End of June 2017 in the Garden

 The tall flower spikes of the New Zealand Phormium tenax reach high into the sky

Closely followed by the Lilium regale also growing forever upwards

  Phygelius raspberry swirl

The refreshing scent of Lavandula hidcote drifts through the air

This Loquat Tree is a curiosity. When we travelled in the Galician region of Spain several years ago, there was a bowl of loquats on the breakfast table. Inside they had big brown seeds which I saved and carried back home with this result. I wonder if they will ever bear fruit?

 Echinops - Globe thistle will soon be flowering

Clematis Hagley hybrid 

Some of the figs are almost ready but these have still to fatten

I am happy that Californian poppies scatter themselves around - if necessary they are easily removed

Lilium martagon

There are two climbing Hydrangeas growing up our walls - this one is the regular Hydrangea petiolaris

but this one is a rare variety called Hydrangea seemannii. Native to the cloud forests of Mexico and named after the discoverer, Berthold Carl Seeman, a German botanist 1825-1871.

Centaurea montana

Leycesteria formosa - Himalayan honeysuckle

Australian Callistemon citrinus - bottlebrush. There was once a time when this plant would not have survived out of doors in my garden, but with our warmer climate this one has flourished outside for the past 20 years. 

Lavendula augustifolia

Lavender's blue, dilly, dilly, lavender's green
When I am king, dilly, dilly, You shall be queen

Who told you so, dilly, dilly, who told you so?
'Twas my own heart, dilly, dilly, that told me so 

I love to dance, dilly, dilly, I love to sing
When I am queen, dilly, dilly, You'll be my king 

  Who told me so dilly, dilly, Who told me so?

 

 I told myself, dilly, dilly, I told me so

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Lavender's Blue is a traditional 'Olde English' folk song from the late c17th

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Lavender is a low maintenance plant to have in your garden requiring nothing more than a good clip in the Autumn and is drought tolerant. It attracts bees and butterflies but is deer and rabbit resistant. It can be used in cosmetics, medicine and cuisine. Lavender fragrance has been prized for millennia. Lavender eases tension. Rub a few drops of lavender body oil on your temple to help you sleep. Try Sprinkling dried blooms onto your desserts or cakes

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With this post the computer is going off, but I will be back again soon♡