Emails to the Snappy Gardener

A while ago I was emailed from a lady who works for Sears the big American Chain store company. She'd somehow came across my blog, and thought I would be a good person to email about their online games, related to the Items being sold of course.

For the Snappy Gardener it was the Lawn mower game. I was intrigued why they would develop an online game to help sell more lawn mowers.

I have tried it, and will leave the link so you can see it yourself.
I emailed the lady back saying I would mention it on my blog. There you go Mel, I did it.
The link is: http://sears-games.com/

I forgot to say that if you register and play the challenge you can win a Craftsman mower, toolset, or Kenmore Grill. I dont know what any of them are but they sound nice!
I dont think Sears have any shops in England. I like the way she contacted me on my own humble blog.Thanks Mel :)
The other Email was from a guy called Alex who said he had seen my blog and wanted me to try out a Widget on the blog.
To be honest I did not even know what one was.Having checked the email again it is a news bar with links related to whatever keywords you type in. You can adjust it and then paste the code onto your blog!
I will try it to see if it adds to my gardens blog, i guess if it doesnt i can always delete the code.The link is here: http://www.widgetmate.com/.
Thats two emails that I have mentioned. Is it good or bad that people email you to try things out, even when they have a commercial reason usually?
The guy who never made it was a South American who left a comment with his website on it, selling T shirts with pictures on them.He wrote in Portugese and I had to use Babel fish to translate his comment.It was not related to gardening at all and i dont know if he even read my blog.
There was another question by email yesterday about Phalaenopsis orchid and their flower spikes. To cut or not to cut?
Im working all day in a few hours. Goodnight blogosphere, sleep well all you Gardeners!

Oriental Stargazer Lilly

It is almost in bloom,I can see the edge of the petal just exposed slightly, the dark pink colour with Raspberry jam spots on it.I hope this flower is scented. What a bud over the stiff upright stem with the shiny stiff green leaves.Even the roots look a colourful lime green colour growing into the soil at the base of the stem.

The other plant never made it, maybe next year.I am excited at this one though.I might buy lots more bulbs for next year.Get a bigger pot and see if i can get multiple flowers on the green leafy stems.

It is a Hybrid lilly grown in 1978 by a guy called Leslie Woodriff. He called it Stargazer because the flower faces the sky. It can be grown in borders, and container pots. It likes full sun, and well drained soil. It usually has four to five blooms per stem :(, mine has one.It naturalises too so it should be easier to increase your stock.The flower itself is Sterile and will not grow from seed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilium_%22Stargazer%22

Gardens Blog Musings

The Mystical looking Indoor greenhouse from the Computer chair looking at the new plant display music cabinet :)

There is Fuchia Candy Pink, Fuschia Alice hoffman, Streptocarpus Unknown name, Aeonium, Geranium Vancouver Centennial, Bouganvillea, Japenses maple, Fuschia Thalia, Star Jasmine, And Geum yellow.

On the Right hand side there is Stephanotis, Aspidistra Elatior, Peace lilly, and in the dark shadow the Ludisia Jewel Orchid.

The only things you can see through the doorway are the Abysinnian Gladiolus (also called Peacock orchids). These have three foot high sword leaves at the moment), and the Verbena Bonarensis from the plant sale.

The Oriental Stargazer Lilly is nearly in Bloom now. I planted two pots with Bulbs from Wilkos. Both grew, but the second Plant dropped every one of it flower buds. Wierdly they both started with four buds, but dropped them. I have seen flower pictures with multiple buds and flowers on single stems. I dont know why mine dropped three or four buds.

However as Long as this one flowers I will be happy

I was reading my book The Heirloom Garden last night, and read there was a plant called the Madonna Lilly which has been grown since 1630! The original settlers brought it with them and it was grown in Puritan gardens. I wander if the plant is still for Sale? A white lilly with golden Anthers I think it said.

I wander if all this plant growing is a positive addiction? Having eighty plus pots growing in the windowsills, and whatever else I can use to position the plants near the light.

There is a richness in Variety, and I like a lot of different plants. A house with no plants is too lifeless for me.

Mum always had houseplants growing, and cutflowers. The garden also supplied some of those. The Kitchen windowsill was a mini greenhouse growing tomato seedlings and cuttings from shrubs outside. I am finally going home at the end of July for a gardening week with Mum who has a new garden. It has been a few years since I went back to Cheltenham.

I dont know if she has seen my Garden Blog either, its seen all across the world judging by the Statcounter World map when I click on it. Its reassuring that its looked at however briefly a hundred times a day on average.

I have started to add Garden Blogs I frequent when im not working.I have left countless comments so im embedded in a fair few blogs. It is quite time Consuming so I will add to it every so often. If you feel left out email me and I will add you to my list!

