Wordless Wednesday: flame like foliage

Tags

Cercis canadensis, Colour, foliage, Forest pansy, November, wordless wednesday

Six on Saturday: National Garden Scheme

Tags

Aeoniums, apple juice, Calamagrostis brachytricha, Calamagrostis x acutiflora Karl Foerster, Carers Trust, Cercis canadensis, Cerciscanadensis Forest pansy, grasses, Horatio's Garden, Hospice UK, Leonard Cheshire, Macmillan Cancer Support, Maggie's Centres, Marie Curie, MS Society, National Garden Scheme, NGS, Parkinson's UK, Perennial, Queens Nursing Institute, six on saturday, stipa tenuissima, Verbena bonariensis

Tomorrow my garden is open in aid of the National Garden Scheme, NGS.  For those who do not know, the NGS is a registered charity which in 2017 raised a whopping £3.1m, not bad from open gardens and selling tea and cakes,  This was divided amongst the following charities: Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK, Carers Trust, Queen’s Nursing institute, Parkinson’s UK, Perennial, MS Society, Maggie’s Centres, Leonard Cheshire, Horatio’s Garden and not amongst gardeners as one friend thought.

I have worked flat out in the month of September, weeding, digging, trimming, edging, sweeping, deadheading and watering to prepare the garden as best as possible. I am on first name terms with the chaps at the dump.  Rather annoyingly then that the weather has decided to be somewhat inhospitable blowing in a gale and rain.  Undeterred I am hoping that a hardy group of gardening types and perhaps Aeonium fanciers will show up.

This splendid bunch have been donated by a very generous chap who prefers to remain anonymous and I shall be selling cuttings for folk to take home.  All in aid of NGS.  Absolute Aeonium heaven.

2.  There will be a selection of cards, old gardening magazines and apple juice for sale.  The apple juice has been pressed from the tree in my garden.

 

3. The roses may be almost finished but there are Cosmos and Zinnias. The main sight is perhaps the Verbena bonariensis.

It has self sown all around the garden and in the cracks in the paving.

4.  Blowing in the wind will be a mixture of grasses which are at their peak in early Autumn.

Calamagrostis Karl Foerster, Calamagrostis brachytricha and Stipa tenuissima

5. A small tree which is always admired, not least by me, Cercis canadensis

The red toned heart shaped leaves are delightful.

6.  There will be some shelter from the worst of the weather inside my rather grandly named summer house.  (It is neither summer nor a house).

Joining our host the Propagator who encourages us to list our top six from our gardens.  Thanks for reading.

Now if the weather would just be kind….

Thank you to all my helpers and cake makers, lenders of time and lenders of other bits and bobs, givers of general moral support.  I certainly would not be able to this without you.  Wishing you all a lovely weekend wherever you are.  D.

Silent Sunday: raindrops

Tags

Cercis canadensis, Forest pansy, raindrops, September, Silent Sunday

Six on Saturday: everything but the kitchen sink

Tags

Ammi majus, Ammi visnaga, Cercis canadensis, Crocosmia Lucifer, Echinacea purpurea, hydrangea arborescens Annabelle, Hymenocallis, July, poppy seed heads, sempervivums, six on saturday, Spiderlily, Verbena bonariensis

Blast off! This is such an exciting sight for me, the Spiderlily is flowering. Granted not as exciting as man on the moon and it is not a Spider from Mars but it is a spider from me. I love it! Looking smart enough to be allowed in the house. The clay pot is my one special Whichford Pottery pot.

2.

A fistful of flowers for a friend.

There are verbena bonariensis, Hydrangea Annabelle, Echinacea purpurea, poppy seed heads, a pink lily, Ammi majus and Ammi visnaga both grown easily from seed and a Buddleja flower . All of these are from my garden.

3. Leading you down the garden path:

My favourite tree, Cercis canadensis has thrived since it was moved from its pot into the raised bed. I am enjoying how it is overhanging the path. ( I know I keep using this using this on my SOS but I don’t care, I think it’s fab.)

4. Successful looking succulents and sempervivums

Those of you who grow these know that little skill is required, just free draining soil and lots of grit. I think they are delightful, each one slightly different.

5. In your face, red

This is Crocosmia Lucifer. Such a vibrant red. It is very, in your face, dominant but I am quite liking them with the Stipa tenuissima behind.

6. This is Hydrangea time. Hydrangea arborescens Annabelle.

I do love a Hydrangea and they have become fashionable again so that’s good.

How could anyone could resist these.

How they graduate from lime to creamy white, getting fuller and bigger as they open. ( shown in reverse order here).

That’s it, my Six on Saturday. The Propagator is our host and thanks to him we share our favourites each week.

I hope you have a great week wherever you are. D.

Six on Saturday: summertime

Tags

Cercis canadensis, cornflowers, hydrangea arborescens Annabelle, July, poppies, seed heads, six on saturday, stipa tenuissima, Succulents

Hydrangea arborescens Annabelle is opening, surely a sign that it is summer. These are flower filled mops, in a creamy lime colour tone that looks as if it was lifted from one of those Farrow&Ball colour charts. Gorgeous.

This is my first of the Six On Saturday I’m sharing with our host The Propagator

2. Another sign of summer has to be that the succulents are outside

Not the best examples but loved nonetheless.

3. Forest pansy is a beautiful specimen and a real favourite of mine.

Back lit the colour is arguably unbeatable. Cercis canadensis.

4.

Haze. This haze is created by the delightfully tactile Stipa tenuissima. I love these grasses for their movement; the slightest breath of air is all they need to move.

