My garden in 2009

Here are some photos taken in my garden this year. I'll try and keep this page updated as the months go by.

Mid-March

Ipheions do fabulously in my patio tubs here. They provide attractive flowers from February, and don't have any problems with the hot summers as they're dormant then.

In the meantime, one of my Camellias is in full flower.

Our North Sussex acid clay soil is ideal for them.

Early April

This bush in our front garden some years ago is just coming into flower. It is a Berberis linearifolia 'Orange King'.

Mid-April

Ten days later it's in full bloom - fantastic!

Meanwhile, in my "hot border" at the back, a Geum and some Polyanthus are blooming nicely.

Early May

By early May, the Geum is at its best.

My tub of alpine Phlox are now in full flower too. The taller one is P stolonifera, the other of course a P sublata variety.

Late May

My hot border is now pretty much all planted up for the summer, and the lupins are coming into flower.

I also planted this slow-growing deciduous Azalea several years ago.

I've been pleased with the way that these Delospermum have survived here. They can stand the hot summers (and not-infrequent neglect!) and produce these wonderful yellow flowers at this time of year.

This Parahebe has all but taken over the largest of my patio tubs. I have no complaint!

A closer view of the Delospermum.

The top part of the hot border...

...where the Nemesia, French Marigolds (Tagetes) and a Pink (Dianthus) are now starting to great great splashes of colour.

Early June

This alpine Penstemon - I've unfortunately forgotten which variety it is - always covers its tub with these lovely flowers. Below it is an alpine Phlox.

The Californian poppies are now flowering.

I grew this orange Red Hot Poker (Kniphophia) plant from seed ... about 20 years ago! I really liked the colour and decided to name it 'Orangey'. I divided it one year and got about 20 plants from it, which are now in various friends/relatives' gardens.

A Lupin in full flower with the Californian poppies.

The view from our patio.

Mid June

The Nemesia, now in full bloom, are joined by Livingstone daisies (Mesembryanthemum) and a pink Wood Sorrell (Oxalis articulata).
I have seen the latter referred to as a dangerous weed that can spread all over gardens. Whilst I have seen other Oxalis species do that, this one has been grown by my parents and grand-parents for decades, and I've never seen it go rampant. So I took three divisions from dad's last summer and planted one here, the other two in the patio tubs. This is the only one that survived, but it should continue flowering now until the end of the summer.

I planted this Jerusalem Cross (Lychnis chalcedonica) a good few years ago. It hasn't spread much, but always produces three or four nice flower heads.

The top part of the border, with some poppies centre-stage.
The Red Hot Poker has already produced more than 20 flower spikes.

Late June

My new Tickseed (Coreopsis) has now joined the party!

Meanwhile, round the front my Flame Creeper (Tropaeolum speciosum) is still growing and flowering.

Three of my patio tubs.

I'd wanted some Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) for several years, until I found it growing in dad's back garden. So I layered some plants the winter before last, and planted them here last summer. Now they're well away!
Though it tends to be regarded as a plant for growing beside water, it'll actually do equally happily in ordinary flower borders.

Start of July

Now the Snapdragons have started to bloom.

I hadn't tried growing Million Bells (Calibrachoa) until I bought this 'Golden Terracotta' this year - it's already proving a hit!

Another new plant for me is this bright Alstroemeria. Love the flowers, though I'll have to wait and see whether or not it will establish itself here.

I took a liking to this Pink (Dianthus) so I planted it in another of the tubs.

The Yellow Loosestrife (Lysimachia punctata) in the foreground was there when we moved here. Behind it, Crocosmia 'Lucifer' is just starting to flower. The yellow-leaved bush in the background is Choisya ternata 'Sundance'.

Crocosmia 'Lucifer' and Yellow Loosestrife

I planted this Dahlia in this tub one year, and it has survived here ever since!

Lantana camara is one of my favourite bedding plants. It seems to do well in our hot, dryish Sussex summers, and I love the way the flowers change colour as they mature.