Hi Verdun. Glad the "Slug Hunt" works for you - I always got good results and apart from that a look at what else is going on by torchlight is often an eyeopener. Ref that Salvia it is I feel sure Salvia sclarea and I have had them in the garden for ages, biennial I think but self sows and that is how I have kept it going though always leaving it to its own devises. Most handsome plant but does "pong" a bit strongly if bruised or even brushed against. Well a little jest comparison could be - so do Pigs at times but I love a bacon sandwich. I will certainly look into grass thing, sounds good. I have often read of many of them and as i said do grow a few. IThink I am correct in identifying one that was growing on the "spare plot" when we came here - think its called Carex pendula - largish - 3ft tall and broadly round, very nice pendulous grass sprays going outwards and round. _ you perhaps will identify it for me or put me right - could send a pic if necessary. Have a good w/e if I dont see you again meantime.
Hi. Verdun. When I had grass I always enjoyed it - at the first two properties where although dry still it was at least sound. This here is really awful but it is green and the missus insists on keeping it so fair enough - I do my best with it. I never found mowing a chore, just taking the mower for a walk as I said before - that smell and some nice stripes was a bonus as you say.
Hi Verdun. Something I forgot to say ref these being the longest posts ever - I am wondering if I am going to be told of by the mod/admin. Hope not cos I do like a natter to like minded folk and love to sing the whole song ..
...nice picture of the bee... can't make out the flower... is it real?
no need to worry about the posts... we live in an age of 'text speak'... I'm not sure many people read much beyond 3 or 4 lines... pictures tend to speak a thousand words wouldn't you say..? just carry on as you normally do Keen 1... there's nothing worse than something cramping one's style... let it rip...!
Pennisetum's I think, are plants that really do look better with hard landscaping which we've all been talking about... to me they don't look right cascading down into soil.... Villosum in particular is quite heavy and droops... all these look best - to me - flowing over some low wall...paving..shingle and suchlike... that's how I prefer them....
Pennisetum setaceum has not proved hardy for me, even when I gardened on the south coast... a disappointing plant...that promised so much...
'Hameln' I wasn't that keen on...think one or two others forget the names...
talking of latin, shall we have our lesson for today?....
Phlox divaricata subsp. laphamii 'Chattahoochee' - it just rolls off the tongue...
and a whopper for such a dainty little plant...shown here... not so good so far this year.. I've had it bigger...
...the Salvia's I like are the tender sub-shrubs that I know as Salvia grahamii or Salvia Microphylla... usually red flowers all summer.. on attractive little bushes that can grow quite large if they over winter.... I do love these very much...
...probably... east facing..heavy clay... it wasn't the best for these types of grasses... I think it was too rich too actually... I have different ground now for such things...
incidentally, this will have to wait as I'm busy tomorrow... but I have a grass in my garden, and I like it very much, but I'm pretty sure it's another case of wrong labelling... I bought it as Festuca glauca Elijah Blue... but I'm pretty sure it isn't this one... I've grown Helictrotrichon before and wasn't keen on it.. I hope it's not one of these.. to me the foliage does not look the same... and Helictrotrichons grow a good size if I remember... the foliage here is quite compact.. but the flower stems are not stiffly upright as I think they should be for E. Blue... they cascade and wave about... quite attractively I must say..
...if I post a photo tomorrow evening perhaps you could tell me what it is... thank you...
