Shady Corners

"Land really is the best art" - Andy Warhol

Vineyard view on a morning bike ride

I finished my last posting rather abruptly as there was simply too much to report!  Once again we've had a wet weekend - great for the garden, not so good for "les grands departs" when everyone races to their holiday destination in order to enjoy the July 14th fireworks...

Artichoke table decor

Since then, I'm glad to say, it has gradually warmed up so that people can escape to the beach, whilst we aim to do all our gardening by midday so that we can collapse into a shady corner for the afternoon.

Now it's pay-off time for all that weeding earlier... I find there's just the odd bit of convolvulus to be plucked out as we stroll around admiring and dead-heading.

A kind friend gave us one of their handsome artichokes which had been allowed to flower. For those with more spacious gardens, it's an architectural must-have (as well as being fab with vinaigrette).

Oenothera odorata
 'Apricot Delight'

Early morning is such a wonderful time to meander around the borders, especially if Christina has activated her watering system and given everything a refreshing shower. It prompts all kinds of insects to alight on plants for a drink before they start the day and we might come across newly-hatched moths or butterflies that need to warm themselves in the early sun.

Last week the waterway which runs behind our house was visited by some unusual damselflies which actually rival the resident kingfisher with their iridescent blue wings.

Demoiselle Agrion

I notice from the picture that this one appears to be eating greenfly off a blade of grass, in which case it would be extremely welcome in our garden!  Having said that, the aphid population seems to have practically disappeared this month and we're no longer having to clean them off new buds on the roses - maybe those great tits are finally getting to grips with it all ?

Alba hybrid: "Scarborough Fair"

I've said before that I find roses a bit of a pain because they require a lot of pruning and general maintenance, partly because they perform so well in this climate and are fairly free of any diseases which might hold them back.

However I make an exception for those few which aren't too vigorous, despite proffering an endless succession of perfect blooms which make excellent cut flowers. This one, Scarborough Fair, is a fairly recent introduction from David Austin and is described in their catalogue as "A rose of modest beauty and simple charm".  

It exudes the musky scent of old roses, complemented by the light, airy growth of a wild rose.  Its flowers are delicate and beautiful at every stage, transforming from dark pink buds to near-white petals as they open fully; what the French might call "ravissant" - and a delight for the photographer too!

Hydrangea paniculata 'Grandiflora'

Shrub of the Month

Equally light and airy, if not actually billowing, is this hydrangea planted a few years ago in one of our awkward shady spots behind the remains of a partial stone wall. 

Its glory has been somewhat eclipsed in the past by other foreground plants but last week we chopped down a branching fennel which threatened to obscure its lovely flower panicles.  Sometimes you have to be drastic in 'editing' your plants!

Shrubs of all sorts tend to take about three years to establish properly, and whilst they're developing it's an idea to put annuals in front, or a dispensable plant like fennel. 

We'll probably keep this area for foxgloves in future as they will have finished flowering by the time this hydrangea sails forth.

Hydrangea serrata

Having shady borders is certainly not a disadvantage in this climate!  Chances are they will get sunshine at some point in the day, without the soil drying out unduly.

Flowers, like the attractive mauve lacecaps on the right, last much longer and keep their subtle colours when not blasted by too much direct sunlight.

Hydrangeas are happy in most soil types and only need a little pruning and tidying at the end of the season. Their dried flower-heads can be left in place until spring to protect the bush from frost damage.  

Scabious 'Chat Noir' and
Gaura lindheimerei

July is also the month when clumps of gaura, the 'wand flower', spring into action after being cut back by half in early June to prevent their stems growing too long. The pink variety isn't quite as manic as the white one which seeds readily and seems to have colonised several parts of the garden!

Gaura's loose, waving flowers contrast happily with the tall stems of dark red, near-black scabious which have flecks of pale pink scattered through their petals.

Campanula carpatica

For an airy edging plant in sun or semi-shade, I can recommend this campanula from the Carpathian mountains, which is also known as the American Harebell and stands at about 30cm, forming a little clump with heart-shaped leaves. 

Its delicate, cup-shaped flowers look almost translucent in sunlight, but are a surprisingly rich blue when viewed in shade or at dusk. Like many small campanulas, it's a versatile addition to the garden, able to withstand quite dry conditions.

Green Echinacea and Nicotiana

Aside from cool-blue passages in the garden, we've planted some creamy-green sections this year: namely Echinacea 'Green Jewel' and Nicotiana 'Lime Green', both of which came into flower at the end of June and are still going strong.

In previous years we've grown the taller Nicotiana affinis which has lots of delicious white flowers and is excellent for attracting moths. 

Its seedlings still come up in shady corners but we tend to pull them out because the leaves get big and ungainly. (Almost as big as real tobacco leaves which you might see growing in the odd field near here.)


Whilst it might not be top of our list for a tree-like shrub, there's no doubt that hibiscus is a popular choice in this part of France and we've inherited a medley of three colours grown together in our front garden. 

It's apparently frost hardy and easy to manage - except for the fact that it will drop sticky, spent blooms onto the paved pathway which can be messy when it rains. (Hey, at least it's not a fig tree...!)

Pink and blue Hibiscus syriacus