I am wandering about a horticultural course, doing the RHS advanced certificate. The level 3 looks more advanced and in depth. Somebody wrote a comment saying you missed your vocation. I dont think thats true as I love the Nursing, but I want the more scientific knowledge and the years of gardening experience of the RHS courses. They train the garden designers and professionals of the future.

I am known at work for being garden/plant mad now, and that suits me fine. I have become a gardener because of family history (mum,Nan and Grandad), my education (I loved Biology and Botany), TV (David Bellamy and David Attenborough), the Groundforce team (Alan Titchmarsh,Charlie Dimmock,Tommy Walsh), Magazines and books like Gardeners world, the radio for Gardeners question time... Monty Don too has inspired me, with his love of gardening/agricultural, and his work with the Mental health charity Mind with gardening as therapy.

I still want to see the NBC documentary Healing Gardens of New York.I could not afford to get a TV/DVD player that played North American encoded DVD's or I would have.

Gardens, gardening, plants and flowers have become an Integral part of my life. I have the green fingers, the passion, and I think im good at drawing out of others who might have become jaded or tired of the garden. I can inspire people back into the garden too.

The Gardens Blog is a tapestry of all things from the Natural world from frogs and birds, to spiders and ladybirds, seedlings to full blooms, tree's and shrubs, Sun rises and Sunsets, the places i have been, gardens i have helped on, and musings on anything garden related. I am amazed at how many labels for posts I have accumulated since March. I must blog widely on a variety of subjects.

It started with a plant list, and meandered into why the Blog means a lot to me.I love all the comments too, keep on coming.I generally reply to all of them :)

Blue Grass

My 2,100th posting on Snappys Gardens Blog.I cant imagine how I have posted so much since 2005!

I spent hours trying to rearrange the plants, after I got a nice Corner Cabinet from a lady at work.Its now Sat in the front room with lots of plants on it, and the stereo is on the sofa waiting to be set up.

I have 82 pots/containers growing in the Flat.I dont know how many types of plants I have growing.

Garden plants sit alongside house plants, alongside Exotics plants.The lit side of the flat has a green glow, now the sunlight is hitting the flats opposite.

Pictured is the fabulous Festuca Glauca, or Blue Festue grass.It is a tough dwarf blue/green grass.I got two small pots from the plant sale.

Since Harlow Carr I have been thinking about ornamental grasses differently.With the Black knight and Carex in my wishlist this blue grass will find a spot in my future garden.

It likes sunshine, and drained soil, and prefers it dry.It only needs watering when its being established.It must be propogated by division of clumps, so my two pots came from that method.

It looks good in borders, or in terracotta pots.I have watched mine change colour from brown deathly looking, to a green/blue hazy colour.I will let the pots dry out to see if the grass turns the lovely blue colour in all the garden pictures of it.

I will google an image and post it to show you what it looks like in its blue glory :)

Thursday Morning

Just at the start of the Long Causeway large Horse chestnut tree's, mingle with grasses, and perennial weeds.The Sun rarely seen for two weeks was risen just, and cast a magic light onto the leaves.I love the magic of Diffuse light and the contrast between light and darks.
Its almost like woodland with the shaded areas under the trees packed full of plants.

Stephanotis

Repotted Mim's

Mimulus

New Arrivals

Yesterday Hils took me out to look at a Bonsai specialist.After a long drive through flooded roads and diversions we pitched up by the Bonsai nursery.I had my camera ready to go...but discovered it was shut.

We went to Hampsons, the huge plant Nursery with millions of plants.Im terrible for going to these places and never leaved empty handed.

Outside the Nursery centre was a section of FREE plants.That could not be sold.I took pity on some of them and loaded a few more plants that


needed some TLC to make them look good again.

The free plants were:
1)two trays of Mimulus (see the red flowers)

2) three courgette plants (top photo)

The plants I bought were:

1)Passiflora Caerulea: the Brazilian passionflower, ideal for growing as a pot plant untill I get a garden.
2) Stephanotis: The Madagascan Jasmine, also called the Hawian wedding flower.It has big white starshaped flowers with an overpowering smell of Jasmine.It is trained around a hoop, and is what Mum had growing in the kitchen in Cheltenham.Thats what I wanted before for a scented plant (oops i have a Star Jasmine as well!)

