Its been hot, with at least a couple of 'Tropical Nights' and I shall launch this week's offering with a couple of plants which are more than happy with the temperature but also need watering.
1. As I mentioned last week, for this year, there is a little potted homage to Great Dixter, going on by the shed. I went out with a friend a couple of weeks ago and ended up at a fund raising plant sale, finding there just the right plant to add to the grouping. All around me when I was growing up, were Cannas, there were green leafed ones and darker red leafed ones, with a limited range of flower colours, but never a stripy one that I remember. I myself am completely new to growing Cannas, so it is going to be a learning curve.
2. This is the other plant that I knew from when I was young. Last week when the shed shelf with its succulents were the topic, Fred and another asked about this plant.
 |
| Bergera koenigii more easily remembered as the Curry Leaf Plant |
No Mauritian curry would be complete without the wonderful fragrance that a few curry leaves impart to a dish. Our cook, gardeners or neighbours were forever raiding our clump of curry leaves.. Even a dish of dhal is elevated by the addition of a little oil in which some garlic, spices and curry leaves have been heated through and used to finish the dish just before serving. It has two types of feeds: a winter and a summer citrus feed. In the winter it makes a fairly elegant plant on the kitchen windowsill. I bought it at the local food festival in 2022, when I spied just a couple of plants on a stall selling a large variety of chilli plants.
3. Low growing plants work well softening the gravel, in the absence of any lawn, they form green areas without crowding out the longer views of the garden.
4. Following on from the the curry plant neatly, may I show this lovely 'aromatic' plant which is on the right on the picture above. This is Chamaemelum nobile 'Flore Pleno'. I love its scent, and even in the non flowering state is sweet smelling when crushed.
For when I am not in the garden, there is always a good or charming book on gardening or plants to hand. On my bedside table I currently have Roy Genders's 'A Book of Aromatics' published in 1977. What a charmingly written small book this is, and full of history of the use of Aromatics across the centuries as well as horticultural tips.
5. Also this week, another of aromatics looking good is this low growing creeping thyme. When we first laid out the garden, the delineations between soil and stone were crisp. With time and the movement of stones onto the garden by worms, and soil onto the stones by birds, the edges are getting blurred, but planting these low growing herbs and plants to keep the separation is part of the evolution of the garden.
6. Another little low plant is filling the evening air with its fragrance is Daphne x susannae 'Cheriton'
 |
| Daphne x susannae 'Cheriton' |
On the warm evenings even when there is hardly any light left in sky, walking around the garden is a great way to wind down, I pause and breath and take in the scents, and as the light was almost gone last night, I suddenly realised just how late it was, for last night was just about the shortest one this year.
We now need a good few hours of rain....
The canna is superb, and it's really interesting to ready about the curry leaf plant.
ReplyDeleteHappy Canna-growing, I’m sure you will enjoy the learning curve. I love the shot of the little ladybird on the chamomile - that was well spotted. I also enjoy seeing your photos of the gravel garden - I think my husband would be happy if I suggested we removed the grass and created something similar. On second thoughts, perhaps he would pale at the thought of the work involved to create it and opt to stick with the law mower! The fragrance of the Daphne will be fabulous during these warm evenings.
ReplyDeleteThis was definitely a hardly any work gravel garden that for us on heavy clay has worked very well. It involved covering the grass with cardboard and gravel! Because no needs came through the gravel in hindsight there was even no need to put down the plastic weed membrane for the stepping stone areas. https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2018/07/july-garden-update.html
DeleteWhat a lovely six, Sis! Really interesting about the curry leaf plant, I have used it in recipes before. Do you have to take it into the conservatory in the winter? Lovely to hear about your childhood and lovely to grow things to remind us of happy days. You will be just fine with cannas, you have the skills! Have a great week x
ReplyDeleteI have the Curry plant on the window sill either in the kitchen or in the utility room, both places have light and good humidity and warmth throughout the winter months. Sometimes it gets a day time dose of sunshine in the conservatory too.
DeleteI can just imagine your lovely evening wind downs in the garden, such a pleasure.
ReplyDeleteYour gravel garden is looking pretty. I am a great fan of planting in gravel too. Some cannas seem to be hardy. In my garden, the stripey ' Stuttgart' always survives the winter. Well you have surprised me with the curry plant, I have never seen it or heard of it. It sounds intriguing.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the advice about the Canna Chloris. For this year I shall take it into the conservatory, but next year I shall plant half out in the garden and see how that does. Maybe your family are not into Indian dishes, however in the UK the leaves can be bought fresh from specialist shops, and dried although really not comparable are more widely seen.
Delete