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..Notes from a... Garden..
Not roses, well maybe just 1.. this is a random maelstrom of photos from the last 10 years or so, of plants I've grown here, short or long term. Some photos are old and a little dark. This is aimed mainly at those new to gardening who might see a plant or two they like. I'd be happy with that.
I have enough photos I think for about a month, by which time it'll be almost Spring.
This is a list of my favourite plants, I don't have photos of them all, if anyone has those highlighted in bold, in their own garden, I'd love to see a picture. I've grown them all at one time or another..
Rhododendron loderi 'King George'.. Arbutus unedo 'Rubra'.. Ribes odoratum.. Ribes gordonianum.. Stipa gigantea.. Pittosporum 'Warnham Gold'.. Euphorbia mellifera.. Camellia 'J.C. Williams'.. Cotinus 'Grace'.. Miscanthus 'Punktchen'.. Schizophragma integrifolium.. Ceanothus 'Gloire de Versailles'.. Cornus kousa 'Chinensis'..
Rose 'Kew Gardens'.. Daphne 'Jacqueline Postill'..
If you had a garden with all of those, I'm afraid I would have to come and build a little house in the middle of it..
photos to follow..
photos to follow..
East Anglia, England
13
Posts
Daphne bholua 'Jacqueline Postill'.. 3 months of glorious scent, Jan-Apr, evergreen, from a small plant about 8 x 4 foot after 6 years or so.. reaching 10x6 or 12x8 with time..
Foliage is likely better on acid soil, and snails will live amongst the branches and eat holes in the leaves. Impervious to snow and frosts here in East Anglia..
Clematis 'Minuet'.. rampant but rather pretty..
Ranunculus 'Brazen Hussy'.. it's taken some 10 years to get rid of this 'weed'.. take my advice and leave it on the shelf, beautiful though it is.
Phlox 'Chattahoochee'.. this is a stunning Phlox but if you can keep it longer than one season, then you're a better gardener than I am..
Ribes odoratum.. why people plant Forsythia when they can have this?.. strong scent of cloves, quite delicious, flowers in April.. very hardy from the American West..
..rich autumn colour..
..during summer, a Clematis through it prolongs the season..
..more to follow..
I have clematis Minuet, bought from Peter Beales.
Euphorbia mellifera .. grows huge in a sheltered spot, but quite hardy.. honey scented flowers, a quite beautiful and stunning evergreen, giving a sub tropical effect..
Pulmonaria 'Benediction' I find a satisfying deep blue..
Chiastophyllum oppositifolium.. an unusual succulent for shade rather than full sun..
Helianthemum 'Wisley Primrose'.. long flowering and quite spectacular I think..
Geranium cinereum 'subcaulescens'.. a charming little plant, flowers for weeks..
You definitely are a better gardener than me.. I have successfully killed my Daphne Transatlantica Twice..
I grew R Brazen Hussey in my old garden and it was certainly a love /hate situation it likes a retentive soil.
I also have two plants of H Wisley Primrose that were a £1.00 each so plan to give them a go to see if they can cope in a hot spot in my new garden.
You grow such a vast group of plants from those that love acid soil to roses and also plants that need sharpe drainage. Of the plants that you would like photos of sadly few would survive here. We do have 'pockets' of acid soil locally but due to drier summers Rhododendrons are less likely to be seen now.
Arbutus like a soil that is slightly acid and you do see them here but rarely mature plant Over time they can become untidy due to cold winds.
I have grown Ribes Speciosum inthe driest spot I could find but after two attempts gave up just too wet in the winter. Various pittosporum are available at the local garden centres but the dark leaved forms are more tender and it is unlikely that any will ever flower. However with difficult growing conditions sometimes a plant with just lovely leaves is welcome.
I think Schizophragma grows on a wall at Hidcote a stunning plant, not sure why we don't see it more here H petolaris however is very popular. Miscanthus Punktchen is new to me looks like a lovely grass for a small/medium size garden.
Here in the Midlands conditions are very different heavy clay that is saturated is what I am personally dealing with at present. Plants that survive and are hardy are top of the list.With a possible dry summer that will bring more challenges.
I look forward to seeing your photos over the coming weeks as I am looking for great ideas. Suze
Yes Gardener Suze, the soil is mostly good, but the frontage is gravel and rocks, forming a straight 60 feet, and for this I enjoy low shrubs with a rounded habit..
Some of my favourites I listed, I grew in gardens on the south coast, and Cornwall..
..front garden in May..
Cornus kousa 'Chinensis'.. autumn colours.. a narrow upright tree at first, spreading with age, flowers in summer.
Clematis alpina 'Francis Rivis'.. with macropetala 'Markham's Pink'..
Everyone has aubrietas, but I do like this particular variety 'Hamburger Stadtpark'.. compact and just the right colour for me..
Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Inverleith'.. a compact selection with usual pink flowers..
Lonicera 'Red Gables'.. I found this to be a better selection of the usual Serotina/Belgica types.. strongly scented at most times with large flowers.. long season..
Rhodanthemum hosmariense 'Casablanca'.. flowers most of the year and quite hardy here..
Helianthemum 'The Bride'.. indispensable for dry gravel gardens..
Slimline conifers I find especially good.. these are Thuja 'Degroot's Spire' in front, which I like to use as end stops, and back is the steely blue Chamaecyparis 'Van Pelt's Blue', very useful for small gardens, for its narrow habit, moderate growth, compact form.. bleak midwinter photo taken yesterday..
..more later..
Luxembourg