Most of my S's covered above, but here's one I like. Stachys Byzantina, I like this also mostly for it's grey foliage. Great with whites & yellows. Here with Vanessa Bell
I love Stachys, especially the usually non flowering form known as 'Silver Carpet'. I used to have it on a length of border, as it gently spreads along as ground cover..
I notice you have a nice Veronica there below your Sisyrinchiums, didyw..
@Wildlifelover .. my gravel areas were done by the previous owner, I just keep them going as best I can, so I garden accordingly. I have a Dry Garden border which works as a gravel garden, but I can no longer keep it that way so the gravel works into the soil, it's more of a gravelly garden, than a Gravel Garden as such.. my days of humping bags of gravel around are long gone I'm afraid..
You can gravel mulch a plant to protect from excess moisture, but if you want to use manure or compost mulch, then yes you would have to remove the gravel and then reapply it. I doubt it would deter blackbirds though, unless applied very thickly.
You might want to start a thread on the subject for more general advice..
R's to V pictures . Unfortunately I can't find or don't have any pictures of some of my plants in flower like my Rodgersia - sedums - Trollius - Thalictrum Anne , I didn't take as many photo's last year .
Rudbeckia Herbstone , obviously a large plant took a good 2-3 years to establish slugs/snails wouldn't leave it alone .
Rudbeckia Goldstrum with Aster Monch
Salvia caradonna . I do have another just like this but lilac called Serenade sorry picture though bought last year.
I have a few Sanguisorba and this is my favourite Lilac Squirrel , a veronica grown from seed it were called blue flame . I fell out with veronica's they tend to spend most of there time on the floor for me , I do like the looks of Veronica . L . Mariette its a really nice intense blue .
Sanguisorba Scapanio with Veronicastrum Diane . Diane is the only true pure white Veronicastrum I believe Album is slightly pink , its much less vigorous and slow to establish so multiple plants are required compared to Fascination which are make a large clump in no time . Sanguisorba Martins mulberry . I do have another called Stand up Comedian its got great foliage ( they all have really ) but the flowers are a bit disappointing.
Saliva Verticillata Endless Love flowers for ages when it starts , I bought Smouldering Torches for the front garden along with Salvia nemorosa Amethyst
Selinium . Wallichanium nice foliage tends to flop for me , moved to the front garden last autumn .
Veronicastrum Fascination great plant always look forward to it , as you probably know it gets it name from it flowers regularly fascinating, they should be spikes but some come out flat or split multiples etc. I do have Veronciastrum Pink Glow but no pictures , I'd like to have more Veronciastrums .
Think I'll add the Saxifrage rubrifolia ( and a few others ) not normally a plant species I look at.
I've had primula millers crimson before @Marlorena I were disappointed with it comparing it to Pulverulenta . Love the badger picture @VictorMeldrew one nearly ran into me last year walking home thought it were a dog at first didn't half make me jump .
A thoroughly inspirational and informative thread, with that lovely crescendo from @Perki 's fabulous garden. Thanks to Marlorena for starting it and everyone who contributed, and how wondeful to think of the many hundreds of gardeners who view the forum 'silently', seeing this thread and gaining so much from sharing the friendly and knowledgeable posts.
How wonderful to think of the many hundreds of gardeners who view the forum 'silently', seeing this thread and gaining so much from sharing the friendly and knowledgeable posts.
Amen. The huge majority of readers will never say a word on the forum. It has had over 10, 000 views already - in two weeks. Threads like this - clearly titled and staying on subject - can offer insight and resource to thousands of people globally for decades.
I've been looking every day. My garden is so new, not many photos to show you, bare beds with tiny plants.
I'll be with OH in his Norfolk cottage next week, maybe a few photos to take there, but I replanted most of that garden in the last couple of years, it's main plants were yellow Lamium, Geranium Phaeum and ground elder!
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
Posts
Stachys Byzantina,
I like this also mostly for it's grey foliage.
Great with whites & yellows.
Here with Vanessa Bell
Sisyrinchium - I love its soft yellow.
I notice you have a nice Veronica there below your Sisyrinchiums, didyw..
.. my gravel areas were done by the previous owner, I just keep them going as best I can, so I garden accordingly. I have a Dry Garden border which works as a gravel garden, but I can no longer keep it that way so the gravel works into the soil, it's more of a gravelly garden, than a Gravel Garden as such.. my days of humping bags of gravel around are long gone I'm afraid..
You can gravel mulch a plant to protect from excess moisture, but if you want to use manure or compost mulch, then yes you would have to remove the gravel and then reapply it. I doubt it would deter blackbirds though, unless applied very thickly.
You might want to start a thread on the subject for more general advice..
Rudbeckia Herbstone , obviously a large plant took a good 2-3 years to establish slugs/snails wouldn't leave it alone .
Rudbeckia Goldstrum with Aster Monch
Salvia caradonna . I do have another just like this but lilac called Serenade sorry picture though bought last year.
I have a few Sanguisorba and this is my favourite Lilac Squirrel , a veronica grown from seed it were called blue flame . I fell out with veronica's they tend to spend most of there time on the floor for me , I do like the looks of Veronica . L . Mariette its a really nice intense blue .
Sanguisorba Scapanio with Veronicastrum Diane . Diane is the only true pure white Veronicastrum I believe Album is slightly pink , its much less vigorous and slow to establish so multiple plants are required compared to Fascination which are make a large clump in no time .
Sanguisorba Martins mulberry . I do have another called Stand up Comedian its got great foliage ( they all have really ) but the flowers are a bit disappointing.
Saliva Verticillata Endless Love flowers for ages when it starts , I bought Smouldering Torches for the front garden along with Salvia nemorosa Amethyst
Selinium . Wallichanium nice foliage tends to flop for me , moved to the front garden last autumn .
Veronicastrum Fascination great plant always look forward to it , as you probably know it gets it name from it flowers regularly fascinating, they should be spikes but some come out flat or split multiples etc. I do have Veronciastrum Pink Glow but no pictures , I'd like to have more Veronciastrums .
Think I'll add the Saxifrage rubrifolia ( and a few others
I've had primula millers crimson before @Marlorena I were disappointed with it comparing it to Pulverulenta . Love the badger picture @VictorMeldrew one nearly ran into me last year walking home thought it were a dog at first didn't half make me jump .
..fabulous pics, you have a wealth of wonderful perennials, and I like the way you've got Crocosmia 'Lucifer' edging in there on the left..
...thanks to everyone for their contributions, plants I've barely heard of highlighted here, which has been great to see, and so inspirational..
Amen. The huge majority of readers will never say a word on the forum. It has had over 10, 000 views already - in two weeks. Threads like this - clearly titled and staying on subject - can offer insight and resource to thousands of people globally for decades.
My garden is so new, not many photos to show you, bare beds with tiny plants.
I'll be with OH in his Norfolk cottage next week, maybe a few photos to take there, but I replanted most of that garden in the last couple of years, it's main plants were yellow Lamium, Geranium Phaeum and ground elder!