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10/08/2008


my photos

BACK TO BLACK

If left unchecked, the garden will quite happily revert back to nature. One problem is bramble, and every so often it has to be cut back. I wait for some fruit before it has to go.



Not many blackcurrants this year? It may be down to moving the plant last year, or not pruning?



Ajuga reptans. Use this plant for ground cover in a semi-shaded area.



Scabious (Chilli Black). Flowers on with regular deadheading. Plants easily take from cuttings.



Ophiopogon (Black Grass). A great plant to use in a black planting scheme.

12 comments:

Simone said...

My OH is itching to cut back the brambles in the garden but I wont let him until the fruits are finished. The black scabious looks really unusual and I bet is stunning against either a lime green or white plant. I also like the Black Grass. You have some lovely specimans Louise!

Amanda and Tim said...

T and I have our beady little eyes on the feast of Blackberries that are beginning to turn on the common near where we live. Every evening when we take a walk we judge how long it will be before we need to nip along with a basket to reap the harvest and the great thing is there are SO MANY on this common that even if we filled a dozen baskets there would still be enough left for everybody else *sighs*

We also made blackcurrant jam a few weeks ago with the blackcurrants from my parents garden *yum* we managed to get 3 jars full - it was a good year for them in my dad's garden.

sheila said...

Now why does your black grass look so good, while mine is languishing? I need to attend to mine - it looks terrible. Lovely shots, Louise, and thanks for the birthday wishes. I'll be glad to get back home, I think. All this fun is exhausting.

Suzanne said...

That top photo has wow factor. I love it as the black shiny fruits are so clear and contrast beautifully with the green. Not sure this make sense but I just want to reach out and touch that plant.

Anonymous said...

As regards your previous post, I think buddleia is quite wonderful.
It reminds me of my childhood - that amazing smell and my children's childhoods.
We always had 'butterfly bushes' both in Essex, England and Long Island NY.
I gave my son and daughter in law one for their new garden in Upstate NY.
A totally foolproof shrub for beginners!
I do enjoy your blog.

Marie said...

Lovely black photos. Last night I dreamed about massive, intensive greenroofs somewhere, and one was planted entirely with ophiopogon and something lime green... It's a little iffy here if it's exposed. Your scabious is gorgeous. Wow. Blackberries and currants make me think of Peter Rabbit, Sam Pig and crew....

Christy Amular said...

Those black currants look so inviting!

I like to enjoy the organic ramble of nature for as long as I could. Nature seems to have its own idea of what order should be. The wonderful thing about gardens is that nature teaches us how to integrate those wild and tame aspects of life.

Happy gardening!

Glo said...

A most delightful post! I had my first taste of this year's blackberries yesterday by way of a fresh blackberry pie...succulency!

A great and unusual idea to focus on "black" in a garden...

Crafty Green Poet said...

we have a real problem with bramble, the path was recently so overgrown (we've only just got access to our backgreen as i think you know from reading my blog) that I had to be quite severe cutting back the bramble, but I'm not cutting back any more until we've harvested the fruit...)

Rhondi said...

Hi Louise.
What great photos of black in plants.I like your idea of filling in spaces with terra cotta pots.
Hugs, Rhondi

Gina said...

Beautiful tones of black/red/purples!
Our blackcurrants have been pitiful..think it's the pruning.. apparently they have special requirements (quite different to the red currant..which go crazy here)..lovely ajuga and scabious (must get some of that) and the black grass is very striking! Gx

Lavinia said...

Nice purple/black colour theme. Those berries look yummy...would go great with some sugar and cream...