JULY AT CLUNY

It looks as if at least the beginning of July is going to be warm and sunny. For the first couple of weeks in July many of the lilies are at their peak of flowering and later on the scarlet creeper Tropaeolum speciosum starts to come into flower. There is still a multitude of scents both good and bad! Remember to look out for RED squirrels anywhere in the garden. Please be aware that many berries in the garden are highly poisonous.

BULBS

One of the most prolific lilies at Cluny, having seeded itself throughout much of the garden is Lilium martagon, a European Turk’s-cap lily with flowers in shades of purple and white. The very beautiful Lilium nepalense with funnel shaped greenish yellow and maroon flowers appears in mid to late July in the first bed on the lawn. The not so well-known but very attractive pale lilac flowers of Notholirion bulbiliferum bloom in the lawn beds and at the very bottom of the garden. Succeeding in out-growing them all, is the magnificent Cardiocrinum giganteum, the Giant Himalayan Lily, with its long thick stalks growing up to 3m high topped with pale green scented trumpet flowers. Last year’s seed heads can be seen still in position and resemble Venus Flytraps while the new seed pods look like figs. Later in July, another very tall lily, the American Lilium superbum is being established in various parts of the garden but can be best seen at No 11. Lilium davidii an orange spotted large Turk’s-cap lily from western China also flowers in the lawn beds in late July.

TROPAEOLUM SPECIOSUM 

The magnificent Tropaeolum speciosum or Chilean Flame Flower grows in many different places in the garden crawling through and over shrubs and trees. It has long spurred scarlet flowers and towards the end of the month and into August, its purple-blue berries will begin appearing. It grows from long white underground tubers and although some people successfully grow it, many try time and time again without success. It is related to nasturtium.

CANDELABRA PRIMULAS

These are bog loving primulas with whorls of flowers arranged in tiers. The main species still in flower at the beginning of the month are purple Primula beesiana and orange P bulleyana. These are mainly growing in a very boggy area around Nos 26 & 27 along with the yellow or red P florindae (Himalayan cowslip) and P sikkimensis interspersed with native self-seeded orchids.

PERENNIALS

Ligularia (Golden Goundsel) is a tall yellow or orange daisy-like flower originating from central and eastern Asia with large rounded leaves growing mainly between Nos. 5 and 10. They do not like direct sun but prefer a cool moist shaded situation. Digitalis grandiflora is a lovely yellow medium sized perennial foxglove growing in the gravel and lawn beds. There are of course many self-seeded common foxgloves throughout the garden. Also in the gravel is Gentiana lutea (Bitterwort), a tall, yellow flowered perennial herbaceous gentian from the Pyrenees and Alps. The red berries of Actaea rubra (Baneberry) begin to colour later in July, as do those of its white form. There are large clumps of Actaeas around Nos 17 & 18. The berries are very toxic to humans but much loved by bullfinches!

TREES & SHRUBS

There is a good example on the far end of the house wall of an Actinidia kolomikta, a vigorous variegated climber from Asia related to the Chinese Gooseberry. There are two fine examples of the beautiful Japanese Golden Acer Acer shirasawanum ‘Aureum’ the Golden Leaf Full Moon Japanese Maple. One is at the gate as you enter the garden and the other at the far end of the lawn. They are already showing autumn tinges – oh dear! The hips on Rosa omeiensis are also beginning to colour up orange. Towards the middle of the month, the cherries on the beautiful red-barked Tibetan cherry trees Prunus serrula tibetica (especially at No 10), will begin to ripen and become a favourite food for the many blackbirds in the garden. There are a number of different types of shrubs flowering throughout the garden including the highly scented Philadelphus (mock orange), Deutzia, Roses, Hypericum and Cotoneasters. Crawling over some of the shrubs especially in the top area of the garden, is Codonopsis, a trailing creeper from the Himalayas, with many, usually green beautiful but not noticeable, tubular flowers. Wasps get drunk on their nectar! Later in July at No 19 look out for Cornus kousa, a small tree with white bracts which are actually adapted leaves used to protect the flowers.

WILDLIFE 

If you are careful and quiet, you might see one of a number of Red Squirrels particularly if you visit when the garden first opens in the morning or late in the afternoon.  They feed regularly on the bird feeders at the first Sequioadendron (No 5) and on one at the closed gate as you leave the car-park. The garden is full of birds, but most have gone quiet at present while they are in moult, although they are still eating plenty of seed and peanuts. Look out for Great Spotted Woodpeckers and Jays which are in the garden most days. At least one young Woodpecker has been seen at the feeders. There are plenty toads and frogs, one reason for the near perfect hostas. Bumble bee numbers appear to have taken a tumble due to the constant bad weather however over the last week in June we had an increasing number of wild honey bees. We were so pleased to see them again and they have been very busy feeding on a number of plants especially the Thalictrums. Stinkhorns begin to appear in July. They are certainly easier to smell than find!

JULY JOBS

We are busy potting on plants for next year’s sales. Seed collecting has begun and will continue into November. Weeding is mainly concentrated on seed heads of the more prolific wild plants such as bluebells. Cleared areas are then mulched with our own compost or leaf mould. Constant cutting back of shrubs and trees is necessary, as growth is fast and furious in July especially if there is a combination of warmth and rain.