Saturday 30 May 2020

Six on Saturday - 30 May 2020

It's very dry and hot for May, way too much. Primulas which I divided and moved to new place are struggling so much, that I need to shade them every day. I'm watering about everything, and it's becoming such a chore. But I accomplished a few things though over the week - I dug out tulips, and sorted them out, I am feeling I will have a very nice amount of bulbs for the autumn. Of course, some of the bulbs are on a smallish side - but that's fine, I'm happy to wait for them to develop for the next years.
Also I planted out the honeyworts. I pruned lilac. Planted out annual asters (or did I do it previous week??)

Anyways, time for Six on Saturday.
1. Bought some very cheap saxifragas at B&Q. Couldn't resist a bargain. Shame on me.
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2. Pratia is doing quite well second year in a row. I should lift it, divide it and multiply.
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3. That's my paeonias. I don't know the variety (as they were here before us) but the plant almost died when I was moving it out of the wrong place it was in, and it managed to come back, and this year we're finally having 6-7 buds and something to cut for the vase! It is definitely growing.
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4. Cistus. It's just this time of the year when this bush is in the spotlight and is pretty. I'm quite indifferent to it, to be honest.
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5. Sagina subulata aka Irish moss - I have one tiny clump, or - a patch of it. Somehow I find it hard to grow, this clump is not getting bigger, so I must be doing something wrong.
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6. And, to finish the things off - I think I'll post one of the few roses I have which I know the name of. 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale', a hybrid tea rose. Unfortunately the bush itself this year is not looking as good as before, I think I pruned it too hard. This year - very little pruning, I promise. But isn't it lovely, this gradient from paper white to pink?
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Saturday 23 May 2020

Propagation update

Wanted to show the progress on the sown plants and also cuttings.

Well, technically here is only one which is a cutting, a lavender. Now I need to find a good place for it.
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Night scented stock, sown this spring, just started blooming. Such a gorgeous smell in the evenings!
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Potentilla atrosanguinea and verbena bonariensis.
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Some of my ferns, I think. I always wanted to propagate them to get more plants (as I have a lot of shady weedy areas in needs of being planted) - but never saw any seedlings around them. Until I noticed them appearing in the pot with lavender cuttings, which stayed outside the whole winter. Maybe they liked the conditions in that pot, I don't know! Anyway, I'm quite glad with the whole thing.
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Cerinthe major, terribly needs to be planted out, soon.
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Rhubarb 'Victoria' - unfurling its new leaves. I have too many plants now...
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That's it. I need to make this sort of posts a regular :[

Another Saturday, another post

We have a long weekend, and I was waiting for it. If only all weekends could be long?!

My sixes this week. I'd call it today - 'what's in flower today in the garden'. Acutally more than six are in bloom now, but I chose these.

1. Pelargonium 'Chocolate', I bought it as an annual in garden centre (sigh) but I am going to save it to be a permanent resident, maybe make cuttings in autumn. Cause everything about it is lovely - bright peachy red colour, the form of flowers, the leaves.
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2. Campanula portenschlagiana. It grew up a bit now from a small plant I bought couple years ago.


3. Digitalis, it sows itself everywhere and I am just moving the seedlings into any free place then available. But I need to find a right permanent place for her, so maybe she'd start growing there instead of everywhere.
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4. Hesperis matronalis. Again, sows itself, it is short lived perennial. Lovely scent.
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5. Libertia grandiflora. Grows well but someone is eating its flower stems... I suspect snails, cause there are lot of them in this corner.
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6. And, three alliums in one photo! That's about all of my alliums actually, I'm not good at them apparently, I had quite a few, but now only one-two of each. A. cristophii, Purple Sensation and - OK, not really an allium - a nectaroscordum. I am thinking to collect seeds from these three and will try to multiply them to be in big numbers again.
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I have a lot of plans for this weekend, I need to plant out cerinthe, do some weeding, take out tulip bulbs from a raised bed, and sort them, mm, yummy.

