A little update…
I think I might be off the blog in the next days: I have the week off of work and I definitely need to leave my Mac switched off for a little while… We will be busy cleaning up the garden and carrying on some works because next monday we’re going to have a birthday party in the garden. A friend of mine turns 50 and he wanted a big party to celebrate so we lend him our garden. I’d like the place to look pretty…
Plantago major purpurea is spreading all around but I like it because it looks like a purple leaved sun loving hosta. In the background rudbeckia 'Goldsturm' outlines the white spikes of lobelia siphilitica alba and the grasses are lulling their blooms amongst blade leaves.
Heleniums have been blooming for a while now anticipating the season of nearly 20 days… ‘waldtraut’, the earliest I have, is fading already but the deep reds of ‘Indianersommer’ (the tallest) and ‘Ruby Tuesday’ (60-70 cm) are still holding up. I love heleniums and even if they all look alike I can’t resist of buying more. I’m not a red lover though but their deep brown reds shades are irresistible against lilacs and electric blues like verbena bonariensis or aster x frikartii ‘Monch’ or even kalimeris incisa.
I wish this small light blue butterfly stayed there forever, she's exactly the color combination I need with this helenium 'Indianersommer'
Deep reds look good with white and pale grey too…
helenium 'Ruby Tuesday' with pennisetum 'Woodside' (a rather short and furry selection) and eryngium yuccifolium (the only one that thrives in my garden)
Some other plants are over by now, like macleaya cordata ‘Coral Plume’, which is now suffering for the lack of water and maybe for the too hot position I gave her.
deading leaf of macleaya 'Coral Plume' (but some fresh new are coming!)
I am impressed by how quickly gold fishes grew into the pond and I’m even more happy about the increasing number of gambusias I have now, they eat everything and keep me safe from mosquitos! We have some brand new frogs which finally settled amongst the lotus leaves too. Mina fall into the water from time to time, trying to catch them!
reflections on the pond
I’ll keep my camera on for loads of pics I intend to show you in 10 days or so. Stay tuned! 🙂
AltroVerde 
People think of plantago major as the most common weed. I’ve never seen them nurtured to grow to the size of your plants. They are beautiful.
Well it’s a plantago major, not minor, like the weed. It is rather weedy though but I like it and it’s very easy to eliminate if not wanted. They say we have to observe our weeds to understand what will thrive in our gardens… What about using some nice selection of them? 😉
What a great setting you have there for the party Alberto! Your garden may become a famous venue for events. Just don’t let Mina go swimming in the pond and get the guests all wet– but perhaps they would welcome it on a very hot day…
Thanks Linnie! Actually the birthday party was great and Mina didn’t fall in the pond… one of the guests did… and many glasses too… drinking by the pond wasn’t exactly a good idea but it was fun!
Your friend is lucky to have your garden as a venue for his party. Even though weare having a cooler, wetter summer than usual in Lazio I can see that your grden is fresher still. The Heleniums are something I want to grow and your image with the butterfly is fabulous Alberto. Looking forward to your next posts. Christina
Christina you have to try them, they really are satisfaction! Indianersommer is the best if you like reds but I also like Kanaria all in yellow. I have it in the south garden, will post some pics maybe tomorrow.
(Cooler? wetter? I am suffering the hottest and driest days in the year, I can’t stand it)
The party sounds like a huge success! That person in the pond was probably just trying to cool off… I also revisited the photos above and I am again amazed at your gardens looking so well after all the heat. You are growing the right plants for the climate. My flowers are all going to seed and thinking of autumn. I’ll be watching for the fern picture!