5. Opium poppies

These are very short lived but so pretty and wonderful for bees . Today they have finished flowering and I am left with fat grey seed heads.

I love these almost as much.

6.

Cornflowers are such a wonderfully intense blue, not unlike a Sir Terence Conran shirt. Great for cut flowers, great colour in the border. An easy plant. Sprinkle some seed in the spring and Bobs your uncle.

Whether Bob is your uncle or not, you see that this selection includes some of the easiest peasiest plants to grow. What are you Six favourites today? Join us.

Have a lovely weekend wherever you are. Thanks for reading. D.

Six on Saturday: Heather

Tags

Borago officinalis, Cercis canadensis, Euphorbia amygdaloides 'Purpurea', euphorbia griffithii Dixter, forget me nots, geranium macorrhizum, May, Myosotis arvensis, Sambucus Nigra Black Lace, six on saturday, Trifolium repens atropurpureum

Is it me or is this year galloping by? My garden is surging ahead, almost without me. I am inundated with weed seedlings but the dry clay is making it almost impossible to remove them properly. Weeding is a frustrating and almost futile exercise. How we need some rain but at night only please!

My Six to share with you and The Propagator this Saturday are these:

Euphorbias are at their most splendid at this time of year. Fresh and bright, eye catching

Cercis candanensis

I have had this Forest Pansy tree for at least eight years, initially it was in a pot, now its home is in a raised bed and this is the first time it has flowered. Very exciting to see. It is, honestly!

Borago officinalis

Once you have got borage in your garden you will always have it. These are self sown. Glorious colour and nectar for the bees. The flowers are a lovely addition to a gin and tonic, frozen in an ice cube. Talking of G&T….

This is Geranium macorrhizum

It forms large clumps of fresh foliage which when brushed against or crushed smells distinctly like gin and tonic.

Trifolium repens atropurpureum

A great ground covering plant. With purple toned clover like leaves it is attractive and interesting.

Myosotis arvensis

Some class these little beauties as weeds. Not me, I adore their particular shade of blue. So cheery. I think they look rather classy under the foliage of Sambucus nigra Black Lace.

Forget-me-not.

In memory of Heather, my kind and generous friend, Mother in law and Nanny. 20/6/40 – 4/5/12 . Remembered every day. How I would have loved to share this garden with her.

D.

Wordless Wednesday: the reason I love Cercis canadensis

Tags

autumn foliage, Cercis canadensis, Forest pansy, October, wordless wednesday

Autumn foliage above and below, as yet untouched by Autumn

Six on Saturday: September 1

Tags

Cercis canadensis, Dahlia William Morris, Forest pansy, helianthus, sanguisorba canadensis, September, six on saturday, sunflower, trifolium repens William, Zinnia

I am joining The Propagator with six plants from my garden which are still looking good this Saturday.

In no particular order, first off the wonderful Cercis canadensis or Forest Pansy

I have had this small tree for about ten years and it spent nine of those in a large pot. Now in a raised bed it has room to spread its roots and it has grown by almost a third. Each new leaf is a delight, heart shaped, shiny and back lit they have a translucent quality to the glorious deep red.

2. Ground cover in a shape not unlike a lucky clover, this is Trifolium repens William. I like the dark foliage.

This is number 3 , Sanguisorba canadensis

It is a magnet for pollinators and seems to be thriving in my heavy soil

4. Jolly annuals, this is Zinnia, one of a mix pack of oranges, pink, reds and yellows. I rather like this pale pink one.

5: please excuse the poor picture but Dahlia William Morris is a corker. Dark foliage and a strong coloured red/ orange Dahlia flower.

Finally number 6 another annual, this is a claret sunflower.

I love the garden at this time of year when the light levels change and dew appears, I wonder what your six might be? Wishing you a great weekend. D .

Silent Sunday: raindrops

Tags

Cercis canadensis, Forest pansy, July, rain, Silent Sunday, who would have expected us to be so happy to see rain

Six on Saturday: 14/7/18

Tags

buddleja Miss Ruby, Buddliea, butterfly bush, Cercis canadensis, Daylily, echinops ritro, Forest pansy, hemerocallis little grape, hydrangea arborescens Annabelle, Lily, six on saturday, stachys

This is a new meme for me. Simply put this is a look at six plants in my garden which are looking at their best and most interesting right now.

Cercis candanensis underplanted with stachys

Such sweet glossy heart shaped leaves become bigger and bigger and back lit their foliage is unquestionably eye catching.

Hydrangea arborescens Annabelle and chair. This is their second year and boy do they deliver.

From lime green they open to a dreamy green white, one of those colours the people at Farrow and Ball would no doubt find a great name for.

Lily

After a few weeks picking off lily beetle these are looking in good condition and smell divine. They are huge too, about 1m tall. Shall I pick them? Hmm maybe just one.

Echinacea purpurea

I planted these in 2015 and unlike my last garden they have returned each year looking bigger and better.

This is Hemerocallis Little Grape. All daylily do well on my heavy clay soil and this one is a cast off from my friend Liz. Thanks Liz! It is smaller than most at about 40cm high but the strength of colour is very good.

Buddliea love them? Or loathe them? I would not be without at least one as they definitely bring butterflies into the garden. This is Buddleja Miss Ruby a modest sized version at 2x2m but easily contained with a spring pruning The aroma is very fruity. I really like the sharp colour on this one.

Echinops ritro I love all of the echinops but some such as Taplow Blue do not do well on my soil. This however is delightful, makes a good cut flower and adds such a clear form after the alliums are over. so that’s my six on Saturday. If you have six to share please add a link #sixonsaturday The propagator

Have a great weekend. D.