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WINTER INTEREST
.. berries
.. grasses
.. seedheads
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Showing posts with label shrubs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shrubs. Show all posts
30/06/2011
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RAIN STOPS PLAY IN JUNE
Would you believe at the end of May I was praying for rain?
Well my prayer was pretty much answered. After an exceptionally dry month in May, June has seen its fair share of heavy showers, with hail and a cracking good thunderstorm thrown in.
The garden's enjoyed endless soakings, and the water-butts are full.
Pretty yellow Lysamachia above (my Dad calls it Bombsite 'cos as a kid he remembers it growing on unused and neglected spaces).
A beautiful bronze Comma butterfly perching on Euphorbia seed-heads.
With a list of to-do jobs as long as your arm, this kind of weather can seriously hold you up.
With much to do and limited time, you begin to wonder whether you're ever going to get anything done?
Panic!
It's only by having time off work, and a spell of fine weather, I've been able to make some kind of headway.
There's been a lot of cutting back to do of early Summer perennials, to make room for annuals like Cosmos, Cerinthe and Calendula, which I've grown from seed.
Whatever size garden you have, there's never enough space!
I wouldn't say no to a few more day lilies, like the one above.
Here's that Comma again, this time on the seaside-loving shrub Escallonia.
I've also noticed a rather handsome pair of Red Admirals taking nectar from Giant Scabious, and big hairy caterpillars that I've yet to identify?
There's a rather cute pair of baby blackbirds around too, getting pretty tubby with their endless feasting on Amelanchier berries, and sultanas!
I love my garden, and all those who love it too.
o
06/06/2011
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MAY
There's always so much to do in my garden in May.
At this time of year I could do with an under-gardener!
All these beautiful blooms are now over for another year.
Blue Veronica and Helichrysum - white Rhododendron and purple Iris - white Iris and pink Poppy.
Thank goodness I found a little time here and there just to relax, take photos ...
and admire the fruits of my labour.
o
01/05/2011
21/04/2011
28/03/2011
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SUMMER AND SOWING
This weekend the clocks go forward, and for us gardeners is the best time of the year because it means that at last the light has caught up with all our instincts to get out there and garden for as long as possible - Monty Don on Gardener's World.
How right you are Mr Don, and contrary to an earlier post I have been enjoying the gardening coming from your very large patch at Longmeadow.
I know I am going to be envious of your Dahlias come Autumn!
For well over a week now the UK has been basking in the most glorious sunshine, and today has been no exception and an excellent day for making a start on seed sowing - Beetroot, Tomato, Sweet Pea, Nasturtium, Calendula, and Morning Glory.
The seeds I ordered from Thompson and Morgan arrived yesterday, just in time for the weekend - Runner Bean Lady Di, Beetroot Kestrel, Tomato Vilma, Nasturtium climbing mixed and Patty Pan mixed with Cerinthe major Purpurascens to follow.
I also cut back and tidied foliage around the garden, and potted up cuttings from Coreopsis and Scabious - a simple and cost effective way of increasing stocks of perennial plants.
I love the colours of lemon and lime together, inside and outside.
Looking positively zingy and zesty in the sunshine have been the colourful blooms of the Mahonia and bracts of the Euphorbia.
Two seven-spot Ladybirds and butterflies of all colours have been emerging into the sunshine, a Comma, Holly Blue and Small White.
Also visiting, a pair of Goldcrests and the welcome return of Greenfinches to the garden.
14/02/2011
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WINTER JASMINE
A pretty shrub to brighten up the garden in the bleak of midwinter is Jasminum nudiflorum, commonly known as Winter Jasmine.
You may well think it ordinary, but do you know of the interesting history it has?
More often than not these days I find myself snapping away with the camera, when I really should be gardening!
I like the blurry effect these two photos have taken on.
You could compare the yellowness of the Jasmine to a Summer's day - William Shakespeare Sonnet 18.
Happy St Valentines Day!
o
14/05/2010
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EXBURY GARDENS
Just sharing with you a few photos from our day out on Tuesday to Exbury Gardens in Hampshire.
Rhododendron
Azalea
Choisya - Mexican Orange Blossom
Rhododendron
Exbury Gardens is world-famous for the Rothschild collection of Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Camellias, rare trees and plants.
o
24/04/2010
28/04/2009
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BERBERIS
Berberis thunbergii atropurpurea loses its leaves in winter but looks amazing at this time of year with its coat of attractive purple/green leaves and delicate yellow umbels.
A year or so back we gave this shrub a severe prune, but has returned to reign supreme!
This prickly shrub provides berries for birds through autumn to winter and makes great ground cover and a safe nesting site too. Bees will be attracted to the flowers.
A good value for money shrub which will provide interest in the garden all year round. Does need a prune once in a while to keep at a desired height and a good shape.
u
08/08/2008
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BUDDLEIA
The Butterfly Bush, a very much maligned and misunderstood deciduous shrub. Why, because it effortlessly self seeds on development land and derelict sites, through cracks and bricks in buildings, and along our railway lines and sidings.
A thug to some perhaps, but contrary to belief the form of Buddleia I have in my garden is no problem at all, and its dark pink flowers on arching stems are a welcome edition to any garden in late summer.
Every year, an established bush will need a hard cut back to 3 or 4 buds in early Spring.
Named after the Reverend Adam Buddle (1660-1715), the nectar rich flower spikes are loved by butterflies and other insects.
Silhouettes of a Comma and Red Admiral butterfly, or two fairies, you decide?
29/04/2008
my photo
EUONYMUS FORTUNEI
I cannot declare to being a huge fan of this shrub, but we inherited quite a lot when we moved here. Although at this time of year the colours of the variagation do look good together. It is important to remember with any variagated foliage shrub to cut out any stems which revert back to plain green.
