Spiraea Week

The early July week, 2009/27, marks a kind of pause in the flowering schedule. The first blooms are on the Spiraea japonica, there is some colour on the Hypericum and the Lavatera is going strong, but perennial plants such as the tiger lilies are really leading the charge now. Flowerheads do seem to be forming on a new arrival in the garden, Romneya, and my son's very late planting of pumpkins has expressed its enormous cotyledons and the shoots are now developing proper leaves. But his climbing strawberries are a disappointment: perhaps they need more moisture or fertilizer. The newly acquired Topaz has flowered, but is still looking very ragged and needs to expand into its new location against its dry and sunny wall. A walk along the street suggests neighbours were right to invest in polyantha roses: they are the dominant new appearance in Zone 8 this week.