3) Sea Holly: Eryngium Varifolium.The label reads "A clump forming evergreen perennial with rosettes of drak green leaves mrabled with white veins.Stiff branched stems bear cylindrical umbels of grey blue to pale blue flowers with longer sharply pointed silvery white bracts".
It can grow in well drained or dry soil in Sun, with protection from wet.It looks thistly but is not sharp the leafs are soft.
The Indoor greenhouse is bursting at the Seams now with plants, summer bulbs, seedlings of Pansy Rippling water, and common garden mint.I have potted up Amaryllis Bella for Autumn Flowers.The Stargazer lilly flower bud is changing colour and is of good size now.
The passion flower has multiple flower buds, and has some new sticks to grow up as it totally over ran the two hoops it has got already.
The Mimulus look perky now after new soil and a watering yesterday.Their flowers are like works of art.
Believe it or not this is my one hundredth post in June.Thats about four a day :) I never knew I had posted so much.I have also upgraded to the new Blogger Templates because I will have fun trying to change how the blog looks.This new look will do to start.
Hope you all like the new look, but there will be more to come, once I work out the changes I can make with the new editing.

Blog Frog

Fran found me a New Froggy at the Car boot Sale on Sunday whilst I was working.Monty is a cool green frog, with a large smile, big black eyes, and a penchant for posing by my plants.
He is pictured by a Verbena Bonarensis, Peperomia, Aeonium, and the Gorgeous Irish Honeysuckle.
I love frogs.I have lost most of my collection so i think I will start again :)

Rain, Rain

A rare break in the clouds, in the morning.It rained torrentially all day monday, and flooded parts of Wakefield. Closed roads, flooded villages.
More rain fell in a few hours I think than all of June normally.It started when we went to Harlow Carr and has rained ever since for nearly two and a half weeks. Mondays rain was like a monsoon and the chaos of closed roads, diversions, and rivers bursting their banks.
All over parts of Britain but especially Yorkshire was hit hardest in places.
I was out today and saw several areas still swamped by water. A lone tree had fallen over as the waterlogged ground had given way.It lay across a grass verge horizontally.
Strange times these for Abnormal weather.Todays daytime temperature was only 14 degrees C.Very chilly for June.
The flowers were still trying to put on their coloured faces, even through the wind and rain.The Deluge has stopped now.Need some warmer weather to dry up the flooded areas.

Phalaenopsis New growth

Moth Orchid

The Phalaenopsis I rescued from Homebase, with new growth coming between the upper two leaves.Its roots are growing out of the bark/moss mix that it was supplied with. It came in a plastic pot with holes in the bottom, and was sold in a square glass vase.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phalaenopsis
At the base of the plant there is also a rounded point growing out. The leaves grow Alternately and it says as a new leave grows on, one of the lower ones drops off. On Average they have four active leaves.
It is placed in a saucer of water to maintain the Humidity, in the Light but not directly sunlit windowsill. It is watered with tepid water when the bark mix is dry to touch. I let the water run over the leaves, down the bark mix and through the roots out of the plastic pot.
I need to buy a bigger pots made of clear plastic, with holes in the bottom. The bark/moss mix is moulded to fit the pot but should be packed so you can lift the plant out without the mix falling apart.
The clear pot keeps the light shining through onto the roots, which are slim and green.They have green growing tips which is a sign of root growth.
These Asian Moth Orchids are some of the easiest to care for, if you mimic their tree dwelling home. They are Epiphytes, living on tree's, so never have their roots in contact with soil. They must catch the rain water before it falls to the ground.
I hope it can be made to flower.My problem is trying to find a clear plastic pot to repot it, and also where to find a Bark/moss mix suitable for packing the roots in the bigger pot.I will keep looking and it might be mail order.
Does anyone know of UK suppliers of Orchid pots, and potting mix?
I am going back to work again for a long day.I will get wet feet as it is pouring with rain outside again.The Phalaenopsis is chilling inside the flat :)

Nicotiana Domino

Sunday morning.Time for me to go to work long day today and tomorrow.Enjoy all your sundays, and your gardens.More posts soon :)

Mysteries...

A final photo of the Chimaphila flowers on the Tile. They are amazingly detailed representations of the two plants mentioned.
Cheima is greek for winter, and Philos for lover. There are five species of this evergreen plant of which Umbrellata is found in the Northern Hemisphere.
They are now classed in the family Ericacea, instead of Pyrolaceae.
Pipsisewa is Cree for breaks into small pieces, so i guess the plant is delicate.
http://www.herbsguide.net/princes-pine.html

Diplotaxis Muralis is called Wall Rocket. I found it on the plants for a future database. Its leaves can be eaten as a peppery salad leaf, or they can be used as a condiment, or added to cooked food. Hence Wall Mustard. It must have be found commonly growing under the shelter of walls.
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Diplotaxis+muralis
It has been naturalised in Southern Britain. It flowers from June to September.
The question for me is how did they end up on a kithen windowill in a flat in Wakefield? The previous occupants or the handyman have painted over the windowsill with the paint that formed a layer of protection.....
Guess What I managed to Track down? The set that these two hidden beautys came from.
http://www.artontiles.com/Decals51.html
There are a Set of Six Botanical pictures: Alchemilla vulgaris, Chimapila umbelata, Veronica anagallis aquatica, Diplotaxis muralis, and Rumex conglomeratus. $54 for six six inch tiles with the Ceramic Design kilned onto the tile permenantly.
The Mystery deepens. Two tiles out of a set of Six. I wander if the other four were Broken or are they beneath the painted tiles that surround the sink?
I cant find any UK supplier of the six designs from Artontiles.Im happy I found them beneath the covering paint.
Leave a comment if you have the set of six, and where you bought them from.

