing and beautiful in equal measures. Both the Wateraid and the Flood Resilient gardens were thinking about what we do with water. Our drains weren’t built to cope with the amount of water we have had recently and then at the height of summer we often have the opposite problem. Thinking about to funnel water and where it runs off to, along with storing it for use when needed is an important part of any garden design.

What I’m working on

More plants have been added to the seaside garden, the final plants have been added and the wildflower turf has arrived. The mixture of sunshine and rain has helped the plants to become established, some of them are already flowering away. The plants have been set out in the first border for a back garden project, ready for the gardener to plant (sometimes it is me planting but in this case their gardener will be planting, after all he will be responsible for caring for them long term). The new borders have been marked out and are being dug, ready for some frames to go in for the climbers. Once the frames have been assembled the remaining plants will be delivered and set out. The request in this case was for colourful and vibrant and I’m really looking forward to seeing it become established.

A client who’s back garden I worked on has been back in touch about their front garden, a returning client always makes me happy. At the moment there is only really space to park two cars and one small border with a few struggling plants. They would like to come home to greenery with a hint of pink and purple and a flowering cherry tree. I’m always happy to add plants to a front garden, this one is an interesting challenge, it is in full sun all afternoon. Unless the car is parked there, in which case one of the borders will be in partial shade.

I’ve been busy refining the garden with curves, creating a space for the hammock for the grandchildren. We’ve been marking the garden out with bamboo canes to work out where it will best fit. Along with adding a few more curves into the design, for good measure. There has also been the start of a more detailed discussion on planting, we’re starting to think about climbers, particularly scented climbers. Twining them around the supports for the hammock and around the seating area. Next will be a discussion on the updated plans and starting to look at material samples.

I’m looking forward to the paeonies finally opening and a little less rain, are there any June flowers you’re particularly looking forward to? Or do you have any garden plans in mind? I would love to know.

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About the author

Camilla Grayley is an experienced garden designer, speaker and writer based in York. She designs gardens and delivers garden consultancy services for clients in Yorkshire and across the UK.

Get in touch on 01904 670330 or info@camillagrayleydesign.com