Thursday, July 25, 2013

The Humble Bungalow Garden is in bloom....

Gardening is a passion and one that offers a great deal of pleasure.
Working outside in the fresh air with birds chirping and bees buzzing calms and centres me.

Granted it can be hard work keeping the weeds at bay and digging in the dirt but still it does something for my soul that keeps me coming back...and that feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day, weary but content.

My garden attire is usually some stretchy yoga style pants and an old Tee shirt...often I wear my Ralph Lauren denim shirt over top with the sleeves rolled up and a straw hat. If you were to see me you'd notice that I have dirt on my face and that I look quite the sight! Yet passers by frequently stop to ask questions about the plants and comment on the roses. It is only later when I go inside for a bite to eat and a cool glass of water that I notice what a state that I am in!

Today I want to show you what is blooming in the front of our Humble Bungalow Garden.


looking down from the porch
not clearly visible in this shot
are
white, blue and limelight hydrangeas
agapanthus
sum and substance hosta
various roses


coreopsis and a heliotrope
purple and yellow together is one of my favourite flower combos


Dierama ~ commonly known as Fisherman's Wand



agapanthus ~ about to burst forth and flower



romneya coulteri


David Austin rose which I have forgotten the name of...


crocosmia lucifer


grasses, hostas and a variegated iris
a dry patch at the end of the gravel drive


more rose blooms


Hey Jude!
Jude the Obscure
a David Austin rose


lovely cupped petal formation


a bud

I'd show you the backyard but it is in a state of chaos...
Mr. HB is rebuilding the sundeck and the outdoor furniture is on the patio, lawn and there are wood piles and tools
which really do not look that attractive or photo worthy...
when the deck is finished that will deserve a post of it's own
until then...

 It's another glorious day full of sunshine
we are so fortunate to be enjoying such a wonderful July
one that might just be a weather record breaker.

Take care

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hostess, isn't it heliotrope with the coreopsis? Love your blog!!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Thank you are very observant! I have amended my post!

Jennifer said...

This weather is truly stunning. I hope it holds through August. You have such a glorious garden!!

Tamera Beardsley said...

Thank you for sharing the beauty that is your garden my dear!! Being a gardener myself, I absolutely agree with you on the merits of a day of working the garden. to savoring and enjoying the fruit of garden labors!

Susan said...

Your garden flowers could not be more beautiful! I envy your work in the garden. In Texas, I am constrained by my fear of snakes-not so much in the city, but certainly at our farm (copperheads, etc). Do you have snakes in your area?

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous flowers! I have hydrangea envy....I just can't grow them in Florida....

Pondside said...

That is a lovely view you have from your veranda! All the hard work in the garden has certainly borne fruit. No wonder people stop to comment!

mette said...

You really enjoy taking care of your garden, even when it sometimes is hard work.
Mine enjoyment is the stable, it´s inhabitants and the immediate surroundings of it. Just a reminder, as if you did not know it by now, LOL.
To each her / his own.
What we have in common, is our workwear.
When you write about your yoga pants, I have to nod. Mine are the now, over 20 years old riding pants, worn still 365, with a certain " patina " on them.
However, I have had them on ( + the rubber boots ) going to the local bank, store, when in a hurry.
Comfortable clothing is always " in ".

Gretchen said...

Hostess, your garden postings tend to be some of my favorites. How lucky you are, having just the right mix of temperate climate and sun/shade combination! I can live vicariously through your garden until I can rework my poor beds and replant everything. I miss getting my hands dirty, and your floral "hits" do me a world of good.

Kristien62 said...

I am an unsuccessful gardener. The only things which flourish for me are chrysanthemums and iris. At one time, I had a variety of roses along the side of my house, but black spot and my inexperience cost me the whole crop. Right now, the side yard, which gets a great deal of sun, is begging for some flowers. I may try again.

Judith said...

This is really the best part of Summer all the lovely gardens,my agapanthus are at the same stage as yours,mine are in barrels are your's planted out?

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Not scary large snakes just garden variety garter snakes which I have not seen in my garden for quite a few years...as a child I would pick them up and watch them slither away when I put them back down on the ground. If there were large snakes about I would not be comfortable working in the garden!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I loved the tablescape that you recently posted on your blog...
Artfully designed just like your goreous jewelry!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

You and my sister share a love of stables and horses...
the equestrian leather boots and riding gear is of such high quality that it does last a lifetime.
I cannot say the same about tee shirts and Yoga pants!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Reworking beds is tough work but the design and planning process if such fun!
I'd love to see what you are doing in your garden.

the gardener's cottage said...

your garden is so beautiful leslie. i love all the color and variety!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Kristien I would encourage you to read up on a few hardy bloomers that thrive in the sun and type of soil that your garden has and plant what is happy in those conditions...
I was very inexperienced when I first came to gardening but joining a local Horticultural Society changed all that in a hurry. Knowledge is key!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Can you imagine if you and I had huge gardens like those that you visited in the UK?
I wonder if we would be eccentric characters like some of the master gardeners who envisioned and then created those famous spaces.

I know that I could easily fall under the spell of a blank plot and spend every waking hour making it something that others may take delight in...
you inspire me, I am so grateful to have met you through blogging...perhaps one day IRL!

SusanG said...

A truly beautiful garden, Hostess. Thank you for sharing it with us.

KSL said...

Beautiful garden.

Anonymous said...

Hi! I just found your blog and it looks like something I will love! Your garden is wonderful. I don't have a proper climate to grow much of what you have, though, I live at 7,150 feet altitude in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
I DO finally have a pretty good hydrangea and a finally thriving clematis. I would love to grow roses like yours but don't have much luck. Even Morden shrub roses from Canada seem to struggle. I think I have to relocate them and that might help. I'll be reading some more of your posts soon.