The Final Secret Tile

I looked along the windowsill, and did a little more scratching to see if any more works of art were beneath the White/orange paint.I thought it was like Brown flowers.

I used a butter knife this time to uncover Another Botanical tile. Once uncovered it was named Chimapila Umbellata:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimaphila_umbellata







It says it is commonly called Pippisewa, or Princes pine, and is a flavouring used in candy and Root beer.

Here are the details of the flowers.It says the flowers are usually pink or white.
These look Chocolate coloured to me :)







The Roots, leaves, and Botanical name! Two strangely exotic plants hand painted on kitchen tiles, then painted over.

Waiting for me to knock off some paint to realise there was something beneath worth uncovering.

I am still researching both plants on google. Do you know any of them at all? Why were these plants used and not common garden herbs or vegetables?

Secrets Beneath The Paint 2

Secrets beneath the paint

The kitchen windowsill was covered with a horrible white paint that was orange underneath.It has been flaking away over the past six months with the many pots of plants being rotated, brought into the windowsill. Away from the windowsill.

It had a slight pattern on one like yellow-ish flowers.I thought it was the painted surface was coming away.

After a day of tidying up the flat, watering the plants, and checking all the plants for health I decided to clean the Windosill.

I took all the pots off and cleaned...Strangely I discovered underneath the white/orange paint on the tile was a botanical picture.Using my now blunt fingernails I scraped the white paint away..

Lo, and behold Underneath was a Diplotaxis Muralis.

With pretty yellow flowers and long green peas in pods?

On Wikipedia its called wallrocket or wall mustard.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplotaxis

For Alameda Claires Aunt Helen

Two photos of the Harlow Carr Passionflower for sale. I guess photographing it was not quite as good as buying it. I have the image now of it though. It is on my wish list now too.

The First passionflower I saw was on an Alameda garden blog.

I just checked out the Web address and it was a memorial post for Claires Aunt Helen, who gave her the love of Passionflowers, Cannas,poor mans orchids and cherry tree's..

http://alamedagarden.blogspot.com/

My Sister's Passionflower

Growing up a garden fence in Rochester. Jawsy sent me her mobile phone picture before which was quite small.This is better size for the Blog!
I love passion flowers for the uniqueness of the flower and the legends behind it.I am suprised they can grow in Britain but they must be quite hardy.
I will also post another Passiflora that was for Sale at the Harlow Carr garden centre.I took a photo so I could remember it.
The Rochester Passionflower have a peppermint green colour, with a blue, white, and yellow.I will compare them later.

Star Jasmine

After the scented garden I wanted to buy a plant with scented flowers.I think the only plant growing with a scent is the Oriental Stargazer lilly, and that only has one flower bud left growing.

I went to Homebase and looked for Jasmine.I bought this Star Jasmine, a leafy evergreen plant with star shaped fragrant white flowers.

It is awaiting a new pot and A cane frame to be trained around.I was thinking of a Stephanopsis with its flowers on a willow frame.I did not find one.

Its long winded full name is Trachelospernum Jasminoides.It can grow a massive six metres high and can be grown up a house or a wall.It needs well drained, fertile soil. It needs a sheltered sunny location.

It flowers all summer and the scent is Jasmine. It is also called Confederate Jasmine, did it grow in the deep south of the USA?

Irish Honeysuckle

Sent Airmail from Ireland from Salixtree, a gorgeous Honeysuckle cutting.It was put into a ziplock bag, into a South African teabag box, and into a padded envelope.

The plant survived the trip, was repotted in some new soil, and is happily growing away on the windowsill.

I wanted Honeysuckle for ages, and used to walk past a florist that was selling small plants for



Ten pounds.
I think Salixtree took cuttings last summer and has let them grow roots in the winter and spring.
It had good roots, nice patterned leaves, and now lots of new growth.
The RHS book says they grow well in fertile, well drained soil, in full sun, or partial shade. They only need pruning of woody bits after flowering, or to restrict growth as they can be vigerous.I have some honeysuckle now for my garden when I move from here :)


This is the second of the new arrivals...

Streptocarpus Nerys

The Beautiful flowered Streptocarpus Nerys bought at Harlow Carr.This was how pretty it looked when I bought it.Since then all the flowers have dropped off.I guess that Dibleys does something to force these plants to flower en masse for sale.

