Geraniums Galore

The poor old cardoon, eaten nearly to death by brown slugs and very small

The garden has suddenly changed. The spring flowers are over and the summer ones just starting. I've taken out all the self sown forget-me-nots to make room for new plants that will last the summer. 

The wonderful foxgloves are nearly over. They have attracted numerous bees. They are short lived perennials, but I will collect the seed and sow it - they were such good value.

The cardoon, which I have had for 34 years, given by a friend when I first moved in, has been eaten almost to death by small brown slugs attracted by the wet weather. I go out three times a day and collect them (and put them in the compost heap). It has now begun to grow its flowers which I think makes it less tasty. 

The geraniums (and I don't mean pelargoniums) have started flowering already and if I remember to pick off the dead heads, should last for ages. I have seven that flower at different times and in different ways. 

Geranium oxoneanum

There are the three low-growing pink ones that go on flowering all summer long, including Rose Clair, oxeanum and sanguineum (bloody cranesbill).  

There are three blue ones including Johnson's Blue that sits by the pond and Rozanne, that won plant of the century in 2013. 

Geranium Johnson's Blue 

Geranium Rozanne

Geranium, a wildish one, can't remember its name

Then I have the tall psilostemon, with brightest magenta flowers. They don't seem to mind the heavy clay of my garden and are very welcome. 

Geranium psilostemon

I want to mention a book called "Gardening the Earth, gateways to a sustainable future" published in 2009. It is full of excellent ideas by Stephen Blackmore, who is Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. It is really full of good information on how we should consider our planet and how we could prevent the worst of climate change. The sad thing is that it is published by the Botanic Garden and they have turned it into a coffee table book. Its large format makes it difficult to read and the text is constantly interrupted by pictures sometimes by two pages. But I did find it full of ideas and possibilities we should all  be thinking about. 

Next Sunday 16 June (as mentioned  on 3rd May), the Torriano Community garden, Torriano Avenue, NW5 2ST  will be open from 12-4 for the National Gardens Scheme. If you are anywhere near, it is well worth a visit.

Tree in Torriano Community garden