Some of you will remember a blog in February 2017 when a storm took out part of an old apple tree in the middle of our garden. After much debate (thanks for your inputs) we decided to keep the remaining tree.
In June 2018 our friend pointed out that the apple tree had taken on the shape of a chicken.
Then last week the weather decided it could do another topiary job of the tree.
This time it really does look like the end. The tree , especially when the Rosa Rambling Rector was in flower, was an important focal point within the garden. So removing it will be sad but hopefully will open up new opportunities.
The apple tree was not the only casualty with Rosa ‘Blush Noisette’ being blown off the pergola although fortunately this was repairable.
The following summer delights in the garden
The clematis and roses are all doing well this year.
This corner always looks good in the summer with the pink Geranium palmatum, roses and delphiniums. Last autumn I added the posts at the back to provided support for Rosa ‘Iceberg’ and Rosa ‘New Dawn’ as they always got lost behind the flowers.
Rosa ‘New Dawn’ has been here for at least 30 years and is looking healthier than ever.
Rosa ‘Iceberg’ has been in for about ten years can now be seen.
Often mistaken for a Rose , Carpenteria californica at the back has been looking great, probably benefiting from the mild winter we had. The pink rose is Rosa ‘Irene Watts’
And now for the snakes.
The mild winter has certainly helped the grass snake population. As soon as the sun comes out you can find them in the garden. This beauty was taking an early morning swim in one of our ponds, probably after our fish for breakfast!
Rudbeckia ‘Herbstone’ grows to almost two metres at the back of the border but does need staking to stop it falling on other plants.
This circular bed (stone edged bed on the 
Rudbeckia fulgida sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’ should always have a place in the August border.
At first this looked like a new plant formed when a Perovskia ‘Blue Spire’ decided to climb up a Foeniculum vulgare ‘purpureum’. 
I always grow some Ricinus communis ‘Impala’ from seed each year starting them off in the greenhouse and planting out when the dahlias go in. The leaves are fantastic architectural additions to any border but note that they donot overwinter here. 
There are many different Dahlias in our garden This is one of my favorites, Dahlia ‘Bishop of Aukland’.
This is Phlox paniculata Uspekh a plant I saw on a garden visit and just had to have for its strong colours.
Colour combinations are important in the garden. Often it is the plants themselves which seem to combine in good ways. Here we have Achillea ‘Credo’ with Salvia greggii ‘Emperor’, as close to complementary colours as you can get.
Here Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’ is absolutely stunning but look closely a Cerastostigma willmottianum ‘Forest Blue’ has got into the picture. Complementary colours again!
And other day lilies have also done well, here is Hemerocallis ‘Stafford’.
A shrubby clematis, Clematis ‘Wyevale’, comes back every year and has a long flowering period.
Cone flowers, Echinacea purpurea, are loved by insects and look fantastic in the garden.
Osteospermums have a long flowing period and look great. This is Osteospermum ‘Tresco Purple’ which is hardy in some places but so far not here so I take cuttings every year.
Sowed a bit late but this Rudbeckia came from a packet of seed described as Rustic Dwarfs Mixed and has produced some stars. I will try getting Rudbeckia plants from seed every year now.
Another plant from seed is Cosmos, this is Cosmos versailles tera and produces some very strongly coloured flowers.
This is new to me, Maurandya ‘Magic Dragon’. 
Another climber, Clematis ‘Jackmanii’, has been doing great things although this year has not produced the best from clematis which I suspect was due to lack of rain through the spring.
Last but not least, Anemone ‘Honorine Joubert’, a great plant not least because it copes with shade well.
The other day I noticed that the wall across the lawn was looking particularly good.This wall divides the main lawn and follows the contours of the ground resulting in the lawn being at two levels and although it does not align with other garden features it takes the eye into the garden towards the views beyond.
This photo was actually taken in June 1995. As you can see the wall was in place then but was not really made a feature of the garden.
We always felt the wall needed a good “full stop” at the end. As you can see above we have created a small round bed at the end with a Rosa Bonica providing the “stop”. You can also see that the wall is actually higher than the original wall. In the old photo the lawn edge actually sloped down to the top of the wall.
Another photo from June 1995. The steps up had been built and these have not been changed apart from the flower beds around them and the lawn in the foreground is now paved with sandstone The very large tree, back right, is an old walnut. We were very disappointed when it died and had to be removed about ten years ago.
The steps today with the sand stone paving.
As well as raising the height of the wall we have created a flower bed along the top of the wall. This is about one metre wide and at this time of year it really comes into its own.
Another geranium at the end of the wall is Geramium sanguineum ‘Shepherd’s Warning’. This was planted about eight years ago and although it looks quite healthy has not spread unlike some of the other sanguineums that can be very invasive.
Viola cornuta ‘Alba’ must have arrived from else where in the garden but it is working well here.
Rosmarinus officinalis forms a small bushy shrub and provides Rosemary for cooking.
Geramium sanguineum striatum is a lovely geramium and here it is on either side of the steps.
Geranium cinereum ‘Ballerina’ another small geranium.
Another rock rose, Helianthemum ‘Ben Fhada’
Along the wall from the steps.
Hostas catch the rain and look great.
Here a big leaf of Hosta Sun & Substance getting larger by the day.
A creeping thyme, growing in a planting pocket in the paving, is now covered with new small leaves. In four weeks it will turn purple with small flowers.
Another herb, Oregano Origanum vulgare Aureum, has a wonderful yellow/green foliage and makes a great border plant as well as being useful for cooking.
Arum italicum Pictum puts on a good display but this is short lived as the leaves disappear once it has flowered.
Plume Poppy, Macleaya cordata, grows to about 2m and has the most delicate leaves.
and some just put out beautiful coloured leaves such as this Japanese Painted Fern, Athyrium nipponicum Pictum.
These are the leaves of Geranium renardii and don’t they look great.
Plenty of foliage but the purpose of the photo was to show the plants waiting to be put into the garden! As well as my dahlias, which have been hardened off before planting out, last Wednesday it rained and rained so what do gardeners do. We went to a good plant nursery and filled up the car with more plants!
Dahlias in pots having been grown from tubers.
And in the green house now the foliage of the future just staring out.
Courgettes waiting to be planted. Interesting the golden varieties also have gold leaves.
The beautiful leaf of Rodgersia aesculifolia gets bigger as the year goes on.
Lastly the new leaves on the pleached lime hedge are wonderful.
The first wave of aliums are looking splendid throughout the garden.
These have been in for many years and over time have multiplied to the extent we are having to reduce them despite their displays at this time of year.
These are actually killing off the Euphorbia griffithii Dixter!
nevertheless the alium flower is a thing of beauty.
And whats left of the Euphorbia griffithii Dixter is too.
This is Rosa Madame Gregoire Staechlin and is normally the first rose to flower in our garden but not this year as Rosa Old Blush China started flowering on April 8th!
Another rose in flower is Rosa Madame Alfred Carriere.
Rosa Madame Alfred Carriere is on the end wall beneath our conservatory from where we can also see a fantastic display of wisteria.
Wisteria seems to have been very successful all around the area we live in which must have been helped by the lack of hard frosts this year.
The scent from these flowers permeates into the house and is a delight.
Below the wisteria a Choisya ternata which is in also in flower.
Actually this plant has been moving itself. Originally it was planted under the steps leading up to the conservatory. It obviously decided it needed more light and over time has moved!
We have a number of hardy osteospermums in the garden. These have come through the winter well and are already putting on a good display.
However, we always have a backup by taking cutting and bringing them on in the greenhouse. 
Cerinthe major Purpurascens is not really hardy for us although sometimes they self seed and come through the winter as this one has.
but there are also replacements in the greenhouse should they not self seed.
Clematis have started flowering. This is Clematis Daniel Deronda,
and this is Clematis Guernsey Cream.
One of the first geraniums to flower is Geranium himalayense with a Potentilla Abbotswood in the background.
Deutzia x rosea Carminea a relatively new addition to the garden.
Global warming means this Euphorbia Mellifera is able to grow and do well now in our garden.
One of the climbing roses Rosa Shot Silk has started to flower.
This is a beautiful rose but does not repeat well.
The side of our house is very shaded and we really focus on ferns, hostas and rodgersia. The snowdrops are long over but we have planted Erythronium Pagoda commonly known as dog’s tooth violet ‘Pagoda’ due to the shape of the tuber.
At this time of year there are plenty of leaves as well as the delightful flowers. 
Once the flowers are over the leaves decay very quickly.
This one is Epimedium Akebono. 
Here they have been planted beneath a standard rose in a planter. Planting like this was a bit experimental last year but so far it is looking good.
and the flowers are delightful.
Elsewhere we have Epimedium x versiclour Sulphureum planted around the base of a tree. This seems to work very well in an area which is often dry and shaded.
Lastly we have 
which is one of those plants that we were given without a name. On the 
In this circular bed we have created a ribbon of plants going through the middle. Over the spring these change from Iris Reticualata, to Anemone Blanda White Splendour, to Brunnera Mr. Morse now and in the future Tulip Hageri Splendens (sorry I used the tulip word but they are not out yet!) and then Anemone Wild Swan. 
Brunnera Mr. Morse is a very nice Brunnera, similar to Brunnera Jack Frost but with dainty white flowers.
This time a shrub; Viburnum carlesii Diana .
The scent from these flowers is outstanding.
Fruit trees are in blossom everywhere. This is a Morello Cherry which is considered the best sour cooking cherry for the UK.
Tulips have really come out this week. For many years we have planted Tulip Red Impression all along the left hand border to our garden. It is hard to get the effect in one photograph but standing looking at the display with the sunlight shining across the flowers is just magical. Most of them come up each year but we look for any gaps and replenish them. Probably we plant around 100 extra Red impression each year plus many other tulips and bulbs. See blog with 
Looking along the same border. There is a small cobble path running through this part of the border although it is covered in twigs from the tree above (another job waiting to be done).
The same border with Anemone Blanda Atrocoerulea and Leucojum Aestivum 
Leucojum Aestivum which resembles a snowdrop but is much larger. Worth a space in any garden.
Looking from the back of the same border.
Another part of the same border.
Tulip Turkestanica a species of tulip native to central Asia. It was first described by Eduard August von Regel in 1873 as a variety of T. sylvestris, then elevated to full species status two years later.
Tulip Turkestanica on the edge of the “Dingly Dell” border which is actually at the back of the Japanese border.
Another tulip species, Tulip Humilis
Tulip Ballerina lining the path to the pergola with Tulip Apricot Impression in the background.
Close up of the lovely Tulip Ballerina 
Sitting under the pergola looking towards the corner bed. Tulip Gavota in the foreground.
From the pergola across the main lawn with Tulip Ballerina in the foreground.
Tulip Ad Rem at the back of the corner bed. When the sun comes out Tulip Ad Rem really fluoresces.
Tulip Apricot Impression together with many alliums.
Tulip Purissima (white) and Tulip Beauty Queen (pink) both plant in 2007
Tulip Indian Summer and it has a wonderful perfume a bit like wallflowers.
A final view across to the border full of Tulip Red Impression with the evening shadows across the lawn.
As I walked back to the house I noticed that Rosa Old Blush China had started flowering
Glebe House Garden 