Though torrential rain has battered my tiny patch for the last several weeks, as it has the rest of Wiltshire, my more resilient plants have raised their heads regardless, and it’s done wonders for my runner beans, which need a regular shower to help the flowers to set. The trees are fat with rain and looking lush and happy, all except the little Acer Drummondii which dislikes the battering and shows its disapproval by developing muddy brown patches on the leaves and looking very sorry indeed. However, from experience, it will produce a few new leaves as the summer progresses and come next Spring, all will be well. I look forward to the yellow and green splash even though the onset of heavy summer rain will knock its roof in again.
I have two Clematis “Polish Spirit” (viticella) and both have given sterling service over a number of years. They are not the most spectacular of their species but they survive heavy rain and flower through beyond September. Insects love them and they provide much needed shelter for butterflies and bumble bees.
The one on the Pergola (aka the Gantry) is bigger this year than ever before and much of it is yet to flower. It gets a feed if I remember to do it, but it receives very little hands-on care (other than the usual chop in February) and is largely left to itself. Every year I gaze longingly at the fabulous new Clematis available in the garden centre and this year I’ve promised myself something new for next summer but I won’t be getting rid of “Polish Spirit” any time soon.
When the pond was moved in the Spring I was left with a blank circle, or, more correctly, an ellipse of clay where the spoil of the new pond had been dumped. I distributed the decent topsoil around the remainder of the garden and left only a shallow covering over the space. Not wishing to live with a fallow area for the whole summer I decided to scatter some saved seed from earlier years, poppies, cornflowers, love-in-a-mist, borage, together with a packet of wildflower seeds.
To make the space appear more full and mature I crammed in some spare lobelia, pots of Acidanthera; Gypsophila, Leucanthemum, Osteospermum, and Heliotrope which last well if deadheaded and lastly a couple of Cannas in pots. Six spare square stones provide a temporary walk-way for watering (which has not been very necessary just recently) and when I decide on a more permanent use for the space, all of it can come out as quickly as it went in – the Gurus call it instant gardening apparently.
Buddleia grows where it pleases in my garden as it serves our summer visitors so well. At the moment, and whenever the sun decides to show itself, my garden is filled with dozens of butterflies and bumblebees, I even spotted a Red Admiral this morning – they’ve been very few and far between around here. Buddleia is easy to grow and such a magnet for butterflies there really is no excuse not to have one.
They’re not all enormous, you can accommodate a small one in a pot; they flower all summer long and possess a delicious blackberry scent. Mind you, they are also particularly good when used for summer privacy in the garden as they can be cut back after flowering or left to waft around in the gales, then clipped around February/March time for rapid growth to a good height. There’s nothing worse than being gawped at, so if you’re looking to discourage nosy neighbours there’s no better plant than a blooming great Buddleia!
Though torrential rain has battered my tiny patch for the last several weeks, as it has the rest of Wiltshire, my more resilient plants have raised their heads regardless, and it’s done wonders for my runner beans, which need a regular shower to help the flowers to set. The trees are fat with rain and looking lush and happy, all except the little Acer Drummondii which dislikes the battering and shows its disapproval by developing muddy brown patches on the leaves and looking very sorry indeed. However, from experience, it will produce a few new leaves as the summer progresses and come next Spring, all will be well. I look forward to the yellow and green splash even though the onset of heavy summer rain will knock its roof in again.
I have two Clematis “Polish Spirit” (viticella) and both have given sterling service over a number of years. They are not the most spectacular of their species but they survive heavy rain and flower through beyond September. Insects love them and they provide much needed shelter for butterflies and bumble bees. 
The one on the Pergola (aka the Gantry) is bigger this year than ever before and much of it is yet to flower. It gets a feed if I remember to do it, but it receives very little hands-on care (other than the usual chop in February) and is largely left to itself. Every year I gaze longingly at the fabulous new Clematis available in the garden centre and this year I’ve promised myself something new for next summer but I won’t be getting rid of “Polish Spirit” any time soon.
When the pond was moved in the Spring I was left with a blank circle, or, more correctly, an ellipse of clay where the spoil of the new pond had been dumped. I distributed the decent topsoil around the remainder of the garden and left only a shallow covering over the space. Not wishing to live with a fallow area for the whole summer I decided to scatter some saved seed from earlier years, poppies, cornflowers, love-in-a-mist, borage, together with a packet of wildflower seeds. 
To make the space appear more full and mature I crammed in some spare lobelia, pots of Acidanthera; Gypsophila, Leucanthemum, Osteospermum, and Heliotrope which last well if deadheaded and lastly a couple of Cannas in pots. Six spare square stones provide a temporary walk-way for watering (which has not been very necessary just recently) and when I decide on a more permanent use for the space, all of it can come out as quickly as it went in – the Gurus call it instant gardening apparently.
Buddleia grows where it pleases in my garden as it serves our summer visitors so well. At the moment, and whenever the sun decides to show itself, my garden is filled with dozens of butterflies and bumblebees, I even spotted a Red Admiral this morning – they’ve been very few and far between around here. Buddleia is easy to grow and such a magnet for butterflies there really is no excuse not to have one. 
They’re not all enormous, you can accommodate a small one in a pot; they flower all summer long and possess a delicious blackberry scent. Mind you, they are also particularly good when used for summer privacy in the garden as they can be cut back after flowering or left to waft around in the gales, then clipped around February/March time for rapid growth to a good height. There’s nothing worse than being gawped at, so if you’re looking to discourage nosy neighbours there’s no better plant than a blooming great Buddleia!