Coming back to the indoor greenhouse has shocked it a bit. I love the colours of the flowers, purple/pink/orange stipes on long tubular flowers.

Faces in the flowers

The Bleeding heart flowers in their prime on Saturday.They look glowering in their intensity.

I know Pansys can have faces in their glorious coloured petals.Happy ones, sad ones, mysterious ones.

The front cover of the Orchid Thief has the most striking Orchid face.Susan Orleans wrote that she began to see faces amongst the thousands of orchids she looked at.

The garden spirits must live temporarily within flower faces, and make us humanise our flowers.Click on the photo to see the Bleeding heart brothers.Eyes and long nose, very alien looking :)

Hanging onto a Dicentra

In the cool light of the flat a little wee beastie hangs on his web.I have had a lot of small black flys recently buzzing around the flat.

He was hanging on the New Dicentra Spectabalis or red bleeding heart.I already photographed the flowers.

It is in the kitchen now with lots of new growth.I hope it lasts longer than the white Dicentra which never recovered from the nursery induced shock, and weakened its immune system.



I love finding new subjects to photograph. I think a garden full of ladybirds, earthworms, slugs, snails, hedgehogs, frogs, common garden birds, beetles, butterflies, and Bee's is a wander of nature.
It also means they like the environment you have created.
I have already blogged once about Robert the Bruce's encounter with a spider in a wood in Scotland. That story has been in my head for years after reading it. My spider pictures always bring me back to that.
There is beauty in even the commonplace if we look through new eyes.

White flower needs a name :)

A beautiful flower with white lace like petals edged with lime green tips.The centre of the flower almost looked jeweled!

From Harlow Carr of course.What is it?I need a note book next time to identify what i photograph.

I think we will be going back on the 6th July so I can see the rest, and revisit the places I saw again.

Alpine House Last Photos

The final set of Harlow Carr pictures.Those boots were made for walking...untill the Sempervivums moved in.
They look like they were made to last the boots!











Its not all flowers :) here is the beautiful Ophiopogon Planiscarpis Nigrescens.A dwarf growing plant that has purple leaves, but when its exposed to drained soil and full sun they turn black.
Its also called Black dragon, or Ebony knight.I loved this darkness in the green/red/brightness of the other Alpine house plants.
This is a Blackswamp girl kind of plant.Its also on my wishlist now..





The gorgeous flowers of an unknown succulent with yellow crowns at the centre.

Alpine House photomix 2

The only plant I know the name of.This beauty is Calceolaria John Innes.I know because i photographed the name.
Calceolaria is latin for shoemaker.I thought it was a ladys slipper.
This one is from the slipperwort family.Its quite dainty, and very shoe shaped.










Spikey punk rock flower in the Alpine house.Its called Phyteuma Orbiculare, the Round headed Rampion.I think Sid Vicous would be a better name!








The beautiful flower on this reminds me of a chinese lantern. I need help naming this as well. With such a profusion of plants all close together labels get lost, moved, or stolen!
I thought it was nice all the plants were open along the shelves. As i left the Alpine house it said CCTV is in operation due to plant theft!
You can imagine it in florida (The Ghost Orchids etc) but not in Harrogate!

Alpine house photomix 1

Geranium Lawrence Flatman,look at the colours on this one!













A sempervivum in flower.Im used to the red and yellow flowers on the houseleeks in the alpine pot i had.These are like pink/white delicate blossoms, masses of them.











Another Sempervivum, a red one with the spiders web between the leaves.When i first saw the spider-ish ones I thought they had been left in a room for six months.It never occured to me that they would put fake cobwebs on.
Somebody scientific would explain what is the purpose of this on a house leek?

Alpine garden

The last place I will blog about is the Alpine houses, two long greenhouses with a myriad of alpine plants, cacti, succulents, and other plants that defy categorising.

This tour of Harlow Carr has taken me four days, i dont know how many photos i have uploaded slowly.

I love all the plants and flowers, being gardenless I took pleasure in all that I saw. Absorbed some of the spirit of that place.

Enjoy the photos,im cooking a late Sunday dinner of roast chicken.Bath, and then bed.In the indoor greenhouse I have new plants to blog about, not many flowers (you are not the only one Blackswamp girl), and more posts to write.Its back to work tomorrow for me :)

The memories will keep me going untill We go back again to Harlow Carr.

View from the Pergola End

The view from the end of the Pergola.A heavenly smelling flower with the white dangling Racemes gently moving in the breeze.

It is a solid wooden structure that the Wisteria has clambered all over.It is very vigarous (see the size of the stems,thick and ropey).

It is said to like freshly dug in organic matter, and needs phospahe and potassium.It has nitrogen fixing bacteria on its roots nodes.

I know when I grow it what it should look like!

Wisteria rope

The thick rope like stem of the Wisteria, according to Wikipedia it was named after a professor of Anatomy at the university of Pennsylvania.

Reading it is notorious for not flowering, so whatever the Harlow Carr gardeners do is working magic because it had flowered the entire length of the Pergola.

Just read Pergola is a walkway structure like this one.Arbor is a seated smaller version!

Another Rose

I wander if this is Rosa Eglantyne which is a briar type rose with a cup flower.

It smelt lovely too but the heavy rain had decimated the flower.Theres lots of buds there though.Growing in the shadey Scented garden alongside the Wisteria.

Sweet Peas

These were being trained up a willow support shaped like a tipped fan. My mum grew lots of sweetpeas up a concrete washer post in our old Cheltenham garden.

They smell gorgeous and can fragrance a whole garden.You can use them for cut flowers for the home.

This will also be in my scented garden plants to try to grow from seed.

Rose Brother Cadfael

This is the real Brother Cadfael.I got them mixed up the two scented pink roses in the scented garden!

It is good for poor soils, hedges, and containers.It flowers all summer long with fragrant pink rose flowers.

It smelt lovely!!

Yellow Hemerocalis

These yellow Day lilys smelt lovely, a very sweet pleasant scent.
I could not see a name tag by them.I looked up scented yellow day lilys.
It said they have been grown in China for thousands of years.The buds are said to be a delicacy.
They are good growers, and need splitting every few years to maintain good flowers.
Karen, I thought of you when i saw these.The day lily queen of 123 Garden!

These are now on my planting wishlist for a scented garden.

Love the flower colour and shape.They are said to be good too at keeping weeds at bay.The only problem is a hemerocallis gall midge that invades and infects the buds. the buds drop and the invader works their way into the ground to emerge as a fly and start the cycle over again.
Harlow Carr have been removing diseased buds as the only way to stop the midge larvae attack!
It said that late flowering Day lilys are not as prone to this, so maybe buy a few that flower at different times of the year.

Purple Clematis

I could not see the name on this Purple flowered Clematis.I loved the battered flower shape, and the cramy/lilac centre like fireworks.

Unfortunately there are millions of Clematis, so if anyone wants to hazard a guess to its identity.

Im assuming it is scented too, although I dont remember smelling this one.

Rosa unknown

Another Fab pink rose with sweet scent.The label said Rosa Eglantyne but looking on google its not that.

Roses are good for scented gardens I think.The delicate petals look good against the dark green of leaves, and hedges.

Scented Garden

This was the only part of Harlow Carr I wanted to visit after reading the about the gardens prior to visiting. A scented garden sounded lovely.Plants and flowers with perfumed air. I wanted to make notes mentally of what was growing there. Here they are :)
The garden is square shaped, surrounded by Hedging to enclose it. The seating is below the level of the plants. They are supposed to grow above you to release their intoxicating perfumes.
However I think the rain washed away a lot of the scents. I went around sniffing all the plants that I could see, to see if they actually smelled.
The only thing I knew about Wisteria was its where the Desperate Housewives lived...Wisteria Lane :)
Hils said yes thats Wisteria growing along an Arbour, and i stood on tip toes trying to put my nose near the trailing flowers. They smelt lovely. Internet needs perfume programmes so you can smell things!
I will post a montage I think of the Flowers I photographed. These include a yellow Day lilly (I got wet knees bending down to smell it.Thought of 123 garden! Karen who loves day lilies.),
An unknown purple Clematis, Rosa Eglyntyne, sweet pea's growing up a willow frame, and Rose Brother Cadfael, plus an unknown white rose.
I will revisit in July and try to see if it is more fragrant on a warm summers day.

White Delphiums

I just realised posting these lovely white flowers they looked different.A few google images later and im sure these are Delphiniums.The Tudors called them Larkspur, the flower buds were also thought to resemble Dolphins..hence Delphinium.

They are a pure white colour.The last photo shows a Lupin with its smaller cup like flowers.Fran bought one from Walton plant sale which flowered a few days after.I think they flower from the bottom up.

I love the white flower buds here dripping with rain.Bliss!

Poppy in the Lupins

A poppy like a dinner plate growing in the Lupin border.It sits alongside the Scented garden, Foliage garden, and Alpine houses.Its not named on the map either so I have called it the Lupin Borders becuase of the mass planting.I have never seen so many Lupins in one display.
They were strikingly bright, towers of coloured flowers in shades of white, purple, pink, blue, and red. The poppies were also planted along the border edges, with their hairy flower buds like cavemen.

Delphinium and Lupin Borders

Harlow Carr hybrid 3rd pic

Last photo from today.Its been some labour of love putting the photos on in some kind of order.I think if i took 12 it would not be as bad!
There are photos of the Scented Garden, the Alpine houses, the most spectacular display of Lupins i have ever seen, and other photos that dont fit either category.
Who would believe one visit could take so many days to write about and upload photos via blogger when its behaving.
I have found it more tiring blogging it then the five hours we spent in Harlow Carr,lol.I am back to work on monday and tuesday, so tomorrow is last day off to blog the last few areas.
It works on two levels, a tour of the gardens through my camera lens and words, and for me as a personel record of one mad, wet day.
My first visit to a garden, with the intention of seeing it, photographing it, then writing about it.Hope its not been too bad to read :)

Harlow Carr Hybrids: fireworks

Harlow Carr Hybrids

The Spectacular Harlow Carr Hybrid Candelabras light up the garden.Their bright coloured flowers are almost fluorescent here in the gloom of a rainy overcast day.Imagine them on a sunny day.
I guess this is one of their signature plants.Planted along the Queen mothers lake, Along the Streamside and Beck, in the main Borders, and here alongside the Whale/mermaid garden.
I did not see any for sale in the Garden centre though, or i would have bought one!!

Whale and Mermaid Garden

This garden was sandwiched between the main border, and the scented garden.Willow figures rising up from the grass. It is an ocean scene with a willowy pirate ship, mermaid with long flowing hair and fish like tail, and a whale.I got the ship and the mermaid but you can just see the whales body and tail.

Flower seeds had been planted and they are growing.I imagine it will be a mixture of blue and white annuals.Once they grow the willow figures will be in a sea of waving, happy flowers.

One more reason to come back, to see if this fantasy planting works :)

Geum in the Rain

One Rain drenched Geum, unknown red variety in a sea of red and green.This was definitely the Hot end of the main border. Next stop mermaids, whales, and a pirate ship...

Purple Palace Heuchera

I could not see the name, but it was available in the Garden centre.Love that coloured Foliage!

Added on Sunday june 17th: Hilary text me to say the Heuchera is called Purple Palce.I love the burgundy/pink/purple tones on the leafs.Its on my planting wish list!!

Perfect Combination

I smiled when I saw this combination, the one I thought of...Geums growing alongside the Burgundy Heuchera.The red flowers floating above the two toned leaves.Other strappy leaved plants are growing behind.I love the mulched bed too which seem to keep the weeds in check, and the roots warm!

A wooded Glade

Found on the main border edge.Only a few more photos to go before I move onto the next area's. I think I will do the Mermaid and Whale garden after a few shots of Foxgloves, Heuchera, and the Vibrantly red Geums...

Pachyphragma

A ground covering plant that loves deepshade.It has delicate white flowers in the spring, followed by flat heart shaped fruit afterwards. It was planted besides the mini Dicentra with the little red dangling hearts.
Romance in the tree's in the main border at Harlow Carr!

Dicentra Bachannal

Growing under a shady grove of tree's next to the long winded named Pachyphragma microphyllum.I often wander what to plant in a shadey area beneath tree's.Someone asked that at the Walton Villagehall plant sale a few weeks ago.

Orange Bright

If only it was as sunny last wednesday as this unknown orange flower, maybe a Gazania?

Flowers from main border and pathway

Unknown white flower spike with lemon sorbet centre..loved the shape of this.

A rain splattered Gazania I think..

A pink Cistus flower with its white bib, and yellow starry centre..

An Alium seedhead that looks like a purple and green fireworks explosion.These look good in flower as space age globes floating over the borders with stars of either purple or delicate white stars.The Victorians loved to dry these seedheads for decorations.

Main Borders

The Main borders were full of colour.We only walked past one end of it.It is planted like Hils garden from Hot colours at near end, and cool colours down the lower end of the valley where the beck is. The views were spectacular of massed planting with a mixture of plants.It shows what colours can be achieved with mixed planting of bulbs, annuals, perennials, grasses, and shrubs.

The borders run down to the woodland edge, where the tree's form a backdrop.I need to walk along it in July to see the colour gradation from Hot to cool.The photos give you an idea :)

The Wet Snappy Gardener

Here I am photographed by Fran.I have posted about Five areas we saw. The Rose revolution borders, Kitchen garden, The Gardens through time, the Queen Mothers lake, and the Woodland walk.
I will post some more tomorrow from the Main Spectacular borders, Alpine house, and the Scented Garden.
We spent five hours in the rain looking at all the flowers.There are parts that I have not seen yet.
These include the proper woodland walk which extends to the far side of the garden, a wild flower meadow and bird hide, Arboretum, Humus Rich garden, and the Streamside.
I loved all the flowers that I photographed.I hope it shows through!!
The amount of gardening ideas you can take from here is amazing. I never thought that visiting a large garden could expose you to so much beauty, and planting ideas.
It also has a cafe, and a garden centre so you can take away some of the plants that you have seen throughout the day.
Some of the photos are spectacular.I might even print them for display in a picture frame.I will do that later my top 12 photos from Harlow Carr.So many to choose from :)

Woodland Walk

A cheeky Woodland Spirit looking down on the Rain soaked visitors. I love the Ornate metal work and the fun of putting it on a tree. I wander what his name is?

