What's looking good in May..

Hi Rosietu, wish all my David Austins would hold their heads up as well as yours. Pat Austin and Graham Thomas hang their heads as though they are too heavy for the stems, Corvedale is a bit better but Brother Cadfael seems to have gone on a retreat, hardly a sign of a bud yet.

 

Beautiful bobj! What is the orange campion type flower with the dark foliage in your first two pics? I haven't seen it before - it is a must for one of my beds!

 

I think the gallardia is much underrated, I rarely saw one for years but now they seem to have come back into favour, I got this one last year and it had masses of bloom right through until the frosts and now it is back again.



I liked it so much I bought another one this year, must be a different variety though, it is much taller, more like the ones I remember my father growing.

 

Hi Bob, our established one has been flowering full tilt for about 3 weeks now, although the new one has only just shown colour. I had planted it under a rose, expecting another "shorty" but it's poked its head up through the rose branches.
I nearly always add a bit of Homebase farmyard muck when planting out potted plants, that may have helped the spread somewhat.

 

@ Bobj yep, rotted farmyard manure 3 bags for �£12 at Homebase, also keep an eye out for riding stables when you're out, they sometimes give it away, but they do say leave that rot for a few months to a year before using. My dad used to send me out with bucket and shovel to follow the bakers cart when I was a kid, that went straight under his roses.
This is what happens when you overdo the muck

LAte may about 2 weeks after planting up the boxes


About 6 weeks later, I think the word would be floriferous.

 

Callistemon 'Mauve Mist' (it's more deep pink than mauve) the bees love it.

 

I think I need my sunspecs with all these wonderful coloured flowers popping up! Well done everyone and keep it up please.