Why open garden days are challenging.

roses and foxgloves
Another four days to go and the garden will be open to the public again. Last week has been quite exciting because of the heat and rain. Code “orange” has been issued twice that week in Zeeland! Fortunately, the thunderstorms passed by. The rain fell straight down, without any wind whatsoever. If you live near to the sea like I do, that is quite exceptional.

All this warm and humid weather has given the garden a growth spurt. Roses are in full flower. In this warm and sunny conditions, the whole garden scents. As I pass the roses I smell granny’s soap. Delicious. The roses I planted last autumn have well established and are looking promising.

Roses are beautiful, but I want to combine them with something else; otherwise in my opinion it is too boring. That's why I have many "verticals" in my garden. Verticals are plants such as foxglove and lupine. They grow straight up and give the garden a nice vertical contrast.

This year the foxglove has spread beautifully. However, it grows frighteningly high. One gust of wind and they will be flat to the ground. For that reason I have supported every plant. Invisible of course. Because no matter what, it must look natural. As I look out of the kitchen window I realise the back yard has never bloomed so well before.

Another four days to go......... Everything is going well. No stress ..... One thing though. Last week I found some droppings at the front door. Deer droppings. You do not want to know what a few deer can eat in an hour.

So until the open garden days, eyes open. Day and night. Open garden days are extremely challenging!

The garden is opened June 8 and 9th. Info see link below.
romantic rose garden
Roses, foxgloves and Koklwitzia
Roses, foxgloves and Koklwitzia 
Roses, foxgloves
Lupine, digitalis and roses 
foxgloves  and bee
Digitalis and bee 
 Rosa 'Fatin Latour'
 Rosa 'Fatin Latour'
broad been with red flowers
Broad been with red flowers 
Lupine and roses
 Lupine and roses
Lupine
Lupine 
Rosa Mme 'Alfred Carriere'
Rosa Mme 'Alfred Carriere'
deer poop.
Deer poop on my doorstep!

Comments

  1. Dear Hetty,
    your garden looks extremely beautiful! In my garden the rose bloom is mostly over. In your garden the roses seem to be at their best-seems like your visitors will be able to enjoy your garden in full bloom. I am wondering how your roses Jacques Cartier and Mme. Boll are doing? If I remember correctly, you planted these two in autumn. I have both these roses and they have been doing so well this year. Especially Jacques Cartier, I have it the third year now and it has been blooming for such a long time this year, actually it still is blooming. Jacques Cartier produces so many buds per stem and last year some of the flowers didn´t open due to the rain-they just got brown. This year, having less rain, every single bud opened into a pretty bloom.
    Having people visit your garden must be so exciting. I am sure they love your garden and get so much inspiration from it. I get a lot of inspiration from your garden just by looking at the pictures. I am sure the garden is an even bigger joy if seen in person, when one is able to smell the roses. Yesterday I visited a garden in lower Austria. The garden is called "Marienschlössel". I love visiting gardens and really liked Marienschlössel as they have many
    old rose varieties and also a lot of beautiful perennials such as catmint and lavender. On Wednesday I will go on a garden vacation to England for five days. I am so much looking forward to it! I think it´s great that the roses in England flower some weeks later than the ones here in Vienna. Now, that most of my roses have spent their blooms, I will be able to enjoy some english gardens in full bloom. Are you too going to England again this year, Hetty? Besides, I wanted to thank you for the advise you gave me on growing poppies some time ago.I have been struggling to grow papaver somniferum for years. I followed your advise to sow the seeds in autumn already instead of spring. And guess what, Hetty! - I have beautiful poppies on my terrace this year. They have grown so big and flower so prettily. I am so happy to finally
    have been able to grow them thanks to your great advise!
    I wish you successful open garden days with friendly people chatting about gardening all day long!
    Best wishes,
    Lisa

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    Replies
    1. I am pleased to hear your poppies are flowering! And yes I was a few weeks ago in England to visit gardens. It was wonderful. Maybe I write a post about this trip in the Cotswolds so you can enjoy the gardens as wel . The roses Jacques Cartier and Mme Boll are in flower and I like the colour! So they may stay!! Groetjes Hetty

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  2. Your garden is so lush and beautiful! I'd love to stroll thru it and drink in the colors.

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  3. So beautiful - what a gorgeous garden you have!
    Thanks for linking up at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-retreat-house.html

    ReplyDelete

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