Hi Salino - Verdun. Gosh I am having a bad night hence this early morning stuff - just cannot settle - mind full of thoughts of all kinds. Ref my posts I was getting the feeling that perhaps they were a bit too long and I am overdoing it - however, with your reassurances I shall press on. My little attempt at a joke ref the tennis fell flat on its face so I shall concentrate on rattling whats left of my grey matter and concentrate on gardens/plants. Salino ref the pic of the Bee it is enjoying itself on a plant of Astrantia - the fine threads/strands across the pic is Fennel. I love this plant for its fine foliage and also its another to crush and smell - growing in "the hot corner" nearby is a Curry plant and this also only needs to be brushed against to get a good whiff. Speaking of Bees it seems to be a good year for them hereabouts, Bumbles (all sizes) anyway though theres few Honeys. Thinking along the same lines brings me to Butterflys and their "special" plants, the Sedum spectabiles and the Buddleias which are coming along nicely. Never grew Pennisetums and not really familiar but they sound nice. That little Phlox "chatahoochee" I did actually grow along with others similar in a previous garden - still have a similar Phlox now growing in the raised bed I made up for small Alpines. That full name really is a whopper but my favourites I have are Scopolia carniolica hladnikiana and Ophiopogon Planiscapus nigrescens. I am thinking of adding to recent comment re plants lost and noting some that I had to leave behind in the two moves I have made over the 58 yrs - they will be known to you and others but anything to stimulate conversation. Verdun. Ref your love ( and knowledge) of grasses I note the Helictotrichon and the Festucas you mention and have grown these but the first always ( in my plot) seemed to be untidy and never came up to the blue that it was said to have - no doubt at all it was my fault ( as it usually is ours if something goes wrong with plants) - the Festucas always seemed to be full of Ants nests so I gave up on them - I did mention I have had dry and even drier now areas all the way along my gardening days. Ref the Carex pendula ( if I have it right) it is a big coarse thing but ideally suited, along with the large clumps of Rhubarb ( love that beefy foliage and red stems) for growing on that "woodsy" strip of land next the woods I use - it is now mainly these sort of things plus a mix of shrubs including three Rhodos which I moved from that shambles of a front garden before shingling and some trees , fruit and ornamental. Have to say though that it looks pretty good and natural and I give the grass just a rough mow now and then. The shrubs I mention here are just the average "toughies" but there is a couple of my favourite Hypericum Hidcotes - they just never seem to stop flowering all summer.
Posts
Hi Verdun. Glad the "Slug Hunt" works for you - I always got good results and apart from that a look at what else is going on by torchlight is often an eyeopener. Ref that Salvia it is I feel sure Salvia sclarea and I have had them in the garden for ages, biennial I think but self sows and that is how I have kept it going though always leaving it to its own devises. Most handsome plant but does "pong" a bit strongly if bruised or even brushed against. Well a little jest comparison could be - so do Pigs at times but I love a bacon sandwich. I will certainly look into grass thing, sounds good. I have often read of many of them and as i said do grow a few. IThink I am correct in identifying one that was growing on the "spare plot" when we came here - think its called Carex pendula - largish - 3ft tall and broadly round, very nice pendulous grass sprays going outwards and round. _ you perhaps will identify it for me or put me right - could send a pic if necessary. Have a good w/e if I dont see you again meantime.
Hi. Verdun. When I had grass I always enjoyed it - at the first two properties where although dry still it was at least sound. This here is really awful but it is green and the missus insists on keeping it so fair enough - I do my best with it. I never found mowing a chore, just taking the mower for a walk as I said before - that smell and some nice stripes was a bonus as you say.
Hi Verdun. Something I forgot to say ref these being the longest posts ever - I am wondering if I am going to be told of by the mod/admin. Hope not cos I do like a natter to like minded folk and love to sing the whole song ..
Oh well. Looks like Tennis has taken over. Get back to me later if you wish.
...nice picture of the bee... can't make out the flower... is it real?
no need to worry about the posts... we live in an age of 'text speak'... I'm not sure many people read much beyond 3 or 4 lines...
pictures tend to speak a thousand words wouldn't you say..? just carry on as you normally do Keen 1... there's nothing worse than something cramping one's style... let it rip...!
Pennisetum's I think, are plants that really do look better with hard landscaping which we've all been talking about... to me they don't look right cascading down into soil.... Villosum in particular is quite heavy and droops... all these look best - to me - flowing over some low wall...paving..shingle and suchlike... that's how I prefer them....
