Monday, 20 December 2010

THAT'S ENOUGH SNOW THANK YOU!

These photos were taken a couple of weeks ago in the last snowfall. Once again the snow has returned and much more forecast tonight and Thursday Ugh!!!









At least the greenhouse seems fairly snug although in prolonged cold, as I do not heat it many pots will freeze, so it remains to be seen what survives.

Wednesday, 24 November 2010

WINTER FAIRYLAND

Winter fairyland



The Box edgeing helps to keep interest in a winter vegetable garden.


Frost and sun competing for interest.

Roses with winter ice dresses.





Swiss Chard looking rather attractive with it's silvery edges.

My two garden helpers Mike and Beth.

Tuesday, 16 November 2010

OCTOBER GARDEN

Yes I know it is now November but just had to post this farewell to the Autumn garden.

The Dahlias have been great at prolonging the flowering in this front border but have all been lifted now and stored in the garage for another year.

They have flowered for months and provided much colour in the garden and house.

Fuchsias are still flowering although last night's frost will no doubt bring the end of flowering.

Sophie's rose a present from my brother and sister in law has flowered throughout the summer even though this was her first year. She has such a deep and lovely colour and great perfume.


Rudbekias still flowering where the Delphiniums were it will be interesting to see how they both fare next year.

Hydrangeas still with autumn colour.

Ferns once again come into their own and this is a particularly nice one.



Wallflower have done well this year although I still need to plant them out.

The greenhouse is full to overflowing but many of the cuttings will be heading of to my daughters new garden when they are big enough.








So I have been busy in the garden although I have been neglecting my garden blog. Hopefully soon I will get round to visiting old friends in the garden blogging World. I have however have been very busy with my Looking at Lyme Blog link at the top right if anyone is interested in following up on either Lyme Disease or with ME/CFS quite fascinating research and developments going on at present.

Saturday, 14 August 2010

LATE SUMMER TREASURES

Welcome to my garden it has been some time since I last posted.

The fuchsia takes over from the rambling rose Crimson Shower

These Rudbekia were grown from seed this year and I have planted them amongst the Delphiniums which have been cut back, not sure if the Delphiniums will come again this year.

Crocosmia and Phlox an interesting combination.

The Dahlias are adding colour to the front bed.

The hanging baskets have got rather dry in the baking heat we have had this year.

Outside the back door the trellis is doing ok with it's colourful planting soon the clematis will take over from having lost the Passion flower.

I rather like these Morning Glory with their welcome late flowering.

Ville de Lyon Clematis.

This Hydrangea is rather special it is a cutting from a neighbour Christina who died a couple of years ago.It is so nice to have plants that remind you of dear friends.

I grow Galtonia in pots like many other bulbs and they have been spectacular this year.



I put some pots of Rudbekia in this border with the pots of Agapanthus and it has been quite colourful. I am reluctant to plant up too much as I need to finish weeding out ground elder again. Up to a few days ago this was spectacular with Perle D'zur in full flower but I was very slow getting the camera out and have missed many good shows.

This Hydrangea has put on a good show despite the hot dry weather, it has been quite a struggle keeping it watered adequately and a warning not to plant in full sun.

The Hoheria has been amazing and once again I missed photographing it at it's best. It has grown rapidly into a very large shrub and already I have pruned hard back reducing last autumn by about 1/3 so an amazing shrub but needs lots of space.

Viticella Blue Belles took several years to flower, it grows very vigorously and flowers rather later than many of my Viticella.

Vit. Royal Velours an interesting colour and unusually rounded petals.

At last the Box is recovering after a very hard prune this year rather late into the summer.

Cercis Canadensis Forest Pansy is doing well such a lovely shrub but does grow very large eventually.

How could I have missed photographing my Eucryphia when it was at it's best, now after the rain it is not looking so good and just a hint of Vit Soldertage hidden amongst it.

Cleome something I haven't tried growing before but every year I say I won't bother with annuals and then find something else to try. Perhaps next year I will not bother, they are so much hard work especially with watering and the beds are always so full.

Jackmanii grown years ago from a cutting and the original plant is no more.

Another Cleome still reserving judgement.

Seem to have a good crop of apples this year, I am sure the watering has helped.


Vit. Polish Spirit from a cutting.

Courgettes have done well but I keep forgetting to pick them and they end up as baby marrows.

Eat your heart out Ray Evison!
My clematis cuttings are just taking this is the really exciting part of gardening. I haven't taken clematis cuttings for a while except a couple last year which I got so excited about then left the lid off and the snails eat the lot. Reminder to me to put slug pellets out round them.
I think the above was Madam Julia Correvon.

I think the above is Josephine and the one below Polish Spirit and b---er me there is a snail in there and it's pitch dark so I can hardly rush down the garden please be a dead one.
Well it wasn't but it is now. I did creep down the garden with a torch and my dressing gown on and the little b--er had been munching away. So slug pellets tomorrow a must, goodness knows how they climb up there and get under those lids.



So who needs all Ray's sophisticated and scientific paraphernalia it's much more fun hands on.

The rose cuttings are not looking quite so promising but who knows maybe.

I have lots going on in the nursery partly because my daughter is about to move house and so I have been getting things going that she might like to have. If not I think a plant sale may be on the cards.

This seedling is from a seed, a Flamboyant tree Delonix regia It has been such fun germinating unusual seeds.

Onions waiting to be strung although they have been so small this year I suspect lack of water early on because I have watered well during the summer.

The shallots are as big as some of the onions.

Tomatoes are only just beginning to ripen but we should have a good crop.