Garden Log - July Update

One of the main reasons for doing this blog was to give me a month by month record of how things are developing. One of my main problems when I'm gardening is that, as I've said before, I'm impatient. To much time spent looking at mature gardens in magazines and on online make me want things to fill in and look beautiful now. Posting these words and pictures allows me to look back and see that, actually, things are developing quite rapidly. Looking back at last month and comparing it to this I can see that things have rocketed up and that the garden is developing nicely.

The front garden is really filling in. There are still things I want to do, mainly by way of taking things out at the  moment. There's the horrible unidentified bush that's taking up most of the bed in front of the window and continually trying to swamp everything else. Then there's the Ash tree that's either self seeded, or has been planted somewhere incredibly stupid and keeps trying to engulf the Roses. This can be dealt with, but I'm waiting for autumn/winter when I can do it a) when they're not actively growing, and b) in a way that minimises damage to stuff that I actually want.

Unidentified, unwanted bush centre stage

The things that I do want however are looking great.

These Roses are a legacy plant in the garden. I've never really been bothered about Roses before, but I have to say I'm becoming rather taken with them. With me not having planted these myself I have no idea on the varieties, but after a bit of pruning and TLC I think they're looking fabulous. The yellow one in particular smells heavenly.

These Delphiniums are coming back even better than before after having to be chopped right back after being flattened by the weather. The Geraniums are starting to look a lot more established too.

Other things in the front garden that I'm particularly please with are the Snapdragons and bedding plants that I put in and the Nasturtiums that I've been growing in a trough next to the door.

The back has also gone through some pleasing changes over the last month. The main thing is that I've given up on the veg bed at the back (it was far too shady and soggy for veg) so it's been dug over with gravel and compost to aid drainage and I've started putting in plants that will tolerate at least partial shade.

Newly planted stuff includes the ferns shown above, as well as Heuchera, and Toad Lily. Planted next to the rather cheap and nasty obelisk are some Morning Glory that I've grown from seed. Bit on the late side to be putting them in, but I thought I'd see what happens.

The part of the bed under the trees is slowly coming on,

 And the Poppies (see the first photo) and Irises are flowering.

In the sunnier part of the garden the Sweet Peas and the Lilys are coming along nicely and the Lavatera is flowering.

The Anemones here have been fantastic. They've been flowering for a couple of months now.

Finally, the stuff I've got in pots is going berserk!

Nicotiana Lime Green, Dwarf Sunflower, Oxalis, And something else... 

Nicotiana Lime Green and Dwarf Sunflowers

Pelargonium Scarlet (I think...)

So, a monster of a photo post. Sorry for the overload for those of you that make it this far, but I want to have everything recorded. Oh, and the eagle eyed among you will have noted that we still have no fence...