Wordless Wednesday: raindrops

Tags

euphorbia griffithii Dixter, rain, Rose "Lark Ascending", sanguisorba, wordless wednesday

Euphorbia

Rose ‘Lark Ascending’

Sanguisorba

Six on Saturday: favourites

Tags

Allium Purple Sensation, cerinthe, Eschscholzia californium, euphorbia griffithii Dixter, hebe hulkanea, Iris Sibirica, New Zealand lilac, six on saturday

Good morning. I am joining The Propagator with a quick six, favourite sights in my garden.

First is a shrub I purchased from a garden in Winslow. A family were about to complete the sale of their late mothers house. A developer had purchased the property and the place was about to lose its garden to concrete and brick. The family invited Winslow & District gardening society their local garden group, to attend at a certain hour on a given day to dig up plants from the garden for a donation in aid of their chosen charity.

You can imagine the scene as gardeners in anoraks, armed with trowels and garden forks arrived. Hellebores, snowdrops, ferns were the main plants of interest. A polite-ish dig-up began.

Whilst the garden was under siege, I got talking to a lady who turned out to have been the owners longterm carer. She handed me a scraggy shrub in a pot. Take this for your garden, it is something special, I cannot remember what but I always had to pay particular attention to watering it. Inwardly thinking, yuck that looks dreadful, I politely accepted it and made a donation of £5.

I planted it in the ground in about February this year. Clearly delighted to have space to send its roots, it is now flowering happily.

It is New Zealand lilac, Hebe hulkeana or right now, Happy Hebe.

2 .

This is the outlook from my chair where I enjoy my morning coffee. Purple Cerinthe in the foreground with masses of Eschscholzia poppies behind. These are all self sown. Bargain.

3.

These may not have been fashionable at Chelsea this year but I don’t care, I still love Allium purple sensation.

4.

The border in morning light before the sun gets to it. The contrast of green with the dark burnt orange from Euphorbia griffithii Dixter.

5.

I have always admired Iris sibirica for its royal colour and neat form, somehow refined. I planted these last year and am delighted to see they made it.

6. Another view of a different part of the border.

Again before the sun reaches it, this is a pleasing gentle froth of green, pink and white. Persicaria bistorta, Anthriscus sylvestris Ravenswing and Thalictrum Elin.

Wishing you an enjoyable long weekend, wherever you are. 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.

Six on Saturday: pulling away

Tags

Brunnera macro Dawson’s white, carpinus betula, cerinthe major purpurascens, euphorbia griffithii Dixter, Hornbeam, philadelphus coronarius aureus, six on saturday, Tulip Ballerina, tulip Brown Sugar

After some time away I am looking at the garden afresh. So much has pulled away thanks to the light and warmer temperatures. My favourite six to share with you and The Propagator this week are these.

1.

Fresh foliage doesn’t come much fresher looking than Philadelphus coronarius aureus. Catching the sunshine it is luminous.

2.

Euphorbias are such good plants somehow always interesting looking. This is Euphorbia griffithii Dixter showing its orange bracts to the sunshine.

3

Cerinthe major purpurascens

These are self sown from last year. I like the glaucous, slightly fleshy leaves and drooping purple heads. They make a good cut flower.

4.

‘ Pleats please’ of the Hornbeam, Carpinus betula variety rather than the Issey Miyake creation. Such neat foliage.

5

A new combination for me Brunnera macro Dawson’s white ( yes I know the flowers are blue but the foliage is white) Tulips. I cannot find the note I will have made, somewhere, with the names of these two varieties. Sorry about that. So annoying when that happens.

And 6.

More tulips. These are the scented ones I had in my vase here this week. They are in a raised bed to help the bulbs keep out of the thick clay. It seems to work well as these are last years bulbs. In the foreground are Tulip Brown sugar and Ballerina.

Thank you for looking at my Six for this Saturday. Enjoy the long Easter weekend and some warm weather, perfect to enjoy the garden. D.

Saturday smile: Summer

Tags

allium, Allium sphaerocephalon, euphorbia griffithii Dixter, Helenium Moorheim Beauty, Hydrangea paniculata limelight, Leucanthemum x superbum, Rose "Lark Ascending", Saturday smile, Shasta Daisy, Verbena bonariensis

This Summer is showing itself to be, dare I say it, good. Warm, dry and sunny. The garden this morning looked rather nice in the slightly cooler air and before the direct sun hit. 

