Raining heavily this morning and so, after a two-week pause, I’ve the leisure of time to contribute again to Cathy’s ‘Tuesday View’ meme at Words and Herbs.
Unfortunately the Asphodeline lutea more or less came and went during my time away from the garden. When I arrived back there were still some spikes looking good, but I didn’t get my camera out fast enough. Lazy, lazy … and the same lazy gardener is late again cutting the grass.
Now there are only the bright green berries and a few small yellow starry flowers of the asphodel left. I do enjoy their effect in the Long Border, so a bit sad, but there’s always next year.
The roses had a frosting in early May, and lost quite a few buds, so they are really only just coming back into their own. Moss rose, ‘William Lobb’ was the exception. We call this the ‘monster’ rose at Chatillon. I keep cutting it back after flowering, but it persists in sending up long ungainly shoots for next year’s flowers.
Unfortunately it blooms at the same time as a bright orange hemerocallis that I inherited when we moved into the garden. The hemerocallis are definitely scheduled for removal this autumn because another year with the colour clash is going to give me a headache!
I wish I liked hemerocallis more. They do really well here, with the heat and the clay soil, but I have an aversion to their rather heavy flowers. Must work on changing that … Learn to love what loves you!
‘William Lobb’ never behaved as badly in a previous garden where I had it planted. A much more dignified tall shrub.
Looking in the opposite direction down the border, I hope you can make out at the very far end against the wall Rose ‘Ghislaine de Feligonde’?
The rose is not actually in the border itself, but growing against the garden wall. Last year, with all our rain at rose time, it was a washout. Fabulous show this season to make up for it.
I missed my chance to cut the four hazels in the Long Border back this February and, as a result, the herbaceous plants towards the front of the border are far more shaded out than I would like. Even the philadelphus planted on the bank have been rather over-shadowed by the hazels and we can’t really see their flowers properly.
I’ve coppiced the four hazels in the Long Border once, three years ago, when I first dug and planted the border. Since they are too big this year, I think it might be worth reducing that to every 2 years – or perhaps stagger the coppicing? Cut back 2 hazels one year, another 2 the next?
If you gardened here, with all our fierce heat in the summer, you’d understand my reluctance to do such a regular coppice! (Never mind the fact that all that cutting and dragging is pretty heavy work.)
I also seem to have lost some rather nice Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’ divisions that went into the ground last spring. I’ve no idea what happened – how can large clumps of plants just disappear? Anyway – there we are! That’s gardening life. I’m more philosophical than I used to be!
Enough of the problems – there is one rather pretty feature that appeals to me this week. The curling flower stems (still in bud) of Veronicastrum virginicum are looking quite charming with the grass Calamagrostis ‘America’.
Go over and have a look at everyone’s Tuesday views at Cathy’s Words and Herbs. And many thanks to Cathy for graciously hosting this lovely meme that gives us a reason to record one area of our garden every Tuesday – and exchange (virtually) plant ideas and tips!
Garden Dreaming at Châtillon 
Oh yes, I like those spiky plants too and I also enjoy seeing the sword-like leaves of crocosmia before the flowers arrive. I wonder why your Achilleas only last a couple of years… is it drainage do you think? I have had one for years which I thought was indestructible, but the winter almost finished it off and although it isn’t dead it might not flower this year. Your roses are a real picture, especially the mossy W. Lobb. It’s a lovely border Cathy. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I think it may be this particular Achillea, Cathy. It seems, although beautiful, to be rather short-lived. And yes – probably a drainage issue. All Achilleas like good drainage (ours is poor), but some are more sensitive than others, possibly? I don’t know, always observing! M. Lobb is very sweet, always a firm friend, although he has no manners on our soil here.
Wonderful. Your garden is such a treasure trove of fabulous colours and textures. 🙂
You are very kind Sue. I wish I saw it more frequently that way!
Beautiful borders, Cathy! Your roses look wonderful. Do you find it easy to get the antique varieties locally, or do you have to order them in?
I admit I’m relieved to find that someone shares my inability to properly appreciate daylilies… They were very popular in the Midwest, where I made my first garden – understandably as the basic orange types are so well adapted as to naturalize by the roadsides. I did finally find a miniature that I liked, a small red by the name of ‘Pardon Me’. I don’t even try them here, as I don’t think they would really be drought-tolerant enough for this garden, but I so sympathize with your quandary! 😉
Oh, I think we hemerocallis dislikers should stick together! I shall look for ‘Pardon Me’ straight away, since it has your permission! I do like the one that I put in my vase on Monday, however. It is, I think, Hemerocallis lilioasphodus. Very dainty, scented, a lovely pale yellow. Let me know if you come across any others worth growing, since we are obviously on the same page.
Forgot to reply to the question about the roses, Amy. I have to buy everything mail order here. There are no decent nurseries around (although I’m beginning to find good French mail order nurseries). All of my roses (49 at the last count) come from either David Austen or Peter Beales. I am a devotee of both nurserymen.
I always love verticals in the garden so your spikes are great. I’m all for loving what loves my garden but…….. then there’s the Phlomis – it seeds everywhere and I hate the smell. I think I’m going to try to banish it to just the slope.
Oh Christina – so fascinating the ways in which our gardens are similar, and yet completely different. So far phlomis has NEVER self-seeded here. Although other things do. At the moment I am over-run with Knautia macedonica. I never thought I would regret it, but I can hardly keep up. It didn’t do this ‘upstairs’ in the garden, where I wanted it to!
Raining heavily yesterday? Here the wind and rain reached biblical proportions. Just as I sat down to catch up on a long list of unread blogs, we had a power cut that went on all day, so no nice cup of tea either. Flaming June indeed.
I don’t like Day Lilies either, although I whisper it because our American blogging chums seem to be mad about them.
I love Ghislaine de Feligonde, such a gorgeous colour and a pretty name too.
How awful about the storms – we did have very stormy weather over the weekend, but nothing like yours. I am glad for the rain – and am noticing it as unusual here since lots of weeds are germinating very late (but not the things I deliberately sowed – isn’t that just like life?) The Ghislaine is so amazing at the moment – I could just swim in her beauty and be happy ever after … it takes a year without to make you appreciate.
Veronicastrum virginicum is such a fun plant. Does yours fasciate lots? Anyhow it certainly does look lovely silhouetted with the Calamogrostis.
So far no fasciation (just fascination!) for which I am heartily pleased, since I find it so ugly. Thanks for enjoying what I enjoyed!
Thanks for sharing this – it’s good to a more detailed look at some of your border. William Lobb looks a real good do-er, albeit a bit over enthusiastic! And yes, where DO clumps of plants disappear to?!
He is rather lovely (M. Lobb, that is). Or at least he was in the past. What is it with my garden? Previous experience has not prepared me!