Saturday 16 May 2020

Six on Saturday - 16th May 2020

Saturday is finally here. Here are my six:

1. Shropshire Lad, climbing variety. It's looking better that last year (must be 2-3 years old now) even though someone was munching on its new growth. Well.
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2. Geranium pratense 'Dark-or black-something'. Black beauty? Dark reiter? Doesn't look too dark to me, this seedling must have lost its sort qualities. Originally they are more purpled leaves than that. Still.
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3. It's a veigela time this week in the garden. Well, for quite a few weeks :) I think it is a 'Florida Variegata', seems like it. The shrub was here well before us.
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4. Also this one is in full bloom - evergreen azalea 'Olga Niblet'. I bought it this winter, and now have to make sure next spring it flowers at least half as this!
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5.Another azalea, this time decidious. I thinks 'Lutea'. Also bought this winter. No flowers in sight.
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6. Finally, this week this unknown self-sown aquilegia is flowering its socks off. This is one large clump. I have to remember to collect seeds from this quite vigorous and healthy plant (which is a rare sight in my garden).
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Saturday 9 May 2020

Six on Saturday - 9th May

I want to join the bandwagon and start doing 'Six on Saturdays' just because I immensely liked the blog of Propagator, the fact that it is very mush alive, consistent and it is just so cool to have like-minded people to follow. I am obsessed with plants and gardens too, so what not to like. My first Sixes from last Saturday!

1. Anemone silvestris and rhododenron 'Unknown'. Still, they have a lot in common.
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2. My wisteria, it is 6-7 years old and doing very good. But I have to prune it a bit once it finishes flowering.
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3. A patio-pond I keep in hopes for it to be home for at least some of the amphybians (frogs and toads alike) who hopefully will start munching on slugs. Wishful thinking, I know.
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4. Just part of the border I like - with primulas denticulata. I am going to separate and divide them again, to have even moar clumps next spring.
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5. Delospermas cooperii, these both varieties must like this location. Sunny side of the house under the roof - hence very dry conditions.
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6. Bugleweed & forget-me-nots. I started to like the combo, it is random but now I think I will encourage it more...
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Thursday 2 April 2020

Better late than never - a visit to Gravetye Manor in March.

Just maybe a week before the lockdown happened we were visiting Gravetye Manor. We booked it a while ago, and it seemed rude to cancel ! And it was a good decision overall - the stay was fantastic, we didn't catch anything, there was only a few guests and we enjoyed this visit enormously. I made lots of pictures, of course. Once this is all over we are going to visit again, to check how gardens behave in a different season.
And, on top of everything I've got a clematis 'Gravetye Beauty', it's c. texensis, so very similar I think to "Princess Diana"/"Princess Kate". The latter I already have, to +1 to collection.

 I did like this scenery and this whole little corner. Something very private and misterious about it. IMG_9432
This is the main view I think, it was impossible not to make this picture. IMG_9342
Good borders, and how clever to have magnolia hanging over it, losing its petals. IMG_9398
This is just... I need this plant now. IMG_9404
Clematis armandii 'Apple blossom'. I have a personal history with this clematis, I had variety 'Snowdrift' and it died eventually after couple of years. I think the place was bad. Or maybe I did something wrong. IMG_9412
Well, but now I'm determined to try again with c.armandii. IMG_9420
Overall - a musthave! IMG_9440

Tuesday 24 January 2017

Wintertime sadness

Some snow we were lucky to have this winter.
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A new blue fir I will be trying to plant in a front garden. The plan is to prune it regularly, and eventually if it grows too high - cut it down as a Christmas tree. Feeling a bit sorry for it already ;-(

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A future slightly-raised bed which is going to be my main garden project this summer. Used untreated oak slippers (since I am planning to be as organic as possible) and it took some time to locate it so that it looks horizontally-OK from the 2nd floor windows. Oh, and I have to prune roses on a foreground.. *sigh*

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And looking forward for a weekend, as usual. Hopefully it is going to be warmer this time? I have two bushes to plant and a bed to fill.