Pennisetum setaceum has not proved hardy for me, even when I gardened on the south coast... a disappointing plant...that promised so much...
'Hameln' I wasn't that keen on...think one or two others forget the names...
talking of latin, shall we have our lesson for today?....
Phlox divaricata subsp. laphamii 'Chattahoochee' - it just rolls off the tongue...
and a whopper for such a dainty little plant...shown here... not so good so far this year.. I've had it bigger...
...the Salvia's I like are the tender sub-shrubs that I know as Salvia grahamii or Salvia Microphylla... usually red flowers all summer.. on attractive little bushes that can grow quite large if they over winter.... I do love these very much...
...probably... east facing..heavy clay... it wasn't the best for these types of grasses... I think it was too rich too actually... I have different ground now for such things...
incidentally, this will have to wait as I'm busy tomorrow... but I have a grass in my garden, and I like it very much, but I'm pretty sure it's another case of wrong labelling... I bought it as Festuca glauca Elijah Blue... but I'm pretty sure it isn't this one... I've grown Helictrotrichon before and wasn't keen on it.. I hope it's not one of these.. to me the foliage does not look the same... and Helictrotrichons grow a good size if I remember... the foliage here is quite compact.. but the flower stems are not stiffly upright as I think they should be for E. Blue... they cascade and wave about... quite attractively I must say..
...if I post a photo tomorrow evening perhaps you could tell me what it is... thank you...
Hi Salino - Verdun. Gosh I am having a bad night hence this early morning stuff - just cannot settle - mind full of thoughts of all kinds. Ref my posts I was getting the feeling that perhaps they were a bit too long and I am overdoing it - however, with your reassurances I shall press on. My little attempt at a joke ref the tennis fell flat on its face so I shall concentrate on rattling whats left of my grey matter and concentrate on gardens/plants. Salino ref the pic of the Bee it is enjoying itself on a plant of Astrantia - the fine threads/strands across the pic is Fennel. I love this plant for its fine foliage and also its another to crush and smell - growing in "the hot corner" nearby is a Curry plant and this also only needs to be brushed against to get a good whiff. Speaking of Bees it seems to be a good year for them hereabouts, Bumbles (all sizes) anyway though theres few Honeys. Thinking along the same lines brings me to Butterflys and their "special" plants, the Sedum spectabiles and the Buddleias which are coming along nicely. Never grew Pennisetums and not really familiar but they sound nice. That little Phlox "chatahoochee" I did actually grow along with others similar in a previous garden - still have a similar Phlox now growing in the raised bed I made up for small Alpines. That full name really is a whopper but my favourites I have are Scopolia carniolica hladnikiana and Ophiopogon Planiscapus nigrescens. I am thinking of adding to recent comment re plants lost and noting some that I had to leave behind in the two moves I have made over the 58 yrs - they will be known to you and others but anything to stimulate conversation. Verdun. Ref your love ( and knowledge) of grasses I note the Helictotrichon and the Festucas you mention and have grown these but the first always ( in my plot) seemed to be untidy and never came up to the blue that it was said to have - no doubt at all it was my fault ( as it usually is ours if something goes wrong with plants) - the Festucas always seemed to be full of Ants nests so I gave up on them - I did mention I have had dry and even drier now areas all the way along my gardening days. Ref the Carex pendula ( if I have it right) it is a big coarse thing but ideally suited, along with the large clumps of Rhubarb ( love that beefy foliage and red stems) for growing on that "woodsy" strip of land next the woods I use - it is now mainly these sort of things plus a mix of shrubs including three Rhodos which I moved from that shambles of a front garden before shingling and some trees , fruit and ornamental. Have to say though that it looks pretty good and natural and I give the grass just a rough mow now and then. The shrubs I mention here are just the average "toughies" but there is a couple of my favourite Hypericum Hidcotes - they just never seem to stop flowering all summer.