early summer garden views


The garden looked great a week or so ago. Then, all of a sudden the heat and dry got too much and lots of plants finished their flowering and some are even drooping. And we're only barely into summer! 


juicy green leaves
Santolina chamaecyoarissus
Valerian officinalis
Nigella, Love in the Mist
the spring clouds of hoverflies have gone
Huntsman Spider 
Nasturtiums
Echium candicans, leaves contrasting with Derwentia perfoliata
Nepeta Six Hills Giant, Catmint, contrasting with large Ginger leaves
Two flies mating on the petals of a Seaside Daisy
Dietes bicolor
Salvia greggii - Autumn Sage 
Wallflower still flowering but nearly ready for its summer rest
cheery pig among Violets
Blue Fescue
Banksia petiolaris
Teucrium betonicum - Germander

I'm linking this with Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. Visit May Dreams Gardens to see more ...

a young botanist inspecting a pot plant
Salvia African Sky  
Artemisia Powis Castle
Philadelphus mexicana - Mock Orange - fab scent
artemisia ludiviciana valeria finnis
Correa lawrenciana, earning its place not through beauty but through providing habitat

Comments

  1. I love that Dietes bicolor, such a special plant and the young botanist, he is really looking very interested. I don't like the Huntsman spider, although he does not look dangerous.

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  2. red valerian, devil's beard, is an invasive alien here and a very popular garden plant.
    That artemisia has lovely silver velvet leaves!

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    1. artemisias are fabulous plants to grow, drought resistant and filling gaps with bright silver colour. Re the valerian: I must say it does spread a bit, but I don't think it's a problem here. It comes from Europe and parts of Asia, so it's a foreigner in both our countries.

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  3. So much to see! Enough to keep a young botanist busy all day :-)

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    1. yes, although he's qualified, he still has quite a bit to learn!

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  4. Loving your spring garden, especially your Love in a Mist. I've never had good luck with it in my upstate New York garden. Looking at that Huntsman spider (we have nothing like it) I'm glad to see they are beneficial - I would be scared if I saw one in my house. Happy GBBD. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com

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    1. They're not dangerous, but still it's a bit unnerving when you see them on the ceiling in your bedroom. Happy GBBD to you too, Alana.


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  5. lovely to see what is flowering in your garden.We live in Canberra and recently visited Cranbourne gardens on the way to Melbourne. They were amazing! Great to see Australian natives flowering in spring .

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    1. Cranbourne is very interesting. I also love visiting the botanical gardens in Canberra, been a couple of times. Thanks for the comment, Gerrie. I suddenly realize most of the photos in this post are not natives.

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  6. Liked your Santolina chamaecyoarissus photo best of all. I have a new ginger -- tumeric.

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    1. I think that's a tropical plant. I sometimes use turmeric when I cook Asian dishes. I love that Santolina too. It's been very reliable for me too.

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  7. Sue this was a treat to see all these flowers...even with the warm winter the garden is resting here...for the most part! I love the pig among the violets!

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    1. Good luck with your warm winter, Donna. It's good for me to see the flowers in this post too. Most are rapidly disappearing in the heat.

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  8. It is a treat to read about your summer garden! I was intrigued by your Banksia petiolaris; it has such interesting foliage. It reminds me of our native holly fern. I also love your first photo, with all the shades of green and various textures in your garden.

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    1. thanks, Deb. There's far more green and textures than flowers. As long as it's not too boring I find it restful. That Banksia is wonderful. It's not indigenous to here, but it's a native. I looked up your native holly fern, I see what you mean. Both plants have a similar shape but the Banksia isn't a fern.

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  9. A previous post, wherein you referred to some plants being wimps, inspired me thank you, to remove a clump of pepinos from under my neighbour's large tree (my side of the fence!)where they were doing no good and constantly begging for water.I have replaced them with some pretty sages which I hope will be more resilient. I love African skies- so undemanding and beautiful. Like yours, my garden looks like an end of January garden already - many plants flowered out and tired. I see many of the plants you have I have too.
    The weather has been very bizarre, born out by several of my fruit trees which flowered well then dropped all their flowers - so no fruit. Several of the farmers I chat to at the local markets had the same experience this year - more drastic for them.
    - email from Paula, whose garden I blogged about 7 months ago ... http://slowgardener.blogspot.com.au/2015/05/paulas-garden.html.

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  10. Thanks for such a wonderful post.
    Improve your garden experience with nitrile touch Gardening Gloves.

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