Hello and welcome to this weeks SOS.
What half a year gone already? Where did that go? On Thursday something weird happened and the Sun came out and we had heat for a change!
As I said in last weeks SOS I am on holiday this week but only managed to go to one of the gardens on the list as I found out my local Micropub is celebrating it’s 5th birthday so OOf course I will have to attend that as it would be rude not to! I did go RHS Harlow Carr and I wrote a blog here. My visit to Threave Castle in Dumfries and Galloway will have to wait. I am sire it is not going anywhere!
Here is my six.
1. Campanula Persicifolia Alba
This plant is at the front of the houses beside the wall. The whiteness of the flowers is dazzling and it always grabs my eye when I lookout the of kitchen window. I bought it from the local garden centre in one of those buy 4 plants for a tenner and it certainly was good value. I have decided it once and now have a second plant. I am sure this plant will be getting divided multiple times.
2 Verbena Bonariensis
For some reason, I can’t remember why I removed the parent plant last year. Obviously it has self seeded which is good but I am sure this years flower is paler and is flowering earlier. I am not complaining however. A firm favourite with bees and butterflies this one will be staying put this year.
3. Front Border no 1
Taken during the falling sun in Thursday night . The front of my house is a driveway where I park my work van and car but in each front corner there is a corner bed. I am not to sure but I think part of them is on paving slabs which means that every summer the soil gets dry during the summer. This means that planting can be challenging at times. This is the first photo I have taken of the whole border for the blog and for the first time I am pleased with the planting scheme. As you can see I have all sorts planted in it and Dianthus, Rock Roses, Sedums, Sempervivums perform really well. You can see the Campanula in the background and a Blue Carpet Juniper in the left corner. The pink Dianthus is Devon Wizard and the one beside it is Doris. To the left amongst the “tramlines” is my Alpine wall where I have many Sedums. In the picture you can seed Sedum Fuduglut, S. Sarmemstoum (lime green) and art the back with the tall spires is S. Blue Spruce. My other front of border is not a patch on this but I am working on it.
4. Aeonium Firecracker.
I have a couple of mature Aeoniums in my collection. This one is the most prolific grower. Lime Green leaves on the centre and purple in the outside it has looked a little bit messy so far this year but it is starting to look great. This plant offshoots readily and I have already taken a few offshoots as back up.
5. Cupid’s Dart (Catanach Caerula).
Not the best photo because it is a bit like grass. I had a mystery plant in one of the borders at the front of my house. Grass like stems which looked to have a paper seed like head. I was a little confused after this appeared. After a bit of research I found it was Cupid’s Dart. Then it dawned on me I had actually from this from seed. I had sown then last year and planted 4 seedlings last year and totally forgotten about them. It looks like only one has survived but I am not complaining. I will post photo’s once it flowed. I gave a silent whoop when I found out what it was and I will give it a feed when I water it tonight.
6. Sedum Fosteranium
As with most small sedums this Sedum has a yellow flower. A prolific grower this spawns s up flower spikes. A native species to Britain this can be found nationwide but mainly on the West Country and Wales.
That is my SOS this week. I hope you have enjoyed it. The weather looks great this weekend so enjoy your gardening. I will be spending this weekend at my local celebrating it’s fifth birthday and planning a new project for the rest of the hear.
That is my SOS. If you want to write one it is not that difficult. As always to find out how six on Saturday works please follow the following link The Propagator. The don of Six on Saturday.
Until Next week goodbye.
Sedums, Dahlias and Hayfever 
That corner border is a lovely mix of perennials. My borders look good from a distance at an angle because removing the forget-me-nots and perennial geraniums has exposed gaps where I am sure there were plants last year. Never mind, the sempervivums are a constant source of interest!
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The tramlines look like the perfect place for your sempervivums. I was in Suffolk last week admiring the white and blue campanulas in someone’s garden. They are so simple but beautiful. I must try some.
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Beautiful campanula and your front border looks great – using the top of the wall for succulents is an ingenious idea. That verbena looks almost like a scabious.
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Yes I was thinking that! Really light pink Scabacious plant…
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I was about to say something about that but will refrain.
Also, the wall to the left seems to be a retaining wall, with the outer side at a higher elevation than the inner side. What are ‘tramlines’? It that the two walls that are parallel to each other like tram tracks?
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I had a bright white campanula in my neighbor’s border … unfortunately it’s no longer there but I should replant one.
Beautiful use of space for the rounded stone bed. Nice choice of plants !
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Thank you. Yes the that border is very pleasing this year.
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Beautiful picture of your campanula! Also, thanks for including the cupid’s dart – I have loads of them, self seeded and could not remember the plant name!
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Your welcome/. Can’t wait for it to flower. How big are the flowers?
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Just over an inch, maybe a bit bigger
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Love the Aeonium. I have one in a pot and it is growing very well, evening surviving the winter! The Campanula look stunning!
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Yes the Aeonium is a good cultivar.
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Your front border looks fab. I look at front gardens with renewed interest these days. Mine was pretty crap for years but the last year or two is much better. This year I thinks great. I love looking into a well tended front garden as I walk past. I bet your neighbours appreciate it. I have the blue version of that campanula, it’s pretty good.
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Thanks I am a rather pleased this year. I will take a photo from another angle in a few weeks and include the a Sempervivums I have have on in that Border. The other one is a work in progress but I am just about to undertake a new project I’m that area. All will be revealed. For some reason your posts aren’t coming up in my timeline.
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I noticed that too. I mean, the posts do not come through like they should.
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Here is a blog about my main border. Any voyerism from your border blogs completely coincidental https://sedumsdahliasandhayfever.com/2019/06/28/summer-border-musings-from-border-country-part-1/
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I have had another look and definitely confused. It is a Scabious flower but the stems are as tall as me!
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I really like that you have used every bit of space that you can, the front borders are great, perfect conditions for the dianthus and I bet they smell beautiful! I think that verbena is an interloper!
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Thanks. I don’r know what that Verbenia is. It has a knaptia flower.
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The tramlines looks good. I am going to plant sempervivums along a raised wall in my car parking zone once I rebuild the wall! I think they will do well there as it gets full sun. What else have you planted along there?
(BTW I am sure the Verbena is actually a Scabious. Verbena bonariensis has a very different flower head).
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Oh you wall will look great when it is built. I have an Ajuga, a White Sea Thrift and Alpine strawberries. I agree that it looks like a Scabious or Knaptia flower but it is on long stalks like a Verbena and leaves like a Verbena Bonariensis
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I have a scabious that has a very long stalk and similar leaves to verbena. I’m pretty sure yours is a scabious. Alpine strawberries sound good, do they scramble down the wall?
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I did plant a Scabious Vivid Violet but this disappeared, was in a different area and was only 25cm high. The flower is more like a Knaptia flower not a scabious.
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I think Knautia and Scabious are in the same family. The seeds can travel a long way! Whatever it is, it is a lovely colour.
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Yes I think I will make the most of it….
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Not really because there is a lip of a bricks width. Sometimes they do. I get 2 Strawberries a year!
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Love your front border with those bright dianthus!
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Thank you. The Dianthus have been great this year and I also like that the two I have in this Border flower at different times.
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Your front border is wonderful – love the combo of plants & bricks (tramline). And that campanula is stunningly white! A real WOW factor.
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Thanks the Tramlines we’re here when I bought the house so I can’t take credit. Just with the planting. I have taken some more photo’s of the border this morning and will post them next week.
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The Sedum flowers are such a bright yellow and I too am a fan of the Campanula. Lovely to see the front border and looking forward to seeing the new project
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