It is just over a year that I have been doing this blog. During that time I have done a number of EoMV which centred around one view across the main lawn.
- July 2017
To start with I am going to look back at this view as to how it has changed through the seasons. To do this I have put together a slide show in chronological order.
Its is not perfect and how I wish I had taken this view every month. Never the less it is interesting how the colours change through the year with plants coming into bloom and then dying back and the angle of the sun making the shadows change.
Back to this July. So far the weather has been a tough this year with the first six months being very much drier then usual but then quite a heavy amount of rain in the last couple of weeks. Plants that love rain have suffered from the lack. Dahlias are not as tall as this time last year. However there is much to look at.
This is the bed to the right of the view above. You can see one of the penalties of going on holiday….the box hedge has not been cut yet!
Behind the urn we planted some Artemesia. This is the first year it has looked the part with clouds of little white flowers.
Moving around the beds from the right of the classic view to the left, we have. The dry heads of Kniphofia ‘Nancy’s Red’ needs to be removed as they make the border look like autumn. However the day lily Hemerocallis ‘Stafford’ looks good against the Cotinus ‘Nottcutts Variety’.
The Echinops ritro ‘Veitch’s Blue’ beautiful lilac blue balls would look good any where but against the dark foliage of Dahlia Bishop of Auckland they look great. A self set Eryngium giganteum ‘Miss Willmott’s ghost’ was presumably planted by Miss Willmot!
Phloxs have been grown well this year, this one is Phlox paniculata ‘David’.
Agapanthus remind me of Tresco with the red Potentilla ‘Gibson’s Scarlet’ to the front. This Agapanthus is kept in the pot and left outside through the winter but always seems to comeback each year.
This border is a bit disappointing. The dry weather seems to have resulted in the roses stopping earlier than normal and, as I said above, the dahlias have not been as good this year.
The bright yellow flowers are Achillea filipendulina ‘Cloth of Gold’ and should continue to flower through the autumn.
The nice Osteospermum is Osteospermum ‘Tresco hybrids’ but is not hardy in Leicestershire so I will take cuttings shortly.

Miss Willmott’s ghost and Cloth of Gold
The large leaves are Ricinus communis impala with Clematis ‘Wyevale’, the blue flowers on the right.
A very striking Ligularia ‘Britt-Marie Crawford’
A Kniphofia ‘Nancy’s Red’ with some specimen weeds in the background.
Looking back towards the pergola the border I was disappointed in does not look so bad after all!
And this view caught my eye.
Do have a look at Helen The Patient Gardener’s blog where you will find links to other gardens at the end of July. Thank you to Helen for hosting this meme.
The rain has kept us out of the garden this week but there is lots to do, particularly removing the specimen weeds!
2017 Gardening Hours | ||
Week beginning July 22nd | Total 2017 to-date | Average per week |
22 | 609 | 20 |
Hi Thank you so much four your Garden Tour. Despite my forever optimism on winning Lotto it probbly wont happen sso reelly need these lovely blogs. I would so love to meander around he bac roads and lanes of Britain and see your beutiful grdens.I did do this 21 years ago when styaing in Brugges with my daughter and we popped over to Kent nd Sussex or a couple of dys. Englend so easy to navigte you do speak English as well and the signpost are so good hrd to get lost. Was a real aste. Oh well Never give up Never give up you never know!. Still don’t have my grdening mojo back hoping hen weather warms up a bit will give me nudge along. Good seson for skiiers still as snow on mountins. Down t se level like here we get periodic storms – rain wind then big bouts of sun frost lstho we dont get frost – blue blue not too much wind and S U NNNNNN! I am such a sun worshippert this time of the yer sit ju pours into my wee home and I take the most advantage out of it. No ids to get to school or work so lie in my sunny bed quite late aqndtry n have aternoon nn-nap I call it a healing nap for my stroke and had a bad cough/cold so let sun soak in and so good for my sick body.Hope enjoy your loely garden late summer autumn obviously always something of interest. YVONNE RYAN WHANGAPAROA PENINSULA AUCKLAND NEW ZEALAND.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Yvonne, Glad you are finding my blogs helpful. I traveled around New Zealand about 12 years ago and was amazed at the range of scenery you have in a small country.
LikeLike
Thanks for such a lovely and useful tour, Steve!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Anca
LikeLike
Will you clip the box hedges this late in the season, Steve, or just go with the current fashion for a shaggy look?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Kate, I hope to do it later this week. I guess it is not so late…..maybe 6 weeks after I normally do it! however, many formal gardens do it twice a year.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Steve,
your garden is so beautiful! Thoroughly enjoyed looking through the pictures! I see you also have a very beautiful victorian glasshouse. I would love having such a glasshouse myself one day.
Enjoy your garden!
Best wishes,
Lisa
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Lisa, Many thanks for your kind comment. Actually the glass house was built about 12 years ago so not really Victorian.
LikeLike
I really enjoyed your tour of the garden. It’s looking amazing- as always Steve. A tribute to all the hours you spend gardening. I love the view from the pergola looking back to the garden room. I can’t believe it’s 12 years since that was built. I can remember the roof terrace before. See you at the lecture. Karen xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Karen,
LikeLiked by 1 person