What's looking good APRIL 2024

Rubus calophyllus

Rubus treutleri

Rubus formosensis

Rubus "Betty Ashburner"

Rubus rolfei "Taroko Loco"

All of these are ground cover/scandent species, most are relatively new to cultivation and quite vigorous. All prefer some moisture, dislike cold winds, are fairly hardy and have edible fruits (varying degrees of palatability though) after white or pink flowers. Like brambles they can root when the stems contact the grounds and some produce suckers.

 

Rosemary! Here in the foggy afternoon "sunshine", this is the plant I enjoy very much indeed.





The legend says that Virgin Mary spread her blue cloak on a barren hill over some shrubs and the shrubs burst into blue flowers.

I sort of knew the story but only fully understood it in Southern Italy in a town called Frosinone where a steep bank of trailing Rosemary was in full bloom under the hot Italian sun.

I'm very fortunate to have a mature Rosemary just outside the back doors

I also learnt something new when watching the Sparrows. The blooming rascals are harvesting the Rosemary flowers and apparently taking them to their nests- it's a first. Sparrows like yellow flowers and I have never seen them stripping my wonderful Rosemary blossoms before But there they are, beaks full of my lovely blue flowers

We'll find an agreement I trust.

 

That seems very early for it to be flowering - is that normal where you are @Selleri ?
Maybe your sparrows are very upmarket ones....

 

My Rosemary's been flowering since December @fairygirl and is just fading now. You won't like it though, it's got pale blue flowers!

 

Here in the East Midlands my Rosemary has been flowering for the last few weeks @fairygirl. I don’t remember it flowering this early, I just hope it’s not a sign that it’s not going to survive much longer!!

 

My Rosemary also flowers pretty much all year round, our traditional Christmas snack is baked Camembert with a flowering twig of Rosemary

This is now the main flush, and if the Sparrows allow it should look fab in a week or two.

 

That sounds good @Selleri!

 

Acer Orange Dream is colouring up well.


Beni Maiko.


Dwarf Rhododendron.


Erysimum Chelsea Jacket, possibly from Mrs Shiney several years ago.


Wisteria just opening.


Cordyline Dazzler offset growing well after the main trunk died last year.

 

First of the Rhodes
English bluebells in my garden

 

I'm surprised that abutilon is already in flower

Bit of a cheat - gastrolobium cuneatum in greenhouse

Seed grown pulsatilla

Callistemon (Melaleuca now?) grown from seed from @pete

 

Have shown this picture before but the pink phlox hadn’t flowered.
The flowering hasn’t been good with all the rain and lack of sunshine this year.
But it’s my favourite flowerbed at the moment.

 

All sorts going on there, @Brenda!

 

My wisteria which were just opening when I poste dthe phot are now fully open and luscious - except we've had a couple of early morning frosts and half the petals are now brown - not pretty - and falling off in the wind - they then congregate in our annex aevery time we open the door and it's our main entrance. Much sweeping needed.

 

Big 'thank you' time...@CarolineL and @pete Beautiful, lemon-yellow Acacia and a really blue Acnistus!