This afternoon, once the rain had eased off, I was working with my friend in her walled garden in Winslow. Tasks included shaping a cotoneaster, a light prune of the pear to remove the odd wayward branch, onto a brutally hard prune of Fatsia japonica to allow light into the centre and then Gary. Gary: Garrya elliptica. Well over 9ft tall this monster was gobbling up all the light. The cuttings filled the car but I ‘helped’ by bringing home a few branches for my vase.
Common name (not Gary) is the Silk tassel bush. Grown primarily for the silvery tassels, some of these are nearly 20cm in length. Suited to a north facing wall in shelter it has almost perfect conditions in this walled garden.
Anyway this is my Monday vase to share with you and Cathy’s readers. Perks of the job? Perhaps.
Have a great week. D.
digwithdorris.com 
I really like this shrub although I’ve never grown it. Very striking in your vase.
Sounds a most satisfying day – and without frozen fingers either! What was Gary shading with his exuberant hair? I have always found his relations quite attractive – there was one at the school I taught, the only thing growing in a raised bed against the building that must never had had any rain and usually had children hanging from it. A most incongruous sight! His tassels certainly look very fine in your vase, Dorris
A beautiful container grown rhododendron, a bay, lots and lots of Spring bulbs, followed by ostrich ferns, and brunnera. We were tip toeing!
Hope nothing got squashed (but they will recover if they have, I am sure) – Gary ought to be ashamed of himself, dominating all these colleagues of his…
He had definitely got too big for his boots. 😉
Gary – like that – that is what mine is going to be called from now on!
Silly name but it amuses me
And me – so good to be silly!
At 9ft tall it certainly would be monstrous. Not one of my favourite shrubs… Just a few pieces in a vase are very nice though. 🙂
I agree Cathy, it is a dull shrub suited to a dark corner however in mid winter the great long tassels appear and it looks splendid and all is forgiven.
Gary looks a lot better in your vase than in it’s overbearing presence in my garden!
A job well done
Gorgeous Gary!
Ha! Indeed
Amazing. Love the container also.
Thank you. They are quite over the top really
I just featured that on my Six on Saturday! It grows wild here, although the one I got a picture of was planted in a landscaped area.