Cardoon en Route


The cardoon's doing its thing. Perfect magenta.


They stand tall for now, discreetly staked as any notable wind could bring them over.


The garden looks good at the moment - the flipside of a below par start to July weatherwise. Showery and relatively cool, everything's that bit more turgid. The heat returns next week according to MeteoFrance.


Everything is very green for now.


Leading down to La Fermette, the new border that I built earlier in the year has filled out rapidly. Another boon of recent rainfall. Kniphofia caulescens are clumping out handsomely and I guess will be sending up their 'torches' in a month or so. The Russian sage may have to be moved about a bit. It's growing rapidly and as ever I've underestimated it's ultimate size which will almost certainly swamp out the pathway. Aside, I continue to find it difficult to get a good photograph of this area.


Maybe this pic does it more justice?


Comments

  1. I love this beautiful color combination of blue, purple and yellow. Different green colors of foliage are also nice.

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    1. Thanks Poirot. There is also pink gaura starting to flower, however it doesn't clash with the yellow fennel as both are not bright colours.

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  2. I've been growing Russian Sage for many years; even if it grows over the walkway, it is not a stiff plant!
    It has a lovely aroma and perhaps you will enjoy brushing up against it to release it's fragrance!
    My cardoons I grew very successfully in Wisconsin appeared lavender as do yours on my monitor - not magenta (my perception of magenta is a very deep pinkish/red color). But they are a delight and many of my friends were not familiar with the plant. I am a fairly new follower to your lovely blog. Keep it up!

    Mary in Oregon

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    1. Hi Mary. Agreed about the perovskia. I have it elsewhere and it has many qualities when impinging - in a good way - the walkway. The problem comes when it's rained and it's wet.

      The cardoons are lovely though they need staking. The truest magenta I know in the plant world are the blooms of rose campion (silene coronaria).

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    2. Yes, of course, I grew rose campion as well and that shade is really striking next to it's grey stalks and leaves! Thanks for reminding me of that plant. I had it next to our stone patio and it really shined there. It was a bear to keep deadheaded, though! The blooms kept me at it whenever they started to wilt; I was so eager for more, more, more!

      Rain does make a difference on plants overhanging walkways and just plain overhanging! I have that problem here in Oregon as there is a very large pine tree that overhangs (too far up to trim) my stairs leading down to my front door. Rain is important and I love the smell of it but there are times (as you mentioned) that I might let out an expletive once in a while !!!

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  3. Just how tall are those cardoons Rob? They look most splendid. We got back home on Monday after almost a fortnight in Normandy where the weather on the whole was not brilliant. We had a couple of days or so where it absolutely persisted down for the duration. On the plus side it was never too hot :)

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    1. 8 feet or so. The whole of France had a poor start to July, even over to the south east and Provence. I hope you had a good time in Normandy despite the weather.

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  4. It's all looking as lovely as ever Rob...and I can imagine myself sitting down by the river..... :-)
    We're busy in our garden (now there's a surprise!) but we're working with garden designers and a construction team on a major project to rework our tired and ugly terrace in front of the house - there will be blog posts and they might even not be 4 years out of date!
    Have a lovely summer.

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    1. Thanks Liz. Your garden project sounds like it involves spending a fair few quid - I'll keep an eye out for the posts. Hope you all have a lovely summer too and that the sun shines.

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