Jo's News and Views No 6 June 2024

Hello Everyone 

The weather throughout June has been lovely. However, how many of you said 'Oh, it's too hot'?? I know I did. It just goes to show that we are never happy with our weather, are we?? 

The garden at Myddelton has continued to thrive and looks beautiful. The small standard roses on Bowling Green Lawn have a long flowering season and are continuing to delight visitors, photo 1. There were originally three types planted here - 'Ballerina', 'The Fairy' and 'White Pet'. On the other side of the lawn is the Tom Tiddlers Ground. This looked so lovely bathed in the soft afternoon sunshine, photo 2. 

Moving on to the Hollow Lawn area I noticed these gorgeous Lilium martagon, Turks Cap Martagon Lilies in the border, photo 3. I think they are something to add to my shopping list. Also here were these beautiful Opium poppies, photo 4. I love all the different colours. The Tulip Terrace has been planted up for the summer, photo 5. There is a selection of hardy annuals that will cope with the warmer weather. 

The area in front of the Peach House is full of Field Poppies, photo 6, such a wonderful sight. I think the poppies have done well everywhere as I have noticed many fields full of them when I am driving around. I missed the flowers on the Salsify this year but these seed heads were amazing, photo 7. 

Moving on to the Glasshouses, starting in Glasshouse C. Here the display of plants always pleases the eye. I noticed the Hoya carnosa was in flower. This is also known as the Porcelain flower or Wax plant, photo 9. The flowers appear waxy and insignificant but up close they are very pretty and have a sweet scent, photo 10. The Aristolochia grandiflora was also in flower, photo 11. Next door in glasshouse B there was another Hoya carnosa, photo 12. This one has been trained over wires so the flowers hang down, photo 13. Then onto Glasshouse A where the succulents live, photo 14. Some of them will be moving outside to sit on the wall running along the Tulip Terrace. I like to think of it as their 'Summer holiday'.

Outside the Kitchen Garden was looking very colourful, photo 15. Lots of flowers to attract the bees and insects. Walking up the steps to the Pond, the Cornus kousa immediately caught my attention, photo 16. Still flowering well and looking stunning in the summer sunshine. At the side of the pond was this huge clump of Gunnera, photo 17. Many of these plants were lost after the alterations to the pond so it was good to see this one doing so well. 

In the Wisley Corner there were an array of foxgloves, photo 18. A favourite flower of mine and the bees. The spots on the petals guide the bees into the flower so they can harvest the pollen, photo 19. Also here is the Rosa Wisley 2008 ('Ausbreeze'), photo 20. Another plant where the flowers do not immediately jump out at you but when examined closely you realise how beautiful it is. 

Walking back through Tom Tiddlers Ground I stopped to smell the Philadelphus coronarius 'Variegatus' growing there, Photo 21. Known to us as the Mock Orange shrub because the beautiful pure white flowers have a heavy orange scent. Nearby was another of my favourite trees, the Catalpa bignonioides 'Aurea', photo 22. Also known as the Indian Bean tree, it was first seen by the European settlers in the fields of the Cherokee Native American tribes. Then I was back at the Courtyard and noticed that the Tilia x europaea, Common Lime, was smothered in flowers, photo 23. An amazing sight. 

Not much fauna this month as I didn't get there early enough in the day but the damsel and dragonflies were out in force. This Broad-bodied chaser dragonfly was flying backwards and forwards over the pond but did stay still just long enough for me to take its picture, photo 24. Then I saw this delightful Common Blue Damselfly, photo 25. There were quite a lot of them on the pond so I am including a photo of them and I am calling it 'How many can you see', photo 26. There are no prizes as it is just a bit of fun, I counted 9. 

I hope you have enjoyed this wander through the garden with me. 

Best Wishes 

Jo