The best roses this summer, and what to plant with them. Plus: easy salads and a cocktail
A wildlife surprise, a summer garden cocktail and three easy salads
It was a hot, hot weekend, and it looks like there’s another one to come, so as well as some flower partnering ideas, I’ve got some good, and importantly EASY, eating-outside summer salads for you. And to go with them, a garden cocktail. And to go with all of that, a pretty beautiful serving idea.
The roses are currently creating the very best midsummer backdrop. A summer staple, starting off in May here in the UK, they’re going to take the garden through to at least September. Colour, shape, fragrance - they give a lot of bang for their buck.
And this morning, there was a super-special treat - it turns out that, as you’ll see in the video below, not only do the roses give colour, scent, and general joy; they also provide a home.
Coming right up to me, if it could have had its wings on its hips, it would have done
It’s peak rose time, and I’m going to be looking at a few really good performers, along with some planting partners. They’re all easy, and it’s worth making a note of them now, or, if these ideas end up with you making a decision, you can even order them now for delivery later in the year.
There was a lot of eating outside last weekend, and if the weather forecast is correct, we’ve got another one coming up. Hot, summery days tend to mean that whilst there are still some permanently-ravenous people, generally, appetites are less enthusiastic than usual, and also that I can’t be bothered to stand by the oven. Therefore salads are perfect - and the three I have for you this week are super-easy. All washed down with a cocktail using rosemary and thyme, as well as some drinks cupboard leftovers….
This is one of the roses I proposed previously here: it’s already pumping out flowers and is bringing a welcome pizzazz of colour - you couldn’t get more shades in one rose. The trick is to combine it with colours that’ll pick up at least some of the tones in the petals: you can just spot in the background the dots of reddish pink which settle the rose into its space.
There’s such a choice - look at each bloom and you can see the endless possibilities they offer: pinkish reds, bluey pinks, peachy apricots and even a bit of orange in there:
So, what to pair with these? I’ve gone with the following, though not necessarily on purpose. Sometimes, in gardens, there are happy accidents: