Long Time No See....

What sort of gardening blog doesn't have any posts on it since July 2015? A bad one should be the answer. Anyway I'm back now, and in the time I have been gone 6 whole months have now drifted by and it is now December, The backside of 2015 as some would say.

December is supposed to be winter. Last year I can tell you thanks to my weather station on the shed, this time last year we had an average temperature of just 8°C. This year however could not be further from that, from the 1st to the 29th (today) the average temperate is 16°C. As a result of this the garden is now confused, Daffodils and Crocuses are flowering, The dahlia tubers are in the greenhouse but are not covered up, if they where they would rot away. The acers didn't lose their leaves until late November.
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One bulb that should not be flowering now from what I have read on the internet is an unusual Chilean plant called Miersia chilensis, It has tiny flowers, 5 millimeters maximum. I bought it from Kirsten Andersen and Lars Hansen from alpines.dk.

Miersia chilensis

Another plants that have grown alot due to the warm weather.

A pot of 2 Narcissus verieties, Rip Van Winkle and Twinkling Yellow.

Galanthus elwesii


Tulip 'Little Beauty', Crocus tommansianus and Iris recticulata 'Jimmy'

                                               

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Last year was also my first year in participating in the SRGC Seed Exchange. My request was mainly Primula, Androsace and Meconopsis but sadly the latter two did not germinate although I have kept the pots over summer to see if anything happens in spring. I had excellent germination from the Primula, however. 

Those plants are now in the garden waiting to flower this year. A certain Primula capitata flowered the same year, in November well out of season but it is nice to see I must be doing something right.

I not only participated in the Seed Exchange again this year but contributed to it also. This was mostly with cyclamen and primula. As for my request I know think i have really thrown myself in at the deep end with three species of Trillium (Trillium chloropetalum forma. rubra, Trillium grandiflorum and Trillium kurabayashii) Trilliums have always been plants I look for. But never been able to find.
Also requested are four species of Fritillaria (Fritillaria camschatcensis, Fritillaria crassifolia. Fritillaria karenlinii and Fritillaria tubiformis subsp moggridgei) which considering I have only been growing thing for two years, may have been a mistake, and a waste of someones precious seeds.

Anyway that's the end of that. Hopefully 2016 you'll seed more of me and the garden and have a Happy New Year.

The Garden: May 2015: Part I

Intro...

I was hoping to give a month by month tour of my garden from January to December, but I was a very busy bee and didn't have time. Mostly with college work splashes with what will be going into the garden in 2015. Now it looks to have been decided already because I forgot to look at the plans I drew in December '14, and as a result this year will be the same as the last 8 years we lived here: 'Oh, That's nice, I'll buy that, I'm sure there is a space somewhere'. This year I sowed (perhaps too many) annual plant seeds as shown in the photo below.

This is the part of the greenhouse dedicated to annuals. On the
Floor under the bench are the seeds growing from the SRGC
seed exchange (You should join it is Fantastic!).
Photo Taken 5th May '15

Most of those seed have been transplanted now. At the end you can see what the Greenhouse looks like now, and the SRGC Seeds, that have germinated (In Early June). 

The 1st border

This is a border because it backs onto a fence (A bed is open at all sides - Now you know the difference!) The main parts are the Bush Peonie, The variegated Japanese maple, a Aquilegia vulgaris and a Cornus alba. (One of Two) There are mainly perennial plants in here like Stipa gigantea, Geranium himalayenese, Penstemon, Dianthus barbartus, Sedum spectablie, Clemantis, Alchelmilla mollis, Helianthenum 'Beech Park Red' and 'The Bride', Knautia macendonia, Verbena bonariensis. There is also another Cornus this time C. sanguinea. In the months to come, I hope that the Geranium himalayense, will grow and weave in and out of the Cornus. 

The Plant Gallery 

The Peonie Bush

Cornus sanguinea

Silene uniflora 'Druetts Varigated'

Helianthenum 'Beech Park Red'

Geranium himalayenese

Phlox divaricata ssp. laphamii

Mimulus 'Magic Mixed'

   

Clemantis

Erodium x variabile 'Roseum'

Above is just a selection of what is growing in this border, As the season progresses things should start to establish themselves and grow.

The Rosemary Bush

When we moved in, it was already there, but didn't want to take it out because it smelt nice, and it was small, so we left it there. About a year later we planted a Japanese maple near it . We never knew that the rosemary would get so huge. As the years went by the rosemary got bigger and bigger its affect on the Maple next to it became obvious. So in February 2015, when the Maple was dormant, we took a spade to the rosemary bush, the rosemary was dug out to give the Maple space to grow,and more importantly, more water, The effects of the rosemary where even more evident now that it was gone. The tree has short stubby new growth, Beyond 2 years old the growth became stunted, During winter, frost hit this poor tree like a train. Now that the Rosemary has gone we gave the tree a good layer of Mulch to help keep in moisture and help it recover from the numerous tree roots that had to be cut through to get the rosemary out. We plan to plant more drought tolerant plants around its base of the tree. 

Here is the Maple. The location of the rosemary was in
the middle of the triangle formed between the blue
Phlox, the Small Sedum, and the Mint, in the Bottom
left corner

As you can see the tree is not a well rounded medium size tree like it should be. It total height is about 1 meter 10 centimeters. Buy now it should be nearly 2.5 meters tall.

Stick around for Part II.

Just a thought, Yes, you can use my photos, but remember they are not yours, so please ask me first, and acknowledge the author. Thank You. 

A Visit to Ickworth house

On Wednesday, I visited Ickworth House in Suffolk to see some spring flowers, it was perhaps a little early to see spring flowers although there where a few, Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis and Galanthus elwesii), Winter aconites (Eranthis hyemalis). The Daffodils where just emerging. In the walled garden I came across some crocuses, I think they are Crocus sieberi subsp. atticus 'Bowles White' but I am probably wrong.
Their website said there where 'many spring flowers between the months of February into April', whoever wrote that probably is not a keen gardener. Looks like I will have to wait for any Primula and Fritilliria to flower in my own garden

Double form of Galanthus nivalis

Galanthus elwesii

Crocus sieberi subsp. atticus 'Bowles White'

An Intro...

This is my first post to this blog. Apparently I am supposed to write something inspirational here, but I don't have time to do that and I would rather take a picture of it anyway. That is what this blog will be filled with, Photos of Plants, Flowers and Landscapes - The lot. I hope you enjoy looking at what post. To sign of here is a shot of an Iris recticulata 'Cantab' flower.