floriferous allotment

Great blooming of poppies at the moment at the allotment. These are Papaver orientale ‘Royal Wedding’  – making huge growth – flowers are like ink-stained white tissue paper. If you remember Quink ink and white school shirt then you get the picture. So photogenic!

Hundreds of Allium sphaerocephalon, still in bud, were planted where strewn last autumn. Groups of fennel add to the textural composition and it tastes good too!

This is Papaver orientale ‘Patty’s Plum’ (above) still in bud as well. A very popular poppy and relatively new to retail trade as the plant was only easily obtainable in the last 10 years. Beautiful plant and will post the pics of the flowers when at their best. Below is my all time favourite rose, Rosa  chinensis  ‘Mutabilis’.

And another photo with the vine – sweet desert grapes which the badgers love too unfortunately! I cannot describe how much I love this rose.

Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose
Loveliness extreme.
Extra gaiters,
Loveliness extreme.
Sweetest ice-cream.
Pages ages page ages page ages. Sacred Emily Gertrude Stein 1913

These iris were a gift from Maggie at the old allotment in Charlton – this year they look like a field – quite wonderful. Haven’t a clue on the variety – anyone out there hazard a guess?  And back at the ranch, . .  if only . . , some more dark fennel, Foeniculum ‘Giant Bronze’ ( hugely tall phenomenal growth , easily makes 2m in height — a Graham Gough plant) and a little osteospermum looking well suited. The plant in the foreground is Atriplex halimus from Beth Chatto. 

It is a gesture against the wild,

The ungovernable sea of grass;

A place to remember love in,

To be lonely for a while;

To forget the voices of children

Calling from a locked room;

To substitute for the care

Of one querulous human

Hundreds of dumb needs,

 It is the old kingdom of man

Answering to their names,

Out of the soil the buds come,

The silent detonations

Of power wielded without sin.

R S Thomas The Garden