What to look out for in the Old Pond Garden July 2025

Penstemon ‘Garnet’ – Beardtongue

Although at its peak in July, this has been out since May and is one of the longest-flowering plants in the Old Pond Garden. At the moment we really love it for it’s drought tolerance – no need to water this one! It has dainty, tubular flowers which insects with long tongues like bumblebees can enjoy, and it provides both pollen and nectar for visiting insects. Prefers a sunny spot but will do well in part shade too, so you can spot it in several of the beds. It is a semi-evergreen, only losing it’s leaves in the very depths of winter.

Dianthus carthusianorum – Carthusian Pink

Another lovely drought-tolerant plant that we don’t have to water! It must be in full sun to flower well, so it just loves the gravel garden in the central bed of the Old Pond Garden. It’s a perennial, forming bigger clumps each year and giving that great “pop” of colour. A gentle self-seeder and long season in flower.

Erigeron annuus – Daisy Fleabane

This is an annual or short-lived perennial fleabane, which produces tall stems that branch and are covered in small white daisy-like flowers. Folklore claims that dried plant material from it will repel fleas, hence the common name. It is a prolific self-seeder, with fluffy seeds dispersed by the wind, but we find it is easy to edit when small and it gives a lovely natural feel to the beds. Pollinators flock to the open flowers.

Perovskia atriplicifolia (Salvia) – Russian Sage

The Russian Sage is just coming out in the Peace Garden, and will go on for months. It is planted en masse around the Margaret Higginson statue designed as a centrepiece for Amnesty Internationals campaign “Stop Violence against Women”. Aromatic, grey foliage and tall spires of violet-blue flowers, which hum with insect life. This is a plant that likes to bake in the sun, so the recent temperatures are perfect for it. We leave it to stand all winter, as its sturdy stems provide shelter for wildlife, and continue to look good until February.

Other things to see

And finally, the amazing Magnolia grandiflora (Southern Magnolia or Bull Bay). You have to look up to see these HUGE flowers! There are two trees, both in the Peace Garden, thriving against the old brick walls. Evergreen trees with beautiful creamy white flowers. The one in the corner was completely hidden by undergrowth, elder, and wisteria, but was revealed by the garden volunteers in 2023 and is now really taking off.