Bess

this is from long ago, so Bess, a friend's dog, is no longer with us.

Nor, to be frank, are a lot of the flowers in the garden.

I thought of this photo when Nick put a query on about cottage gardens.

This was the year I was particularly pleased with mine! :-)

I've got all colours of columbine, oriental poppies, alliums, self-set Welsh poppies, foxgloves, exotic blue poppies, cowslips, drumstick primulas, paeonies. There are Siberian irises and Canterbury bells to come. Also delphiniums. I'm just planting some bedding (petunias and snapdragons) - but for a cottage garden it's mostly perennials.

The Jubilee-coloured cornflowers were weedy.

Centaurea Montana - old-fashioned dianthus - phlox - teasels (excellent for bees - and photographers!) - montbretia - ox-eye daisies - clematis - lavender.

There's a rosa rugosa here, but I'd swap it for a scented climber.

Day lily - tiger lily - lily! - hardy fuchsia - hydrangea - scabious - native geraniums - lambs ears - lychnis (both for silver foliage) - nasturtiums - (not too over-developed) gladioli - sunflowers. I can't grow bearded iris. Forget-me-knots. Astilbe. Sea holly. "Fairy castles".

Aren't flowers great!!

[Nick]

This is great - so many ideas. Thanks Annie-Sue. I want something really varied and colourful too. I've heard of most of the plants but I'll have to Google lychnis and fairy castles. Hope I've got enough room for all the flowers I want now from everyone's suggestions, lol!

[narayani]

This is/was your garden?! It’s stunning! Lovely dog too

[Casablanca]

Aww, lovely memory shot to have

[Annie-Sue]

@nickspicsnz it was a great prompt to return to this! And yes, space is always an issue ;-) Fairy castles are allium nectaroscordum.

[Beverley]

Such a beautiful pretty garden… all my favourite flowers

[Annie-Sue]

@narayani it was a good year - but gradually more vigorous plants took over and things like the columbines all reverted to one colour.
I'm actually making an effort to clear the ground this year and hoping to start afresh.
And Bessie was lovely :-)

[Annie-Sue]

@casablanca this one stays in my mind - and I made my friend a birthday card of it - which she rather liked ;-)

[Annie-Sue]

@beverley365 all the traditional ones :-)

[Nick]

@anniesue I just Goggled allium nectaroscordum to see what they look like. They're a new one to me and look really pretty. Hopefully I can get them in NZ. :)

[Annie-Sue]

@nickspicsnz crossed fingers :-)