I spent most of Saturday working in the garden, weeding (the never-ending job!!) planting and also cutting back some shrubs on the drive that had got a bit out of hand. I realised whilst I was deep in the shrubbery that my viburnum was looking very miserable, all it’s leaves were shredded, I think I’ve got an attack of the viburnum beetle! I don’t know if it was the best thing to do but I’ve cut it back hard and taken all the waste to the tip. My other viburnum is just the same so I’m going to have to cut that one back too!

The top of the drive is looking happier, the ceanothus is in full flower and it is buzzing with bees, they are so loud it’s like walking past a hive! It smells lovely too, like honey, the scent mixes in with the philadelphus on the other side, gorgeous!

There’s another philadelphus in the patio area, if anyone fancies one but doesn’t have much room I can recommend this one, I’m pretty sure it’s called Belle Etoile, it must be over ten years old now but it’s barely 2′ tall. It has the usual pretty creamy white flowers.

Sometimes when I’m gardening I happen to see something from a different angle and it takes me by surprise. I was weeding the AA garden, spraying the bindweed and the marestail and I stood at the back of the bed by the shed roof, just a few feet from the obelisk. It did look pretty, foxgloves in all shades of pink and purple, with bees going in and out, two types of clematis with huge flowers, a gorgeous plum poppy which has just come out and a deep burgandy astrantia at the far side. Alot of it is self seeded, it’s also where I ‘dumped’ a lot of plants when I was trying to clear the beds, it was like a holding bay and things haven’t necessarily been moved on. It looked a bit messy earlier in the year but it looks great now!

I’m not sure which poppy it is, I don’t think it’s Patties Plum, but it has lovely shaggy, pleated petals, there’s a few more come into flower today.

Over by the summerhouse I have huge peony, like it must be 3′ tall and across, it has just started flowering and they are beautiful, huge bowls of a sort of deep coral pink, much simpler than the usual peony flower. It’s just in front of the Cotinus Coggrhia with it’s dark red leaves, so they look good together.

The pond garden is still looking good, the solomons seal hasn’t been shredded by flies this year so it still looks OK, the hostas are seriously huge! On the far side blue iris are just coming into flower and some candelabra primulas are just hiding from the camera! I think the white fluffy plant on the right is thalictrum.

The best irises at the moment are down in the patio around the bird bath, they are a wonderful intense blue with a fine silver edge. My mum gave me a clump years ago, it’s been divided several times, they are in awful soil but thety just seem to thrive!

I’ve just started a major clearance job in the front garden, marestail, thistle and bindweed, I think I need to bulk buy some weed killer!