Swelter Skelter…..

Sweet Jesus Dorothy, I’m melting! And no, this isn’t the Wicked Witch of either the East nor West, this is Teza people! The mercury read 35 degrees Celsius today, and that was without bloody Humidex! They’re calling for similar weather for the remainder of the week, topping off Thursday with Humidex nearing 45 freaking degrees! I want my Scottish moors with the low banks of cloud and fog, blissful drizzle, the sound of bagpipes….. you get what I’m saying here, right?

  In the meantime, the cool mauve flowers of a Clematis that insists upon pooling itself around a pot of Helleborus does seem to bring the body’s temperature down somewhat!

Were I smaller [okay, considerably smaller!] I could hide within the bloom of Hydrangea ‘Annabelle.’ Every year I promise myself her eradication from the garden, and every year, she turns up in my photos! Why is that?

A recent addition to the R & U border is Gentiana scabra ‘True Blue,’ an introduction from Epimedium guru Darrell Probst. I am ever so anxious to see if it lives up to the hype – two inch cobalt blue flowers on a plant with an upright growth habit! Time will tell!

We all know how much I love my Aconitum, including A. cammarum x spicatum ‘Stainless Steel’ with its decidedly two tone flowers. It does have a somewhat lax habit, so relies on Thalictrum delavayi ‘Splendide’ to hold it erect!

Perannual be damned, I cannot go a year without the delightful Origanum ‘Kent Beauty’ in my containers! I actually managed to over winter this one, so there is hope for those Zonal Denial addicts like myself!

Mystery Plant: Any guesses? Hint: One of my favourite genera ever!

Only the second time in four years that I have had blooms on Acanthus mollis! The first was the year that the plant was installed in the garden. Just goes to show you what a cool, wet Spring does for the residents of Teza’s Garden! Obviously I’m not the only one partial to such weather conditions!

See what I mean?

The dazzlingly beautiful fronds of Athyrium filix femina ‘Dre’s Daggars’ – easily my favourite of all ferns, with its criss crossing pinnae, and wonderful graceful arching form. If only it were easier to photograph!

Does this offer a better understanding, perhaps?

The obtuse cones of Abies koreana ‘Horstmann’s SIlberlocke’ are getting… well fatter by the day! They are beginning to look somewhat…. obscene when compared to the actual size of the tree! Not that I would ever make an inappropriate comment in its presence….. I waited bloody years to get my hands on this gem!

Of course, not to be outshone, Acer campestre ‘Carnival’ continues to captivate! I was worried the leaves would scorch with the sometimes strong winds that whip between the houses, but thus far it remains rather pristine if I might say so myself!

The newest of the Roscoea to join the ranks of the Shaded Walk is R. purpurea, which, judging from its quickly increasing bulk, promises to wow me later in the season when it blooms! Stay tuned.

Heartfelt thanks to my kids! I’ve been trying to keep ahead of the watering, but sometimes it takes a little drooping and sulking to capture Dad’s attention! Please forgive!