Rose Lark Ascending 

Euphorbia Griffithii Dixter and drumstick Allium Sphaerocephalon

Hemerocallis and Helenium Moorheim Beauty, Verbena bonariensis 

Hydrangea paniculata Limelight, Box and Shasta daisies, Leucanthemum x superbum 

Whatever is making you smile today, enjoy it. 

Right I am off to paint yet more wood. More about that another day as it is not making me smile. 

Tuesday View: 25/4/17

Tags

Allium Purple Sensation, Allium siculum, apple blossom, euphorbia griffithii Dixter, Geum "Mrs Bradshaw", Narcissus Thalia, Tuesday View

Today the view is still about the apple blossom but as I took this picture, petals were beginning to fall. 

The forecast for later today is a cold wind from the North and possibly even showers of hailstones or sleet. I suspect by tomorrow the blossom will be on the ground, gone for another year. Blossom is so fleeting, perhaps that is why we all love it so.

As one plant ends its show of petals, others are getting ready to bloom. 

Geum ‘Mrs Bradshaw’

Allium siculum 

Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ behind new foliage of Rose Gertrude Jekyll.

Some plants are still blooming such as Narcissus Thalia, showing white in the background and Camellia.

Spring is when Euphorbias are at their best including this Euphorbia griffithii Dixter. I love the strength of colour. This was planted less 18 months ago and it is bulking up nicely. 

Cathy is host of the ‘Tuesday View’ why not join us? Share your view with us linking back to Cathy. It is a really useful record of what is happening in the garden week by week. 
Finally the view

The Ash tree on the right has yet to open. I should take a look at the Oak to see where they are. You know what that might mean? 

“Ash before oak we’ll get a soak” but, “Oak before Ash we’ll get a splash.”  There you have it, fully scientific based predictions. Right I am off to read my horoscopes next. 😉

Tuesday view: 18 April 2017

Tags

apple blossom, Betula albosinensis Fascination, Epimedium rubrum, euphorbia griffithii Dixter, Geum Totally Tangerine, Lily flowered tulips, Tuesday View, Tulip Apricot Beauty, Tulip Ballerina

 

Look up to the sky and see

This beautiful Spring day, I am joining Cathy with her meme to share a view on  Tuesday.  I did do this last year and found it a good way to record just how my new garden is developing. The apple tree is one of the few trees that survived living in a paddock full of goats.  Despite the abuse and notwitstanding having had chicken wire nailed into its trunk, the tree survived.  Following three careful prunings in as many Winters, it is now in pretty good shape and rewarding me with masses of blossom this year.  I had a pretty good crop of apples last year and this one tree generated enough juice for 27 bottles.  I just hope we do not get a sharp frost to knock back the blossom, a possibility as it is still only mid April.

Apple tree with early blush of blossom

Against the backdrop of Horse chestnut trees, the apple tree is coming into its own and follows the earlier blossom of the Victoria Plum.  This year I will look at a view on the opposite side of the garden to that which I shared last year.  We have not had much rain and the clay flinty ground is looking grey and hard.  I have resisted watering but the wind is drying and if we do not have a heavy shower this week I will have to give it all a good soaking.

Ground cover in the form of Tiarella and Epimediums

The border includes a multi stemmed birch, Euphorbia griffithii Dixter, and daylilies.  As the birch has an orange bark, I have used variations on this colour

Euphorbia grffithii Dixter

throughout the season.  A poor photo thanks to the strong sunshine, no grumbling please.

the first flower of Geum Totally Tangerine

The geums seem to do well on the heavy soil and Mrs Bradshaw is in bud having flowered from about April to October last year.

The Tuesday view 2017

So much is happening in the garden at this time of year as the ground has warmed a little and the light is stronger so the weeds are on the march.  The grass had its first early trim in March and cutting is now in full flow. The daffodils are beginning to fade whilst snowdrops and crocus are long gone.  They tulips however are having their moment.   I purchased some half price bulbs from Sarah Raven including Apricot beauty below and Ballerina.

Do you have a view to share? If you do be sure to add your link to Cathy