Tropical July

The garden has taken on a tropical aspect. Some of that's down to genuine tropicals like the Lantana and Calla Lily (top right) bought from a pound shop and come up a truly eyebrow-raising colour). Other things, like the Tweedia (centre right) and Myrtle (centre left) are vintage garden plants, rendered exotic by their unfamiliarity.

The Passion Vine, in its sixth glorious year and taking over the back corner of the garden, needs no introduction, and compact water lily rubra is continuing to flower its socks off in a tiny water planter.





There are also some classic British bedding plants here; a sunset orange petunia and flame-on Bidens. They're here because I was struggling to keep anything alive in hanging pots or baskets, and then I remembered that there's a classic plant that can handle that sort of brutal environment.

Cue the Petunias.