Just a view in my garden

Thank you all for your kind comments.

SussexG. I love that pink Filipendula. I saw a picture of it in the book 'Best Borders' in the Packwood House chapter, and decided I wanted one for myself. I think it is the same as the white, just a colour varient.

Campanula trachelium is a lovely Campanula - though it does need staking, and has been perfectly hardy for me for several years. My only complaint, which refers to most Campanulas, is that it doesn't flower for that long. However I have planted it, along with the Veronica longifolia and a Phlox in a very dark damp corner of the garden which gets essentially no sun at all. As they all thrive there I am not inclined to upset them.

 

Beautiful Peter, just beautiful :gnthb::gnthb:, when we (eventually) sell our house and get the bungalow were are after, the one thing I do want besides the exotics and Tropicals is a perennial border and I will hopefully use a few of your pics and knowledge as a guide.

 

Thank you Strongy. I take that as a great compliment from someone so knowledgeable as yourself. :thku:

If you want to make a perennial border, I would recommend the book I have mentioned in another thread - 'Best Borders' by Tony Lord. I have started to read it again, and it's packed with good info. Each time you read it you learn more that you missed before.

 

I'm devouring the 'Best Borders' book as recommended by Peter. The picutres are lush and it's already given me a few ideas because it's so well laid out...and you can adapt part of the borders shown there to your own design.

I love that pink Filipendula and have decided it's one I have to have!

 

Pete

The updates look even better than the original photos!

Your garden sets an exceptionally high standard of sustained blooming, something I've never mastered in all the years I've been gardening. So, you've inspired me to put more planning into my small perennials bed.

Note to self:

Must do better next year. Must do better next year. Must do better next year.......etc.

 

Many thanks Marley for moving this thread. It was originally to answer some specific questions, but I feel, in its new home, I can use it for general garden photos. So here are a few :-


Echinacea, Geranium 'Ann Folkard', Penstomen 'Garnet' in red, Salvia sclarea in silver with Allium sphaerocephalon, Helenium, Lychnis coronaria etc.


Pink Lythrum 'Blush', which I love, Crocosmia 'Lucifer' in bright red, Salvia patens 'Cambridge Blue', and Hemerocallis in the foreground and background.


I am so pleased with this - Brugmansia sanguinea, from seed this year.


Fuchsia arborescens, in its second year from seed, already 5 feet tall. Its not hardy - but well worth the trouble of overwintering.


This is a bit twee - but I do love the foliage of the different Heucheras.


Sutherlandia frutescens from seed this year. I tried it two years ago and it hardly grew at all, but I think the hot weather early on gave it a boost.


The flower of Salvia involucrata can only be described as weird, but its a good long flowerer - from now till the frosts.

 

Peter, your garden is absolutely stunning!! And a huge inspiration (as are the other members gardens, who've posted pictures for us to gaze at) for a new gardener like myself. I'm kicking myself for leaving it so long to get the gardening bug! I hope over the coming years, I can get my garden to look as good as yours and everyone else's!! Thank you for sharing your gorgeous garden with us. x

 

[size=+2]A touch of the exotics[/size]

Thanks Joolz. I get pleasure from trying to make the garden look good. But I also really enjoying growing unusual things as well. So I thought I would show a few here. Like most people my beds are filled with hardy perennials along with a few annuals and tender perennials. But that leaves pots where you can grow all manner of odd and exotic plants, which can be easily overwintered under glass if needed.


This is one such exotic plant, that was in flower in May. Echium russicum, several of which grew to over 5 feet in height. Most Echiums come from the Canary Islands, and are not hardy, but this one comes from Russia and will stand a considerable amount of cold - down to -20C, they say, if its kept dry.


This one doesn't like the cold. Its a Brugmansia and the flower is over 12 inches long. I have counted another 36 or more flower buds forming, which may be because I am currently feeding it almost every day!


Canna tropicana from seed this year - currently starting to flower.


Geranium maderense also from seed this year. This comes from the Canary Islands as well, and is said to be the most spectacular of all Geraniums. It's already huge but may not flower for another year or two, but the foliage by itself it lovely. Not hardy.


This is a real gooky one. Sonchus acaulus, a giant dandelion from the Canary Islands. Its already over three feet across, and the flower spike is said to reach as much as 6 feet high. Again not hardy.


I make no apology for having shown this before. I am tempted to call this my plant of the year. Its Fuchsia arborescens - the tree Fuchsia. It comes from Central America where it can reach 10 or even 15 feet high and is said to flower for as much as 10 months of the year. Roll on global warming. :D


Eucomis - pineapple lily. Its a member of the lily family from South Africa

 

Well Peter, I am more than impressed. My Cannas have finished and my Brugs and Dats got powdery mildew and I had to take all the leaves off and it may be that I may not even get flowers on my B sanguinea as it's too hot here !!!! and my Heucheras were a non-starter! :( I have not seen that Geranium maderense but it is quite stunning, as you say even the leaves! You have created a truly wonderful and colourful jungle there ... well done!

Typical, isn't it ... you are envious of what I grow and I am envious of what you grow ... and moreso because you do it from seed ... :yez: k-l

 

Peter, your garden is fantastic. Very impressive. Are seeds available in the Uk for these plants?

:gnthb:

 

Thanks Victoria. As you say the grass is always greener over the fence. I love the Brugs and Dats - perhaps because no one else down this street is growing them. But I do have a problem with my neighbour (who is a lovely person) but she is Indian and still has a house in India, where her Brugs grow rather too freely. She looks at mine and just says **** weeds. :D

Hi Pixie and thanks. I grow virtually everything from seed, so the answer to your question is generally yes. My sources are UK seed companies - notably Chilterns and Jungle Seeds. I have also bought from seed companies abroad - the joy of seed is that it is as easy to get it from abroad as from this country. Friends, including a number from this forum, have also been very kind and swapped seeds. And the other source is the RHS seed scheme, where for a £10 admin fee members can chose 20 packets from a list of 1000, many of which are unusual.

However there are some plants that are sterile, or named varieties which don't come true from seed. For these you have to buy a plant which has been propagated by division or cuttings. Hardy geraniums such as G. 'Patricia', 'Rozanne' and 'Ann Folkard' must be purchased as they don't set seed. But to my mind they are so much better than any seed based alternative that it is worth it.

If you have anything specific in mind send me a PM and I will try and help.

 

You must have some good old Yorkshire dirt there Peter.
Wonderful show. Thanks for the tour.

 

Everything is so pretty!!

 

With all this warm weather the garden is starting to come to life again.



The picture above was taken a few days ago, showing Clematis montana 'Mayleen' and a Wisteria



This has caused me great excitement. My first Echium 'Pink Fountain' to bloom. The plant is 6 feet high, though they can grow much taller.



Another Echium - E. russicum. I had a couple up to 5 feet last year, but these are a lot smaller. Most Echiums are tender, but these survived outside in a cold frame quite happily last winter.



Euphorbia griffithii 'Fireglow' (orange) has been quite spectacular the last couple of years - because it just keeps getting bigger. Its only three years old but known to be invasive, so action will be needed soon.



At the moment everything is so fresh and making small mounds or clumps, but of course later on they will all have grown into one another.



I haven't let these out of the greenhouse yet. There are all from seed this year - about 20 Brugmansia as well as Datura and many others. The big chap at the back is Canna tuerckheimii.

 

Love that Echium Russicum. I'm looking into bee friendly plants at the mo, and echiums are great for bees. As your pic shows. Nicely done to catch the bee in flight on it's way in. :thumb: