I have only seen a couple of Rose chafers in my lifetime until this year. Recently, I found one on my doorstep looking rather ‘shook’ and to save it from the dogs’ paws I moved it to one of my favourite heavily-scented moss roses. A few hours later it had recovered and had eaten half the blossom. It has been joined by many friends over the last few days and as I have more than enough roses they are all very welcome. Any damage it does is mitigated by the habit of the larvae of feeding on decaying vegetation. So it is both beautiful and useful at the same time.
This is Oxalis corniculata var. atropurpurea or Purple-leaved Yellow-sorrel. The Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland consider it to be rather’ insignificant looking’ but personally I think it is very attractive. It does not run rampant here as suggested and the purple/brown leaf is a welcome change.
The roses at the bottom of the drive seemed to bloom and fade very quickly this year. However, the recent warm weather has caused them to revive for a second showing. Long may they last.
I have never noticed how beautiful the Eucalyptus perriniana looks when the sun is shining through the leaves. It does very well here in this coastal garden although it can easily be blown over in a storm. I also believe that they have a beautiful flower but I think that I am unlikely to ever see it in this climate.
The round young leaves of the Eucalyptus perriniana.
Last year as I had some health issues and with little help the garden took on a life of it own. Rambling roses wander through the hydrangeas and other shrubs and I am getting to like the rather disorganised look. I will try to curb some of the excesses, but I am not sure that I want to return to a more formal look in the future.
A few years ago my neighbour warned me that she had found some bindweed in a far corner of her garden. I reassured her that I would be vigilant and keep on top of it if it ventured into mine. Famous last words. Overnight it seemed to invade every corner of the garden and to add insult to injury uses the dreaded ferns for support.
A section of my rose bed on the driveway with catmint, foxgloves (and the odd bramble trying to avoid being seen). Some of the moss roses are a bit of a puzzle as it looks as if they are now becoming white instead of various shades of pink. I have yet to decide if I will do anything about them as the rose bed is very long and it would be quite a challenge to replant. Any advice would be welcome.
Another case of the rambling and climbing roses taking advantage of the lack of attention, but I do like the jumble of colours.
I rarely have time to sit in the garden as it is often too windy and cold by the time I have finished my chores. The recent warm evenings have given me a chance to change my routine. Within five minutes of sitting near my two Amelanchier lamarckii I spied three bullbinches, a robin, a song thrush, two blackbirds (male and female) a wren, and a blackcap all feeding from the tiny berries. Occasionally, the bullfinches varied their diet by crossing the drive and feeding on the seeds of the sowthistle in the rockery.
The two Amelanchier shrubs shown here are impressive for another reason apart from their berries. I planted these when I first moved to this property over 14 years ago. As you can see they are growing on a rocky bank with only a few inches of soil in most places. It is an exposed area and they have weathered 14 years of storms without loosing a branch. They are definitely a plant for the coastal garden.
The flowers of the cotoneaster tend to be too small to make a big impression. However, they are still very popular with a wide variety of insects including this green bottle fly.
I will miss the roses when they finish but the Hydrangea are beginning to flower and seem to be promising extra vibrant colours this year. With luck they won’t have to face too many storms in the coming months.