Fabulous Flowers and a Purer Pond for July GBBD

At last, I can see the fish in Froggy Pond thanks to Scott from Sugar Hollow Farms. He vacuumed the sludge from the bottom, installed a skimmer, and performed some magic. Over the years, our pond proved to be a money-pit due to some bad decisions we made earlier on, but the expense and work seem worthwhile as I enjoy its relaxing beauty today.

I stole the name, Froggy Pond, from my blogger friend Diana in South Africa; she used the name first. Click here to see her environmentally friendly water feature. She graciously said I could use the name, so I guess I didn't really steal it. Our Froggy Pond has lots of real frogs as well as fake ones.

The pond was ready in time for the BIG EVENT last week when the local television channel arrived to shoot a piece for their program, 'Talk of the Town.' It was fun but exhausting -- 4 1/2 hours to make a ten minute segment. They filmed the gardens while I told their story. I demonstrated square-foot gardening and how to extend the gardening season with cool-season plants. I showed how to use row covers and a coldframe. (Yes, I was able to show off my new one!) Under my direction the hosts of the show, Marie and Kim, planted cabbages and such. The program will air in August.

Preparing for the TV shoot and for an upcoming 'Open Garden' event (tomorrow) was a great deal of work. We mulched with the fine cedar mulch that we discussed in my last posting; I am pleased with the result. The cottage garden is 'peaking' and showing off an incredible array of blooms for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day that occurs on the 15th of every month -- thanks to our lovely hostess Carol at May Dreams Gardens. Carol gardens in Indiana but we grow several similar plants -- visit her blog to check them out.  Let's take a walk around my gardens:

The hydrangea bed - front and right of Dude and Billy's paddock.

I have two types of hydrangea: mopheads and paniculata:

Left and top right: mophead Hydrangea macrophylla. Bottom right: Hydrangea paniculata

Hydrangea Hydrangea paniculata Pinky Winky® and Morning Glory vine

Several of the hostas in Serenity Garden are in bloom including the miniature hostas in the fairy garden.

Serenity Garden

One of the Fairy Gardens with miniature hostas

Due to the frequent, heavy rains this summer, my roses are very poor with black spot on the leaves and mushy blooms. The clematis fared even worse. Has anyone else had this experience?

Top: Pink Knockout rose. Bottom: perennial geranium.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A very dark red (maroon?) hollyhock appeared this year. I think I planted a double one of that color last summer. It is beautiful but not as I remember it. Hollyhocks are a classic cottage garden flower.

Hollyhock Alcea rosea

Mombretia Crocosmia 'Lucifer'

I love the combination of colors in the Horseshoe Garden right now: peachy daylilies, golden brown-eyed Susans, and pink veronica.

Left to right :Brown-eyed Susan Rudbeckia triloba; Veronica longifolia; Daylily Hemerocallis

H.H. painted the bicycle on the kitchen garden fence a classy, dark purple. When dressed up with petunias it looks quite fetching.

 The Kitchen Garden is blooming:

Bottom left: Zinnia Zowie™ Bottom right: blooms on cucumber plants.

And with all my blooms the garden is buzzing with bees and fluttering with butterflies. I'm welcoming back the monarchs and glad I planted so much milkweed.

Left: Agastache .Top right: monarch on milkweed. Bottom right: fritillaria on purple coneflower.

Finally, in the garden room I have a beautiful new bromeliad, given to me by a dear friend who visited me and my garden recently.

 

Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day everyone,

Pamela x

Pollinator Garden

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