The Slope on Tuesday 25th June 2013

This weekly post about the slope is also a good opportunity to give an account of the weather too.  It is easy for me to think that the weather is more consistent than it really is, a regular report will help me understand the climate better.

Last week when I wrote, the weather had suddenly become very hot and I admit to slipping into a bit of a depression, imagining that a drought was beginning just like in 2012.  But last Thursday at about 7pm, the wind changed direction brought a cooling breeze which has remained until now.  It is pleasant to be outside, cool enough to sleep well and even rain is forecast for the next few days; I can breathe again!

GBFD – Silver and Purple

When it is hot and it is very HOT, the light shimmers and plants with silver or grey foliage look their very best.

The combination of silver and purple always looks great together; sedum ‘Purple Emperor’ seems to love the heat and its colour is better than ever.

Sedum ‘Purple Emperor’ loves the heat

Flowering in the Magenta Border today 20th June

I haven’t updated what is flowering in the Magenta border for a while.  Lots of Asters are bulking up so I’m looking forward to a good show of them later on in summer; now the delicate foliage and interesting flat heads of Achillea is the main feature.

Beyond the Magenta zone begins a predominantly yellow part of the border, I need to think of a biggish plant or maybe a line of grasses to visually separate the colours; maybe I could continue the Nepeta which would look fine with both colours, any thoughts?

The Slope on Tuesday 18th June

Today it is hot, very hot!  The temperatures have changed from cool spring to hot summer almost overnight.  I keep a record of the temperatures in the greenhouse than this week so far the maximum for all three days has been over 40° C, that’s over 100° F.

Plant of the moment – Acca sellowiana (Feijoa)

Common Name: Pineapple guava

Acca sellowiana (Feijoa)

GBBD Summer at Last!

Until this past Monday, 10th June, the weather here in central Lazio as not been its usual sunny and warm self.  Then as the forecasters promised Tuesday the temperature has noticeably risen; the air feels warmer and the afternoon wind from the sea began to blow. Actually just a few moments ago when I was taking photographs there was a mini-whirlwind; I looked around and thought the sky was full of strange birds but instead it was hay that had just been cut from the field behind the house, moments later it passed through the garden lifting dropped petals high into the air, sorry I didn’t manage to get a clear image.

This week’s view of the slope

I have decided to post some images of the slope every week.  It is the part of the garden that changes the most throughout the year.  This part of the garden has large naturalistic drifts of plants, some are wild plants that blow into the garden, like the Verbascum that are about to flower, others are plants that just self-seed and so they choose where to plant themselves.

Wild flowers

The red European poppies were flowering in the fields on road verges for most of last month, but I’ve posted about poppies every April and May, here and here; this year there is something else red flowering in the fields all around the house.  Do you remember that a few years ago almost every show garden at Chelsea had red clover (Trifolium incarnatum)? The farmers here must have been inspired (I jest – this has always been a planted to improve the soil and I think make good hay for the sheep and cows (not absolutely sure about that).

Trifolium incarnatum with Vetch

Trifolium incarnatum

ploughed soil and a line of clover

St. Bernard’s Lily Anthericum liliago

This delicate looking plant was growing wild in my friends garden; if it were in mine I’d move some to a border where they could be enjoyed.

Above and below:

While visiting a friend’s garden I saw a plant I’ve heard of but never seen before, Cerinthe major is well known in its purple form but the wild yellow form is never planted in gardens as far as I know.

Cerinthe

With all the rain this year so far, I’m thinking of renaming 2013 as the year of the snail!  I have many more than normal in my garden this year, but nothing like the number my friend has in hers; these are all gathered on one poor rose bud.

Eschscholzia californica Thai Silk Series

Eschscholzia californica Thai Silk Series

While I love the usual bright orange Eschscholzia, it is not a colour I want to predominate all over the garden; on the slope it is perfect.

Some very good American friends brought me some packets of seed of the Thai Silk series; I’m not sure why but I thought they might not be as strong a plant, or as easy to cultivate as the more customary wild orange variety.

From the RHS:

Preferred common name: California poppy Thai Silk Series

Family: Papaveraceae

Eschscholzia can be annuals or perennials, with finely divided leaves and solitary, long-stalked, poppy-like yellow, orange or red flowers, followed by conspicuous long seed-pods

Thai Silk Series are annuals with attractively dissected, blue-green foliage and single or more often semi-double flowers 4-6cm wide, in a range of shades of cream, yellow, orange, pink and red, sometimes with a cream centre.

Cultivation: Will thrive in poor, well-drained soil but they need full sun for the flowers to open. Can be grown as a drought-tolerant container plant. Good for exposed or coastal areas

They began flowering in the middle of April and made some nice combinations with tulips, especially in the Large Island.

Eschscholzia californica Thai Silk Series with tulips in the Large Island

Eschscholzia californica Thai Silk Series

Eschscholzia californica Thai Silk Series with tulips in the Large Island

I am removing the orange and yellow flowered plants from the Large Island and hoping that it will be all shades of pink, white, cream and pale yellow in the autumn.

Here’s a selection of some of the beautiful colours.  I really like the pleated texture that some of them display.

Eschscholzia californica Thai Silk Series with tulips in the Large Island

Eschscholzia californica Thai Silk Series – how about this for pleated petals?

Eschscholzia californica Thai Silk Series

Eschscholzia californica Thai Silk Series

Eschscholzia californica Thai Silk Series with silver leaved Tanecetum

Eschscholzia californica Thai Silk Series

Eschscholzia californica Thai Silk Series

Eschscholzia californica Thai Silk Series

Eschscholzia californica Thai Silk Series

Eschscholzia californica Thai Silk Series, they come as doubles too

They are making seed pods now but are continuing to flower.  I will cut them down when they have finished flowering but after they’ve spread their seed.  Last year they flowered again as soon as the first rain of late summer arrived.  At present they are filling so many spaces that it is hard to imagine the garden without them.