Summer Blooming Beauties

After the garden's spring burst of exuberance when there is a palette of colour wherever you look, early summer can seem a little drab. That is, until the vigorous summer-blooming beauties begin to flaunt their finery.

This week has seen the re-emergence of one of the crepe myrtles (the brighter one) and the chaste berry. These will both brighten the garden all through summer and into early autumn. Then, there will be the bonus of berries for the rosellas to snack on and cheerful autumn foliage. The ericas almost never stop flowering, which is just as well because their nectar-filled flowers are the favourite tucker of numerous birds year round.

This year I am growing sunflowers for the first time in this garden, to amuse my darling granddaughters. They seem to be at their peak right now, but I don't know how long those impressive flowers will last.

The shrubby hebe and waving wands of dieramas behind it make a pretty picture together. The dieramas (AKA fairy wands) are an old-fashioned favourite that came from my mum's garden. They are very hardy and keep growing and flowering with no water and very little attention. I was interested, though, to see them looking greener and blooming more prolifically in the damper, kinder environment where Mum lives.

The 'Burgundy Iceberg' roses just keep on blooming through spring, summer and autumn, though the summer flushes of flowers quickly wilt in the heat. I snip off the spent flowers and new buds quickly form.

In the vegie garden a large lavender attracts bees and other beneficial insects and looks pretty all summer. Another flash of colour in the vegie garden is provided by the windmills, which do a reasonable job of scaring the blackbirds away from the strawberries; that is, as long as the wind is blowing.