Bustling Blooms
The sun is shining (sometimes!) and Birmingham is buzzing with the arrival of the Commonwealth Games.
Michele's garden is equally as bustling, here are some of the highlights.
Hollyhocks, Alcea, grow up to 2m in height. Each stem bears masses of open, bee-friendly flowers measuring up to 10cm in diameter, from July to September. Hollyhocks are biennial or short-lived perennials.
Lilies are prized for their fragrant blooms and often giant, trumpet-shaped flowers. Lily bulbs are planted in containers and flower borders, and lily plants make the perfect summer flowers to add colour and cheer to the garden.
Canna lilies (top right) are impressive tender perennials that offer height, dramatic foliage. Often used in bedding displays, tropical borders or large containers, canna lilies are great value for money, giving years of colour and drama. They flower from June to October.
Meconopsis is a genus of plants in the poppy family, the most common of which grown in Britain are the Welsh poppy, Meconopsis cambrica, and the Himalayan blue poppy, Meconopsis betonicifolia. The flowers are a similar shape and structure to true poppies, but they can be identified as meconopsis by their seedheads. Rather than ‘pepper pot’ seedheads typical of true poppies, meconopsis seedheads are thin and long.
The ‘Queen of Climbers’, clematis produce masses of flowers in a wide variety of shapes and colours.
Gladioli are often known as sword lillies due to their long, pointed leaves. The distinctive tall flower spikes emerge in summer and come in a whole host of colours.
Arisaema is a large and diverse geus of the flowering plant family Araceae. The largest concentration of species is in China and Japan.
Artichokes are large, architectural perennial plants that are attractive enough for the flower garden. They can be grown from seed or young plants, and their large edible flower buds are easy to cook and delicious!
Crocosmias provide a burst of colour late in the season, when most other flowering plants have faded. There are hundreds of crocosmia varieties to choose from, flowering in red, orange or yellow from June to late summer, above ornamental, strappy, bright green leaves. They make an excellent cut flower.
Roses are some of the most beautiful and versatile garden plants. They come in a variety of forms, from patio roses to shrub roses, ramblers and climbers.
We hope you enjoyed this insight into Michele's world!
Thank you for reading from the team at Artisan Alchemy.
As always, if you would like to commission an extra special piece of jewellery or furniture, please do get in touch - email artisans@artisan-alchemy.co.uk or call 0121 233 1186.
With best wishes from Michele and the team at Artisan Alchemy 😊