Last week when we were on holiday on La Gomera...during part of the day when it was too hot to go out, to pass a little time I went to visit
my friend's blog. Cathy got me started posting and linking my little posies from the garden from
June 2015 on her theme of In a Vase on Monday. Even though I had been posting posies from the garden earlier, it was fun posting more or less weekly, and seeing what other gardeners were coming up with.
What a coincidence...Cathy used some of the
variegated London's Pride which I had given her which she had admired in my Kenilworth garden when she visited. Saxifrage umbrosa Variagata is a lovely low growing evergreen plant mainly used as a ground cover plant. Its flowers are light and airy but come just once a year. I had managed to take a few offshoots from my Kenilworth Garden, which are now coming on well in a pot. I saw that it was mentioned on one of the recent coverages of The Chelsea Garden Show. My plants originate from offsets from a friend's garden many years back.
Its
New Beginnings here in Wells in my new Garden, and I shall find the right place for the Saxifrage. It will take me a couple of years to get things going, during which time I shall have to tackle the issue of perennial weeks, and garden design and layouts etc.
However Cathy has inspired me to start posting again. This is my 50th In a Vase on Monday....and to return the 'favour': Persicaria Red Dragon, originally received
as a rooted cutting from Cathy, makes an outstanding component. I did leave the main plant in my garden, and this is from a cutting I prepared as soon as we started house hunting. If you leave the stem in water it grows roots fairly quickly...and hey presto another plant to give away! There are plants in several gardens in Kenilworth propagated from Cathy's Original.
It seems that I have lost the knack of taking a clear picture...but you get the idea here...new beginings for all three plants, all plants are from cuttings from the mother plants in my previous garden. Lonicera nitida Baggesen's Gold also known as Golden Honeysuckle, Cathy's Persicaria Red Dragon, and a flower spike of Euphorbia x martinii Ascot Rainbow. I have read that a common name for spurges is wolf's milk! Again this is from a cutting of the mother plant originally bought from Avondale Nursery back in 2014. I decided to cut off the one and only flower spike early on to help the plant bulk out and establish itself.
A close up of the flower structure shows up the colours which go so very well with the Percicaria.
Looking through an upstairs window, I saw this bullfinch snacking of the berries of the Amalanchier...hope they leave just some of the fruit to turn red!
Many thanks Cathy...for lifting my spirits, and getting me back on track with posting to In a Vase on Monday.
This week your contribution is as ever....interesting not only for the lovely flowers but also a few gardening pointers such as the time to sow cosmos to get flowers in June.
Nice to have you back, and it sounds like you will have lots of exciting things going on in the next while. I love that little Euphorbia, for me it's a very cute little ball. For ages I thought it was called Euphorbia 'Martini'. :)
ReplyDeleteI think they would have sold far more plants if they had called it Martini! Thanks for the welcome back.
DeleteThis is what I enjoy so much about blogging, Noelle - the friendship, the information exchange and (for garden bloggers) sharing plants and seeds. The Dragon is indeed well travelled as I have sent pieces far and wide across the UK and into France too :) As you say, the euphorbia picks up the colour of the Dragon beautifully. I have been keeping a detailed record of my sowings for 3 years now, so have details of sowing and germination times, as well as when things were pricked out, potted on, planted out and flowered - and it has proved to be so useful. Thanks for all your kind words and I look forward to haering more about your new garden. I have always had a soft spot for Wells, ever since a field trip in 1975 or thereabouts!
ReplyDeleteWells is very picturesque...and we have the Bishop's Palace garden right in the centre! Sounds like you may thinking of a break this way? Would love to catch up if you do.
DeleteIt's good to see you back, Noelle! I love the Persicaria-Euphorbia mix. I have a somewhat sad specimen of 'Red Dragon' that I brought from my old garden, where it did well, to this one, where it has not. You've prompted me to consider taking a cutting and trying it elsewhere - it's a lovely plant.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the Welcome Back Kris...you could always try relocating the mother plants too. You really have some wonderful material to choose from your garden...and your arrangements are always inspiring.
DeleteI'm sure you'll have fun establishing your new garden. If you are anything like me you brought plenty of cuttings with you. Lovely to see the close up of the euphorbia.
ReplyDeleteI live near Shepton Mallet so not very far from you. I'll be visiting the Bishops Palace on Sunday to help with a SWP composting stand. (Very glam) I love visiting the gardens.
It will be my first year visiting the show....it would be lovely to meet up. Have you a timeslot for your stint on the stand?
DeleteCongrats on your 50th IAVOM - it is habit-forming! I like the story behind your plants today, some of the best things in our gardens have memories attached.
ReplyDeleteLovely vase, Noelle! The euphorbia and persicaria are an excellent foil for each other. You've reminded me that I seem to have 'lost' my Red Dragon. How can that be possible. And all the best of luck in your new garden - an exciting time!
ReplyDeleteMaybe it was not happy in your garden, I am sure that you will acquire some more soon!
DeleteCathy inspired me to grow Red Dragon too, so thanks for the tip about propagating it. I do love Euphorbias in general - interesting to look at them close up too. :) By the way, the common German name for all of them is wolf's milk (Wolfsmilch). Good luck with the new garden!
ReplyDeleteYes, Euphorbias are a type of Spurge and hence the name wolf's milk. I was unfortunate enough to get a splash of wolf's milk on my face, and although I did go in and wipe/wash it off, it was not in time to avoid a nasty 'burn', which is only just starting to heal up.
DeleteHow wonderful to see a bullfinch. I haven't seen one for years.
ReplyDelete