I always love looking at everyone's end of the month views, but rarely get organised enough to do my own. However, I had one of those very rare moments in the garden the other day when I thought things were looking OK. I knew it would only last two minutes, so I wanted to capture it while I could.The main reason for this is the lilies, which are currently in bloom. I feel very proud of them because I spent ages hovering over them earlier in the spring, squishing every lily beetle I could find. I don't know which variety they are - I've forgotten. If anyone knows, please tell me. I'm very fond of them because I bought them at Sissinghurst while I was there with Gail of Clay and Limestone and Frances, of Fairegarden.
More unidentified lilies. I've had a look through lots of lily catalogues and can't find them. They are Asiatic, I know that. I bought some 'Patricia's Pride' at the Malvern show, which looked similar, but I don't think they are the same at all.
My "waggie" (Trachycarpus wagnerianus). I had a bay tree in this pot for ages, which never looked very happy. Each year it looked more and more sickly, so this year I bit the bullet and ripped it out. The trachycarpus looks so much better. Do you ever do that in your garden - finally get rid of something and wonder why you didn't do it years ago?
I wish I could be a minimalist, stylish gardener and just leave the waggie to shine in a solo spot. But I can't resist having lots of things in pots clustered around it. I think of them as a sort of little backing group. Waggie and the Echeverias. It's not exactly a snappy name for a band, is it?
The cannas were really held back by the cold temperatures in June, but they're now beginning to get under way, thank goodness. I didn't get them out until the middle of May, which I now regret because they could have made an earlier start. But who knew the spring was going to be so nice? If I had got them out earlier, they would probably have got frosted...
More unidentified lilies. I've had a look through lots of lily catalogues and can't find them. They are Asiatic, I know that. I bought some 'Patricia's Pride' at the Malvern show, which looked similar, but I don't think they are the same at all.
My "waggie" (Trachycarpus wagnerianus). I had a bay tree in this pot for ages, which never looked very happy. Each year it looked more and more sickly, so this year I bit the bullet and ripped it out. The trachycarpus looks so much better. Do you ever do that in your garden - finally get rid of something and wonder why you didn't do it years ago?One of the great features of the waggie is that it throws wonderful shadows on the wall behind when the sun hits it in the afternoon.
I wish I could be a minimalist, stylish gardener and just leave the waggie to shine in a solo spot. But I can't resist having lots of things in pots clustered around it. I think of them as a sort of little backing group. Waggie and the Echeverias. It's not exactly a snappy name for a band, is it?
The cannas were really held back by the cold temperatures in June, but they're now beginning to get under way, thank goodness. I didn't get them out until the middle of May, which I now regret because they could have made an earlier start. But who knew the spring was going to be so nice? If I had got them out earlier, they would probably have got frosted...The box is really suffering, however. I think the problem is drought, so we'll just have to see how they go.
End of the month view is hosted by Patient Gardener, so why not check out her blog and see how everyone else is getting on.
16 comments:
it's a lovely little band you have going. how are the kittens?
Your gardens look really good. I like the area with the container grouping, nice!
Thanks for joining in this month - I like the Waggie against the white wall. I think you need to vary the height of your echiveria collection - what about putting some on upturned pots just to add another dimension?
Well done you - your garden is looking really good - I've had a look in the RHS Plants & Flowers Encyclopedia and the lily is not listed there.
I really like the Trachycarpus wagnerianus against the wall there - a wonderfully sculptural effect. I also had a little chuckle at the "backing group" I like lots of pots all together, sadly I am never organized enough to a) plant them and b) water them.
Lovely end of the month post Victoria.
K
xx
Waggie and the echeverias look smashing.
I had a wisteria growing over the shed which was just all wrong for the garden - the leaves were a yellowy colour which I didn't like. THis wouldn't have been so bad if they hadn't mostly obscured the flowers even though I was very conscientious to prune it properly. I had always wanted a wisteria and I found it really difficult to get rid but I felt a huge sense of relief when I did.
Hello from Texas,
I came across your blog through the link on the blogroll of another blog.
I would like to tell you, I love your backyard. It looks just awesome and I'm really amazed how you managed it to create such a subtropical garden in an actually cold climate. I'm living in SE Texas, gardening zone 8 and under daily subtropical conditions like heat and high humidity and need to say, your garden looks much better than most gardens I have seen around here. Thumb Up!
Happy Gardening and have a wonderful weekend
Paula Jo
Petoskystone: Kittens haven't arrived yet - we pick them up on Saturday 16 July. Feeling a bit nervous - what if they don't like us?
Darla: Thank you! It always ends up with far more pots than I planned - it's too easy to just add another layer.
Patientgardener: It's funny you should say that - they are all at different heights (well, quite a lot of them), but because I've taken the photograph from above, it looks as if they're all at the same level. On the other hand, that's how most people will see them. Hmm, I'll have to think about that one!
Elaine: It's very mysterious, isn't it? It might be 'Suncrest' but that's quite difficult to find in the UK.
Karen: Thanks - as a matter of fact, it was reading your post and seeing the lovely pictures of your garden that galvanised me into action!
Arabella: I did feel a twinge of guilt when I mutilated the bay in order to take it to the tip. But it didn't last long!
PJ: Welcome to the backyard! I love Texas - I'm off to read your blog right now.
aahh...kittens :) healthy kittens have an insane amount of energy. if you have any chandeliers they can hang from i'm sure they'll fit right into the household.
Your end of the month garden looks beautiful. I love the "Waggie."
Oh so exciting about the kittens! They will love you all, of course! Who wouldn't? I remember you buying the lilies, but cannot remember the name, sorry. We should have taken a photo of the package. But your waggie and the back up singers look great, as does the garden in the first shot. Perfect light and capture! :-)
Frances, thanking you for the linkage!
xxxooo
looking lovely - the lilies really add to the sense of the exotic.
Couldnt agree more with you about culling things that simply dont work. We took the saw to a 22 year old lilac this weekend. It looked fabulous in flower, but the rest of the year its a mess, with unsightly trusses of spent flowers that refuse to fall of their own accord. It will be replaced by a Katsura, which is waiting impatiently to go in the ground.
Waggie and the Echeverias...haha! Your garden is quite lovely and cozy...glad you posted and I found your blog. :)
What I'd like to know is why your trachycarpus doesn't have unsightly and tatty ends to its leaves? Do you have a tip or is it just because it's new?
Or is it the variety? We have a Trachycarpus fortunei and I've never seen one without frayed tips.
Esther
I love the textures in your garden!
Looks great and, to my scruffy, country eyes, excitingly exotic. I should have done mine when it was really end of month and the sun was shining. Looks rubbish now.
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