How Do You Like Yours?

Hemerocallis that is.

Demure and lemon fresh?

With a bit of interest in the centre?

Pale pink with a zesty lemon middle?

Or maybe you'd prefer a more vibrant purple?

Or perhaps a smaller russety purple form?

Darker orange maybe with a bright centre?

Or how about my favourite? An 'in your face, look at me', bright orange double form?

Love it or hate it you can't ignore it can you?

And the centre detail is quite exquisite.

I wonder which you prefer?

Sun Printing

Sun printing is something that I wanted to try last year but it wasn't very sunny and I never got round to it. This year I'd forgotten all about it until Fran mentioned it last week.  I planned to do it yesterday but there was a slight technical hitch - no sun!

This afternoon the sun came out and very soon I had 4 experimental pieces laying in the sun to 'print'.

I have to admit I don't understand how it works (I failed both chemistry and physics o levels!) but the theory is that when objects are placed on top of heat sensitive paints/dyes (I used setacolor transparent fabric paint - it has to be the transparent one) then where the objects are makes an undyed silhouette when they're removed.

I had mixed success - the poppies (far right) didn't work at all.  I think because it was all on a towel which retained the dye.

The albums (which everything I read said would work really well) sort of worked, although the texture from the plastic mat came through rather more than I would have liked.

The lavender worked well

but the one that surprised me most was the feverfew as I didn't really expect it to work (I thought it would wilt before it printed).  

I'm not too keen on how the colours of the paint on this one have dried, they look sort of muddy, but the definition is really good.  Where it's a bit blurry is where the shadows were.

It definitely has potential and I will do some more when I'm next at home on a sunny day.

A Meander Down the Garden

My garden is very long and very narrow but it is not as it would first seem; it is full of twists and turns, of dark and light, of colour and texture.  Come with me on a journey, a journey from one end of my garden to the other and you'll see what I mean.

Our journey starts with roses (as you might expect). Around the first sitting area are roses planted by me

Rosa The Generous Gardener

and a rose planted over 20 years ago, with tiny and delicate sprays of flowers.

Rosa Dorothy Perkins

Clematis also abound, again some planted by me and some planted by previous owners.

Clematis Venosa Violacea and Clematis Betty Corning

It's a nice area to sit, to eat, to think.

But that's not all, it might look as though the garden ends here, but it doesn't.  There's a little gap in the 'hedge' under the naturally formed rose arch, can you see it?

Come with me and explore further.

The path winds round and there's a change of feel now. It's darker and shadier now and the shrubs reach skywards trying to find light. The Deutzia and Cornus meet overhead as though they're holding hands above the path.

The verbascum

and newly planted silene fimbriata are thriving here in the shade.

Silene Fimbriata

Another twist, another turn and the path goes through the semi shade under the snake bark maple where more roses, delphiniums and grasses are flowering.

It opens up here, you can stop here for a sit by the pond if you wish (you'll just have to ignore weeds in the patio!).  There's sun or shade here depending on the time of day.  There are more clematis, roses and lilies.

There's a frog wearing a water forget-me-not flower over there!

Another arch of roses and we're through to the veg garden where roses and foxgloves grow through the runner beans and squash.

We're nearly at the end - welcome to my favourite bench under the paper bark cherry.

Prunus Serrula

If you sit quietly no-one knows you're here.

I hope you've enjoyed your meander down my garden, but before you go just sit for a while and smell the roses.

Rosa Chinensis Mutabilis

Sights and Scents of Summer

What glorious weather we're having this weekend -  the garden is looking especially beautiful in the sunshine.  I love walking down it at this time of year, getting wafts of scent from all of the different roses (many complete with clematis for company).

This one, Generous Gardener, is by my first seating area and its scent is fabulous

and although Charles De Mills has less scent its colour more than makes up for it.

Here are some of the other roses and clematis currently flowering their socks off.

Top Row: Rose Abraham Darby and Clematis Etoile Violette, Rose Lady Emma Hamilton, Rose William Shakespeare

Middle Row: Clematis Star of India, Rose Christopher Marlow, Clematis Betty Corning

Bottom Row: Rose Fighting Temeraire, Clematis Blue Angel, Rose Heritage.

There are other scents too apart from the roses, the honeysuckles are just opening and are being enjoyed by the bees as well as me.

The bees are also loving the Deutzia.

I hope you're all enjoying the weather, and the tennis - we're currently in the 3rd set (I'm multi tasking, blogging on the computer whilst watching the final on the iPad).