A week of mellow rain and sun has made a world of difference in the garden — flowers are popping up everywhere and the vegetable garden is looking lush but not yet overgrown. It’s a nice, if short, interlude. I took a walk through our adjoining forest this morning, hoping that the chanterelles might have started. No luck yet, but the bilberries are ready for picking. Next week will almost certainly feature a full basket of those. Now, onwards to the garden!
1. These Antirrhinum braun-blanquetii were winter-sown at the start of 2022, so this is their second year. They made it through the winter well and have produced many more flowers this year. I’m hoping that they’ll form an even bigger clump by next year. Snapdragons have always been hit-or-miss for me, so I’m happy that these are hardy perennials (though short-lived). Still, I’ll probably be collecting some seed this autumn as insurance, knowing how variable winters have been lately.
2. This Sambucus nigra ‘Black Lace’ was just planted last month, but seems pretty happy in its spot! Despite being barely up to my knee it has already put out two flower heads. I’m looking forward to making pretty pink cordials if there are enough of them next year.
3. Papaver croceum, winter-sown at the beginning of this year and transplanted out far too late. They seem awfully tiny to be flowering and I hope they’ll manage to come back next year.
4. Linaria maroccana ‘Licilia Peach’, looking very dainty. It’s my first year growing toadflax, so I’m not sure if they are supposed to look that spindly or if it’s a result of the abnormally warm weather when they were transplanted. Very happy with the amount of flowers they produce, though, so will definitely sow some more next year, perhaps spaced more closely and in a bigger drift. They look adorable alongside the bigger snapdragons.
5. Austin rose ‘The Poet’s Wife’ has sprawled in its second year and produced many, many blooms. Unfortunately, the rain has not been kind to them and half of them have flopped to the ground. This just meant that I had to cut them and take them inside, though, so no great hardship there.
6. This is my first year growing red-skinned potatoes (Mozart) and they surprised me with pretty little bunches of lavender flowers! I’ve only had white-flowered ones before so these have been so nice to see bobbing above the masses of green in the vegetable garden.
Thanks for visiting and please do check out what the other SoSers are doing over at Jim’s page!
Little Blue and White House 
You are the second gardener to feature toadflax this week. I haven’t had any success growing it. Good luck with your potatoes too.
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This is my first time growing it! They are so pretty and delicate. All I did was toss them into a perforated plastic bag filled with soil back in February and let nature take care of the rest. They germinated and transplanted really well, despite June being rather beastly. And thank you, I’m very much looking forward to some buttered new potatoes in the next few weeks.
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A lovely selection. Linaria are such lovely plants and that snap dragon is very pretty indeed. I used to have loads of snap dragons, grown from seed, but I gave up growing them after they kept getting some sort of black spot or other. Having said that a few have self seeded over the years and seem tougher.
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Ick, I’ve lost snapdragons to rust in past gardens, so completely understand the hesitation. I sowed a hybrid annual variety along with these, but they never even germinated that year. This species seems more robust and hasn’t had any disease or pest issues yet, which is a relief. You’re right about second generation plants — they probably adapted to your conditions and are much more at home than the original stock!
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Rust – that’s what mine got too, not black spot.
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Your sambucus flowers are lovely and the plant will grow fast. It will be spectacular in a year or two and I’m sure you’ll get a few cordials next year.
Rosa ‘The Poet’s Wife’ looks lovely in your vase. I should cut a few roses for the house, I’m always reluctant to take them from the garden!
I hope the red-skinned potatoes taste as good as the flowers look. 🙂
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Thank you! I do love elderflower cordial and it only occurred to me to try to make it myself last year, so that will be an adventure. For flowers (much like vegetables and fruit) I like to think of how much better it is that I’m collecting my own home-grown ones than buying them from stores. That and I start most of my ornamentals in the cutting garden because they’re easier to keep track of that way, then move them into borders as energy, inspiration, and time permit. Therefore, anything currently residing in the cutting garden is fair game 😀
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“That and I start most of my ornamentals in the cutting garden because they’re easier to keep track of that way,”
That’s interesting, Angela. I often put small purchases straight into a border, only to find them nibbled, wilting or deceased as other plants beside them crowd them out. I think that might be a good use for a space I plan to clear. You’ve just planted a little idea in my head – thank you! 😊
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Wonderful potatoes, I did not know they were so pretty.
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