28/04/2008
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KERRIA
This double-flowered variety of Kerria (Japonica Pleniflora) is also known as Bachelor's Buttons, Jew's Mallow and Japanese Rose. A really pretty shrub to have around the garden at this time of year. I really like the combination of the 'custard powder' yellow of the blooms against the lime green of the leaves.
It will grow just about anywhere and if left to its own devices can reach up to 6ft tall. It will also spread by suckers which grow from its creeping underground root system. A plant which is best kept in check by pruning out all the old flowering stems.
William Kerr a protégé of Sir Joseph Banks, the famous 18th-century naturalist and plant collector, bought this particular variety back from China in 1804. By 1838 it was so common it was to be found in the gardens of labourers cottages!
This post is for my blogpal Daffy from Approaching 40, she has a delightful specimen in her garden too!
07/04/2008
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PIERIS
Today the weather is a welcome improvement on yesterday, a mixture of sunshine, blue sky and marshmallow clouds, intermittently being overcast by huge threatening black clouds bringing with them sleet/hailstone showers. I took the photo of the fiery red growth on this Pieris 'forest flame' this afternoon whilst the sun was still out.
An evergreen shrub which I have growing in a pot, placed in partial shade. It likes an acid PH and has white flowers in Spring.
The photo below was taken yesterday, and look at the depth of snow on the bench. Now we don't often see this!
06/04/2008
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SNOW
Correct me if I am wrong, but I think this is the first snowfall we have had this year in West Sussex? It is quite an unusual sight these days, and by lunchtime the ground had become blanketed in the white stuff and some quite deep drifts had formed in parts of the garden. By mid afternoon with the temperature rising, the snow quickly began to turn to slush.
I had to be quick to catch a photo of the weight of the snow on the white blossom of the Amelanchier which is also known as Snowy Mespilus.
28/03/2008
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BERBERIS DARWINII
Also known as Barberry, this evergreen shrub was discovered in South America by Charles Darwin in 1835. If you want colour in your garden at this time of year, this is the shrub to have. It bears masses of small clusters of the brightest orange of flowers, and very often has a second flush in the Autumn.
Mine stands alone, but used as a full hedge its thorniness is a great deterrent, adding security to the garden. It requires careful pruning, as it has spiny holly-like leaves which will tear your hands to shreds if you are not wearing thick leather gardening gloves. This is one occasion when I do wear gloves, people who know me know that I would rather get dirt up my fingernails, although saying that, those latex disposable gloves come in handy for various tasks around the garden!
A great use for the prunings, is to lay them over your freshly dug over beds to keep the neighbours' cats off, don't get me wrong, I love cats, but my garden is not to be used as a WC for all and sundry!
01/01/2008
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WINTER JASMINE - Modesty, Grace, Elegance
What a relief, Winter Jasmine has won my December poll receiving seven votes, equating to 50%! I am only relieved because I have this in my garden and I don't have Daphne which came a very close second, sorry Daphne, maybe one for the future?
Introduced from China in 1844, Winter Jasmine bears sunshine yellow flowers on bare stems.
Nearby neighbours have got the most marvellous display of this at the front of their home, theirs facing west, my dad (his facing south) and stepdad (his facing north) also have lovely specimens, so you can see will tolerate any aspect you may have. A few years back my dad gave me some good size rooted cuttings of his, two of which have taken around my garden, one of which needs a really good prune for next year, some of you may already know that me and pruning just don't go together!
I always go into raptures when people talk of Winter Jasmine, I just think it is so lovely, I suppose because it always adds such welcome colour to a garden, which at this time of year is sometimes shrouded in such dreary cloud, like today for instance.
In second place came Daphne with six votes, Clematis Cirrhosa with one vote, and Sarcacocca with no votes (is this because not many of us really know what this winter beauty is?). Judith from Everything in the Garden's Rosy reminded me of the beauty of Witch Hazel (Hamamelis), certainly another welcome addition to any garden at this time of year.
Michelle from Veg Plotting has also reminded me of Viburnum Bodnatense Dawn, which I do know of and love, and Winter Honeysuckle, which I have definitely got on my shopping list for Winter 2008!
14/10/2007
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AMELANCHIER SNOWY MESPILUS
The weather today has been lovely, take a look at that blue sky in the photo, and I spent about 5 hours outside in the garden, with quite a few tea breaks thrown in! I have accumulated debris enough for another trip to the tip, I do compost a lot of my garden rubbish, but I can only do so much.
Gardening should really be done in blinkers. Its distractions are tempting and persistent, and only by stern exercise of will do I ever finish one job without being lured off to another.
Richardson Wright
Amelanchier can be used as a shrub but ours has been left to develop into a small multi-stemmed tree. In Spring it has white flowers before these turn into berries, ripening from red to purple-black. The leaves change various shades of colour during the year until Autumn when they have this beautiful bronze leaf colour, it is deciduous but the bark gives character to the garden in wintertime. The blackbirds and starlings love the berries, adults and juveniles alike.
04/10/2007
my photo
HYDRANGEA - Thank you for understanding, Boastfulness, Heartlessness
At this time of year in my garden the hydrangea looks at its best, it seems to thrive with neglect, as it grows in the driest patch of ground and never gets watered, it lives on rain water alone, which I suppose this year it has had rather a lot of.
In most species the flowers are white, but in some species (notably H. macrophylla), can be blue, red, pink, or purple. In these species the exact colour often depends on the pH of the soil; acidic soils produce blue flowers, neutral soils produce very pale cream petals, and alkaline soils results in pink or purple.
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