All gardens have special moments when they look their best. For many it happens in May or early June when new growth is still fresh and green, and before anything has started to flop, yellow or require dead-heading. Our seaside garden is having a moment right now, alive with the bright pink flowers of Geranium palmatum and the rocket-like spires of Echium pininana. Winter is a distant memory at long last. It’s a joy to be in the garden at moments like these … if only the weather would have a moment too!
Categories: Musings, Small Gardens
Beautiful. Can you tell me what that tall interesting plant is that is leaning?
That’s the Echium. They love to lean – they are impossible to keep bolt upright as our soil is too light. Echiums come from the Canary Islands so can take a little frost but not a lot. Might struggle with your climate sadly, but they just scrape by here on the coast where the temperatures are mild.
Our gardens are having their moment right now too! That Tree Echium looks STUNNING!
Thanks! There are two of them this year – they seed everywhere so we always have a small clump flowering each summer They will keep on flowering until the frost gets them in December, sometimes January. Then I literally have to fell them with a saw!
I believe you. The only giant perennial around here – a Persicaria polymorpha requires the same brutal treatment in late fall.