Jo's News and Views No 8 August 2024

Thank you so much for your lovely messages and I am really happy to say that my recovery is going well and I am driving again. 

So I was happy to visit the garden and take photos again. So without further ado here is my selection for August. 

The bed on the Front Lawn was looking lovely with the Rhus typhina, known as Staghorn sumac, getting read to impress us in the Autumn, photo 1. The border outside the Old Conservatory was also full of interest, photo 2 and inside was looking lovely too, photo 3. Nearby on the edge of the pond a clump of Gunnera had grown to a reasonable size, photo 4. However, it is only one of two clumps around the pond. It is sad that all the rest of the plants dug out when the pond was restored have been lost. 

Walking along the New River Lawn I stopped to admire the Verbena bonariensis flowering there, photo 5. Nearby, I was surprised to see the Wisteria on the pergola was still flowering, photo 6. Another delight was waiting for me in the Rose Garden. The Rosa bracteata, the Macartney Rose was flowering. In his books Mr Bowles writes twice about this rose. ".... R. bracteata, which, if only it were a shade hardier and began to flower earlier in the season, would be the finest of white roses." So here it is, photo 7.

On the Tulip Terrace the summer bedding has made quite an impact. The grey cineraria making a perfect border for the red and white mix of pelargoniums, photos 8 and 9. Onto the Glasshouses, here the display of crassula was very striking, photo 10. Especially this one, crassula perfoliata var. falcata, photo 11. On the other side of the Glasshouses I found the display in the Annual flower bed a little worse for the hot spell of weather we've had, photo 12. However, there was one of my favourites still in flower, Cleome, known as the Spider flower, photo 13. So pretty but you have to be careful if you want to pick them as the stems are covered in tiny prickles. Further along the path the Conference pear trees were covered in fruit, photo 14. It looks like a bumper crop this year. Turning around I noticed that the arch of branches framed the Cynara cardunculus, or Globe artichoke as it is commonly known perfectly. They were wearing their bright colourful bluey-purple flower heads, photo 15. 

Returning across the New River Lawn towards Bowling Green Lawn I stopped to admire one of my favourite trees. Another one I hear you say! Yes, at the beginning of the month the Catalpa bignonioides 'Koehnei' was flowering, photo 16. My thanks to Roger Holland on correcting me with the name recently. I have called it 'variegata' and 'aurea' in the past but will stay with 'Koehnei' now. The flowers are exquisite and it is such a shame that they don't last for long, photos 17 and 18. As you can see in photo 19, taken on 21st August, they have all gone. 

Now for my fauna round up for August. I was lucky enough to see these dragonflies and damselflies on the pond. The conditions there must suit them as they were flying around long enough for me to take quite a few photos. So I have two Willow emerald damselflies doing what comes naturally, photo 20. A Common darter dragonfly, photo 21 and a Migrant hawker dragonfly, photo 22. Also here was this little Moorhen chick, photos 23 and 24. I am sure it will grow into his big feet in time. 

I hope you have all enjoyed my wander around the garden with me. 

Best wishes 

Jo