Feeling hot hot hot!

It’s been another fabulous sunny day – this year they just keep on coming…and now we’re into August the show stopping hot plants are starting to strut their stuff – and how!

First up and what a plant – Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’, a fabulous and essential element to the hot border – it’s got height, vibrancy, structure and colour – love it, and not surprisingly, today, it’s my favourite!

Crocosmia has such a wide variety of cultivars, all flowering later in the summer season, they are invaluable when trying to achieve colour for as long as possible into Autumn.

‘Ember Glow’ follows ‘Lucifer’, with ‘Star of the East’, a larger flowered orange variety blooming well into Autumn.

I also particularly like ‘Emily Mckenzie’, with it’s intense burnt orange centre and yellow petals, it certainly dazzles.

Here’s another beaut – Hemorocallis ‘Crimson Pirate’ – planted towards the front of the border, it’s a real eye catcher and flowers throughout July and August – I always feel a little bereft when the blooms on the last flowering close, ready to fall – still, there’s always next year….

I’ve had swathes of Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’ for some years now, but this new addition ‘Waldetraut’, planted last year, has grown extremely well in the garden at Aberglasne, doubling in spread and at least 6 inches taller than the specimen I put in the hot border at home in Scott Road. I’m putting this down to superior soil at Aberglasne and will be working on making improvements at home this Autumn.