Jungle grasses

I was only away six days.   But in that time it has rained an inch (again) and all the grasses in the garden seem to have grown an extra foot. Sorry to be imperial, but I have no idea how to describe the rapid growth of these plants.

So much for the gentle amble up the path to the potting shed: the eragrostis grasses seem to have doubled in girth, and the festucas are so laden with pannicles that I have to hack my way through them just to see the path.

Most exciting of all; I have peonies.   I think I had them last year, but as I was away in Australia I missed their flowering. And believe me, the flowering season is very fleeting.   In just six days the white peony in the terrace bank has come up and gone over before anyone had a chance to gush about it.

When I was in my twenties and mooching about Paris I used to look on peonies with utter amazement. In the florists the buds were so tightly furled and so utterly expensive, I never dared to spend my money on such ephemeral beauty. What if they didn’t open?

I don’t think it was a determined plan, but in the back of my mind, I pictured having peonies of my own. I never imagined they would be in a garden this large, and in this country, but here it is.   Just three blooms so far. And in that outrageous Queen Mother pink. The scent is divine – rose and lemon combined – and the petals are like silk.

There is one sitting in a vase as I type and I still can’t believe how beautiful it is.   There is a white one in the garden; up at the terrace bank jungle. But in the six days it has gone up and over and its petals are littering the mulch at its base.   I may go out and collect them for drying later.

If I can find the plant again. It’s a jungle up there.

I can’t bring myself to weed the fantastic vetch out of the beds. Blue flowers in abundance.   But if I can find the time I really must get up there and pull it out.

There are day lilies blooming, teasels trying to get up and go, clary sage growing and growing but not flowering.

And the valerian really needs a sort out.   On my to do list for October I think.   For two years the plants have just existed; but with all the absurd rain this year they are behaving as though they live in Wales, not drought struck south of France.   Why, I will even be able to divide my asters this year.

And as the er, rather vibrant pink, of the valerian (centranthus rubra) sticks out so much, I really need to get it spread out and less in one’s face.

But these are negatives: right now I just have to wander out and be amazed at the garden. It is my favourite jungle of all.