Here we are again, Mad May, and things are speeding up again. Weeks are flying by, soon it will be mid summer’s day, then September and then months of gloom and doom. Have I cheered you up? I expect not. If you want a proper cheering up, or if you are cheery already and wish to boost to hyper-cheer, then pop over to Mister Chuckles himself, The Prop, who with the Chucklettes and will grant your wish. Let us proceed, it’s nearly August.
First we have Chambercombe Bob’s hostas. Before any smart Alec speaks up, they were his hostas and he kindly gave them to us. So far they are unslugged and looking rather lovely at the front of the house. Which reminds me, I forgot to show you the front when I did the grand tour. I am not foolish enough to think the mighty molluscs will continue to ignore them but you never know. Stranger things have happened. Or perhaps that would be too strange?
Next we have Chaerophyllum hirsutum ‘Roseum’, a glorious pink umbellifer. I did a little squeak when I saw it for sale at an open garden last summer, as it is a great favourite of mine. It was in a weeny pot and I wondered if it would make it through. It is still small but very keen. That is all I can ask of it.
One of my esteemed clients, Welsh Ann, let me dig this fern up from her garden. Again, she was witness and co-conspirator in the act. It is an ostrich fern I think, Matteuccia struthiopteris, and I love it. It too lives in the mysterious area called “the front of the house”.
Here we have an old faithful, Pelargonium cordifolium var. rubrocinctum. Typing that has just has just reminded me why I don’t feature it often. Seriously challenging in the spelling department.
Onto the wonderful Dodecatheon meadia. I have had this for several years in a pot, and it pops up every year and every year I say “oh blimey, I forgot how lovely you are” and then it fades away until the following year. Another annual event are the aphid. Still a squish and all is well.
Hold your breath everyone, there is a mini-peach on the peach tree. The single flower did its thing. Look at its lovely little bum! I am prepared for tears but live in hope.
That is it for this week, take care and be good(ish). ‘Til next time.
Off The Edge Gardening 
Love the pink umbellifer! I’m off to Rosemoor this morning as it’s a Plant Heritage weekend, I wonder if I might find it there? 😊
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Oh, I hope you do! Beth told me she’d be there. I am very jealous, would love to see you both again. Fingers crossed. x
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The Dodecatheon meadia I reads need damp soil laced with humus, which explains why yours which you constantly cosset is doing so much better than mine! Lack of rain here. Have a good week SIS.
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I am always a bit worried about planting these little ‘uns out in case I lose them. I think it rained here last night, not much though, enough to brighten things. A day in the garden for me. Lots to do! Have fun Sis x
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Oh good luck with your peach – and do share if it gets to a decent size and you can enjoy eating it.
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Thank you and I think I’ll need it! I will keep you posted.
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Of spelling challenges indeed. The Pelargonium is lovely though. Agh, I don’t want to think past Spring to Autumn and Winter yet.
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I guess you only showed us your back side cos it’s more peachy than the front! (I’ve got a PhD in repartee.) Stop wishing for January to come round; you can always have a month off anytime if you want. Meanwhile, time to lift the spring bedding whilst thinking of what you’ll do with your peach crop. Ask for a peach cobbler recipe at your next baking course?
And a question. Do you copy and paste the plant names?
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And what university was that from? I’ve got a few suggestions. And yes, of course I cut and paste!
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I studied at Universitas Caelorum. 😏
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An excellent establishment 😁
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A lovely collection there especially the Pelargonium. Sue
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It is tough as old boots as well, out all winter and no problem at all.
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Hi Gill, this fern is truly amazing. I saw it in a garden near here and collected the spores which I hope to grow… It will be a little long but I have no choice. Very nice header photo with the hostas.
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It makes a great display, doesn’t it? And the spore bearing fronds look great all winter. Thanks Fred.
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What a great selection. There are quite a few plans that I do not know e.g. the Dodecatheon, which is really pretty and dainty, and the umbellifer.
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Thank you 🙂
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I do hope spring and summer don’t pass by quite so quickly as that! Dodecatheon meadia is very lovely indeed as is that pink umbellifer – a word I usually get completely wrong.
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Ha! It is a tricky one, but very satisfying.
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I love your photo of the ostrich fern unfurling. We have a native Dodecatheon here that I was shocked to see had survived last year’s punishing summer and reemerged to bloom another spring.
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Horrah for the survivors!
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I love umbellifers and the pink one is gorgeous. I really wish that the months would slow down a bit so we can enjoy what we have before rushing onto the next thing. Tulips pretty much over already and now the turn of the alliums, with roses just behind.
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I agree, slow down! My alliums were put in late, but still the buds are budding.
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Aren’t your hostas just so great in all their lovely unnibbled freshness. I have my fingers crossed that your peach will grow and grow.
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Thank you, I am keeping a beady eye on it ….
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The hostas are lush and gorgeous…yum. Not eating them, maybe my inner slug is speaking. Good luck with your peach, I have three mango trees and one mango (still green) I keep fearing mango abundance, for no good reason.
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Now a mango would be very special!
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Oh, I miss my old peach tree. I relocated it from where it grew from seed in a compost pile in the mid 1980s, and it lasted longer than the expected twenty five to thirty years, but finally, my sister had me remove the nearly dead stump. I hoped that a watersprout at the base of the stump would survive, but it did not. I had been trying to root cuttings for many years.
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Chambercombe Bob’s hostas and Welsh Ann’s fern are gorgeous, as is the pink umbellifer and the peachy bum – I hope it turns into a fuzzy bum in time.
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Thanks Archie, we will see …..
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It had a good innings then! Hope you get a new one in your life.
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The seedlings from that tree are ready to go!
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Plenty of pretty pinks this week. I’m afraid that ostrich fern looks as though a long grey slug is climbing along its “spine”. 😬 Will we get a long shot of the front garden sometime? I hope so.
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It won’t be very long as it is so tiny, but I will try to remember for next time.
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Aah hope! It’s what keeps us going. Fingers crossed for the peach and like Maggie I love the pink umbellifer – easier to spell too! So lovely to have plants from other gardens, healthy looking ones too.
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It is lovely to share and then plants tell stories.
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Good luck with the peach. Let’s try and enjoy the spring and summer and forget about the gloom and doom for a bit 🙂
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I will try very hard! 🙂
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