The recent thunderstorms of course broke the pollen up into tiny pieces, so that it can get to the innermost bits of folks' lungs and if you are allergic to pollen, this is NOT good. Yesterday I found life difficult and had to just sit down quietly after I thought I would be ok going in the shade and clawing out the moss and weeds with my trusty hoofpick. As I had been doing this the evening before, I think perhaps it hadn't been a good move and so today I am inside, praying for the pollen to be over early this year - it's started early anyway and there has been mention of the dreaded Pollen Bomb when everything produces pollen at once.
A garden roundup anyway:
The wilderness which is the Bank. Actually, with my plantings and stuff that has come up from previous times pre-membrane (which I am still removing on the right side of the bank), I now have a wonderful mix of 3 different colours of Comfrey, Ox-Eye Daisies, Buttercups, wild Raspberries (which generally get removed as they spread so), and it looks great. The insects are so happy with it like that.
The Lupins are going over now but have put on a real show. I have them all over the place. Whatever colour you think you are picking, most of them seem to grow up purple!
The Lady of Shalott.
The stunning Lark Ascending.
Boscobel, surviving despite such a dry spell.
First tentative (and late) blooms from Roserie de L'Hay. The smell of the start of summer at Ynyswen.
Indigo, which has flowered and flowered.
My feral Foxgloves have just grown and grown and flowered non-stop. They love this heat.
The back border, which has rambling roses either end, Tiny Monster cut-leaved Geranium in the middle and other Hardy Geraniums either side. Needs something planting at the back and I will pop the Delphinium in that I bought recently (lilac).
The Ingenious Mr Fairchild, who needs a support, so I may just go to the garden centre today . . .
I need to tweak this border (move the two red geums for starters) but it's come together nicely this year.
Beautiful, the Lady of Shalott especially.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard when you love flowers but their pollen hates you isn't it. I'm trying to stay indoors as much as possible, use my spray and eye drops and not curse the pollen too much. The thunderstorm and heavy showers on Monday night snapped my best Lupin flower in half, I was gutted but I was also happy that my newly transplanted seedlings all survived.
I love the colour of her, and up on the bank she absolutely glows amongst the backdrop of other things going wild!
ReplyDeleteMy pollen response means I'm on prescription anti-histamines but even they don't help after a thunderstorm. I don't know how long the pollen is affected by the heavy rain, but the damage is done now, As long as I don't move I'm ok! I hope you could rescue part of your Lupin and put it in water.
You have such a lovely garden. Hope the pollen disappears for you soon.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Thank you Jackie. It's coming together and isn't just shrubs which spent 95% of the year with just leaves on. They are cutting hay today, and that is a good fortnight early for a June cut, so let's hope the pollen season ends more quickly this year.
DeleteCommon mullien grows wild here, and I'm intrigued by your pictures of it. A common name for the mullien here is called flannel leaf, for its soft fuzzy leaves. It has yellow flowers and is known for its medicinal qualities. Is your mullien the same (the leaves do not look fuzzy) or is it a cultivated plant that is now considered ornamental?
ReplyDeleteThis Mullein has soft flannel leaves and yellow flowers too. Mine came from a garden centre, although it does grow in the wild as well.
DeleteI think the pollen is worse than usual, and I have suffered more than I normally do. I wear a mask outside while it's at it's worst.
ReplyDeleteEven so, your garden is lovely.
The weather brought later things on early - they always frighten us with the "pollen bomb" comment in the papers. Because of my asthma, and the heat, if I wear a mask right now I would struggle to breath.
DeleteBeautiful roses and a garden that is brimmimg with flowers, sad the pollen around is affecting you. Envious of your roses ;)
ReplyDeleteI hope it will be over soon Thelma. Meanwhile I have lovely views out of the window.
DeleteI love the soft look of your wild bank and you evidently have a real gift when it comes to growing roses. Just glorious. Sorry about the pollen bomb. Touch wood I am ok when it comes to pollen. Do your anti-histamines give you any side effects? We spent yesterday afternoon on the deckchairs in deep tree shade and I finished a book about Leonora Carrington, the surrealist artist. Just before 6pm when it had started to cool a little we had a refreshing walk through the woods with sit downs on our log and in the cool churchyard coming home along the lane. The sheep and well-grown lambs were all sensibly lying down under the big oak trees. At home I set to with my watering can and I went back and forwards at least 10 times: greenhouse, new tender plantings of borlotti beans, squash and sweet corn, newish crops of lettuce, chard, beetroot, French beans, broad beans, rocket, the newly planted Timperley Early rhubarb and finally the just planted Hydrangea Paniculata Kyushu and Philadelphus Belle Etoile in the woodland edge. These are baby shrubs from my local nursery at only £5 each so I need to cosset them this summer. The stars of my woodland edge right now are the tall self-sown pink foxgloves. I like hand watering, it gets me close to my plants and I chat and encourage them as I go. I also dug up 48 garlic yesterday morning and the space left will be for purple sprouting broccoli and black kale. Every year I say I will scale back my growing but it’s addictive. Your back border needs something upright to contrast with the mounds of geranium foliage I think. A quick cheap fix would be to sprinkle the seed of your wild foxgloves (it looks as if it might be shady and dry in the lee of the fence) or longer term a grass such as calamagrostis would look good perhaps with penstemon garnet for mid to late summer. I always think alliums look good with hardy geraniums too. I have P. Garnet just starting to flower and she is looking lovely alongside Geranium Magnificum (deep violet blue), allium Christophii and tall Astrantia Shaggy. Lupins are the only plant I am allergic to - they bring me out in a rash - and consequently I do not like them! I’m still swooning over your roses! Have a good day BB - we’re off for a swim now as we need to be a little more active in this heat and as this is S’s first full week of retirement we are starting as we mean to go on! Sarah x
ReplyDeleteThe bank, seen close to, would reveal nettles (not many though) and long grass. Overall - from a distance! - the effect is a good one :) The anti-histamines I'm on have no obvious side effects. I take the basic Loratadine much of the year because of allergies to mould spores etc too and we won't mention preservatives such as sulphites which are in everything (esp. wine and cider!)
DeleteFoxgloves en mass always look stunning and I shall definitely sprinkle some seeds along the back of that border to keep the Lavender Delphinium company. Your new baby plants are going to be beautiful despite needing cherishing this hot weather. Your walk sounded lovely. As for my roses - I just bung em in, feed them now and again, dead head them and water them (more mightily at the moment that they had been getting . . .)
The pollen count has been very high here in South Devon. We’ve had so little rain too. I have a friend who can barely open his eyes at the moment.
ReplyDeleteI love your wilderness/ bank! Every garden needs Comfrey! And Ox Eyes and Foxgloves!
Lovely blogpost! 😁
Hello Sal. June is THE pollen month. At least I have effective antihistamines now. I always used to spend June wide awake 24/7 on Steroids . . .
DeleteGlad you like the Wilderness Bank. The insects love it anyway.