callmemadam | ...more flowers for the bees... (Reply)

What with terrible weather, the wall and our other problems, the garden has been sadly neglected this summer. In places it's grown jungly. Where the builders have imported topsoil, enormous weeds have sprung up. I find I don't have the time or energy to tackle these problems but there are still nice things to look at. I wrote last year about the wonderfulness of sedums and they are just as good now as they were then. The plant on the left is Salvia involucrata, which looks as though it ought to be tender but is very hardy here and makes a massive plant. It should really be staked. This is visited every year by a Humming Bird Hawk Moth. A couple more pink gems after the cut

A hardy begonia? Absolutely: Begonia evansiana.
This is in a sheltered position which is also shady and dampish.

My favourite fuchsia is probably the tender 'Thalia'. Of the hardy varieties I just love this one, 'Sharpitor'. The foliage is variegated, the flowers incredibly delicate and it blooms for months on end.