Summer flower bouquets

My experiment of planting dahlias in the shade is working.

And boy did I choose a good year to try this out. I was going to show you the dahlia bed which I created in the shade of an enormous oak tree (the roots conveniently located on a lower stone terrace). But I haven’t weeded it carefully to make it pretty. And I am loathe to go outside until about 8pm. It’s unbearable out there.

Even the shy to flower cafe au lait is producing. Rummage in the photos… did I put some in bouquets?

Nope. Two went up to the butcher’s on the weekend but I was so rushed I didn’t snap a shot.

I have a few zinnia plants which are valiantly pumping out small flowers. Most of the crop went by the way of a badger’s front paws as it dug down searching for grubs in the raised beds.

I well understand the poor animals on this mountain are hungry. But they do have expensive tastes. Basil and zinnia seedlings seem to get flung out more than the more dull courgette and cucumber plants.

This is not the right vase for these agastache and dahlia. But I did better with the mighty drought proof, heatwave blast proof bupleurums.

They are filling just about every vase in the house.