Thursday 23 December 2021

CHRISTMAS WISHES FROM JOANNE'S COTTAGE GARDEN


HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND ALL THE VERY BEST FOR 2022

2021 didn't start very well for me. I was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast cancer early in January, had a mastectomy early February and started Chemo therapy in April ending in June - Urgh! the chemo totally wiped me out.

Mike did a wonderful job in the garden which I was unable to tend to for many months and he's done a wonderful job this Autumn tidying up for the Winter.


So here are some photos to give winter cheer.



Thankfully I was well enough to plant the Dahlias out and although we lost some of the large flowering ones in the late very cold spring in the cold greenhouse, most survived.


We really struggled with our hanging baskets, all the plants we bought on line were awful, most died but thankfully our daughter Rebecca managed to buy a second lot from the garden centre in Chessington. I particularly like to use Surfinia Petunias because they flower so well. 

Mike takes particular care of the hanging baskets and tidying the front garden - I think he just enjoys the excuse to chat with the neighbours.





This is the first year I have grown these large begonia from tubers bought on line. They performed very well so fingers crossed they survive storage for next year.

This lovely bench was given to us by our next door neighbours as the wood was rotten. Mike bought new wood and restored it. It makes a useful seating place especially with family visits outside, due to health concerns. This was the first of several restorations.





In the bottom left of the photo you will see a small section of edging tiles which we were given from our daughter Rachel's garden. They are lovely and Mike painstakingly put them in around the sides of the front garden.





A birds eye view of the front bed with the white Phlox making a good display. Many years ago they were pink as can be seen in blog posts years ago. Very strange how they have reverted to white.



These lovely Galtonia Candicans I have grown in pots for a few years but decided to bring the pots into the front garden, they were much admired by passers by.



I got Mike to bring the evergreen Agapanthus, which are large flowering varieties to place in the front bed. They add another dimension to the riot of colour.






Clematis Vitacella Etoile Violette still doing well. I have lost most of the other clematis from the front garden down to just three these days.


I tried some Hollyhocks from seed I collected from a local garden, although affected by rust they were lovely flowers.


I often forget to post photos of the Agapanthus, which look lovely surrounding the grass in the back garden. Thanks to a kind neighbour giving us a table another bench and chair and Mike's restoration we have a lovely seating area for when family come to visit.




This lovely evergreen Eucryphia is always worth celebrating.





Cuttings from Hydranga always look nice in pots when they start to flower often in their first or second year.





Not a very good photo but this is another Eucryphia  Pink Cloud, it is a smaller tree and such a delight well worth growing even in small gardens.


Despite my bad start to the year I have had a ball with my new hobby of spinning and weaving which you can see on my other blog 
https://orangecottagescrafts.blogspot.com/ 

MAKE THE MOST OF EACH DAY AS IT COMES XXX

 

Thursday 15 July 2021

MY JUNE GARDEN



A view up the garden from the bottom steps next to the greenhouse.
Cottage rose on the left.


White Francine Austin. Catmint is Six Hills Giant lots of cuttings taken from the first two plants I bought. This is just the start of flowering.



Cottage rose with Cornelia in the next bed then Cecile Brunner. The bamboo canes are for the runner and climbing beans.



Now a view down the garden and sorry about the hose pipe and weeds I wasn't up to setting the scene.



A better view of Cornelia.



One of my favourite roses Rosa Mundi.



William Shakespeare has the most heavenly scent.



Francine Asustin



Francis E Leicester always difficult to photograph, I never do it justice.



Mayor of Casterbridge with Geranium Magnificum



A view across the garden looking south.



Sweet Juliet 



Blush Rambler



Crocus Rose



This is in the garden surrounding the grass. A new rose St Swithun.



Princess Alexandra of Kent sent to me by a dear friend Katrina .



England's Rose has flowered really well this year. 


I am very belated in posting this but since recovering from chemo life has been very busy, although not a lot of energy for much gardening, I have been catching up on my new hobby of spinning wool.
See my other blog https://orangecottagescrafts.blogspot.com/


 

Sunday 20 June 2021

Front garden flowers


Gertrude Jekyll Rose started flowering before most of my other roses and came out a very cerise pink.



A lovely cistus which tends to be lower growing and was in the garden when we moved here 40 years ago, this is one of many cuttings.



White rose Francine Austin with Jayne Austin peach just starting to flower and bright pink cerise cystus in the foreground. The red rose is a cutting from Nanny's rose.



Francine Austin is magnificent this year.




A later photo of Gertrude Jekyll now the flowers are much paler but then we had days of strong sun.



 The perennial red poppy with the first rose  of Sophie's rose red outside the window.


It has been my pleasure to watch the plants in the front garden come into bloom.


I was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast cancer in January followed by a mastectomy and then four rounds of Chemotherapy. The chemo has been horrendous so I have been unable to do anything in the garden and Mike is doing a wonderful job of taking care of things. My last chemo was just over a week ago so it will be at least another week before I start to improve.

IRIS AT ORANGE COTTAGES


Lovely white Iris Immortality





The Blue Iris I have grown for some years but have spread around the front garden and last year ordered three white Iris only Immortality flowered but hopefully the other two Ice Dancer will flower next year. The beauty of Iris is their early flowering and not being destroyed by slugs and snails.