Woodland sculptures were around the entrance to the woods. Tree sculptures held on sticks, log rolls within mesh wire. Logs piled up.These are to encourage wildlife I think with micro habitats.The ground was damp, and woody smelling.The plants were lush and green.

A Fun Shrub monster with blood dripping from his teeth, and glowing fiery eyes.I loved this. Fran took a photo for her kids but I think it was for her really..

The Mushrooms, home to fairy folk in British Myths and legends.Foxgloves and Ferns were growing happily beneath the tree canopys.

We headed back to the Car for Sandwiches and coffee.I will post a How wet was I photo next.The woodland covers about one third of the Harlow Carr garden.We saw only the edge of it, as the weather was wet.I will hopefully see the rest in July when we return again!

Yellow Flag Iris

A favourite photo from my day out, of the wanderfully named Flag Iris, growing Prolifically along the Queen mothers Lake. Its proper name is Iris Pseudacorus. A British native plant that grows on wet ground from lake and river edges, to damp woodland and marshes.
It was used by an Anglo Saxon king on his flag.They must have liked the sword like leaves and pretty flower.
I tried not to fall into the lake photographing it as i had to move to the waters edge :)
It likes full sun, and is said to be invasive under good growing conditions.It is propogated by its Rhizomes.

Flowers along the Lakeside

I thought this was a thistle.I stopped in the rain to get in the wet grass to take its photo.A little pink Jewel hidden amongst the long grass.I dont know the name of this one.

The famous Harlow Carr hybrid Candelabra Primula, flowering en masse along the lake and stream side.This plant is like a beacon, the colours are that vibrant.You can see it on the lake photos in places, and i have a better photo for later!

A lovely Hosta with some kind of flowery thing.I bet all you Hosta lovers can tell me what is growing up.Whether it is a flower bud.I think the birds had eaten all the slugs as there was not much slug damage.They looked happy on the damp margins of the lake.

Unknown flower.I love the violet/blue petals.It is photographed below too.
Last photo.I think it is some kind of Iris or lilly.When i go back in July I will try to get a closer drier photo if its still in flower.

Views of the Queen Mothers Lake

Ducks, waterlillies, flag iris, and massed planting that goes from the lake water edge to the surrounding border. Hostas, ferns, astilbes, daylillies, Gunnera, Rodgersias, and Darmeras.

Looking in the RHS books these are great for boggy, damp areas.

I need a longer time to try to find them all!A dry day would be lovely (NB it is still raining in Wakefield for the second day running.Its only briefly stopped.Harlow Carr will be waterlogged now which is okay for the above mentioned plants).

Queen Mothers Lake

The First glimpse of the Queen Mothers Lake, a newly formed Lake which increases the number of habitats present within Harlow Carr. The Lake links to other smaller ponds via the stream. The booklet describes it as a "wildlife corridor that opens up the garden to wildfowl, invertebrates and insects". Common visitors include nesting birds, dragonflies, damselflies, and butterflies.
The planting around the edge of the lake is mad with Flag Iris, Marsh marigolds, Harlow Carr hybrid Candalbra primulas, water lillies on the still waters. I saw Hostas, Gunnera, Daylillies, and some gorgeous thistles hidden in long damp grass.
The views were quickly taken as the torrential rain ran down my neck, over the camera, and soaked me totally.
I'd like to revisit this part and photograph all the flowers i could see.

Beautiful Blue after the rain

Unknown Blue Iris

The gorgeous blue Iris planted alongone side of the Sunken pool Garden.Half of the garden was roped off hence all the photos are from the side closest to the rose covered arbours.

Surrounding that garden was wild flowers and long grass.A wildlife friendly ecosytem right alongside the formal structure and planting of the Lutyens-Jekyll garden.

My head is swimming still with photos and flower names.There are still another five seperate garden area's to blog about.That was not all of them either!

58 acres is an enormous amount of ground, and when every border is literally stuffed full of plants, flowers, and tree's it is hard to take it all in.I think I could happily spend a week just wandering around with Camera and note book.

I love the small army of gardeners who were working on the Harlow Carr garden.I would love one of those jobs working there.

The visitors came thick and fast despite the rain. Britain, a nation of gardeners who dont mind getting soaked to the skin even with umbrellas. Getting wet looking at natural beauty is worth paying.

I hope the blog posts from today gives an idea of what Harlow Carr is like, as a flagship RHS garden. Growing in difficult conditions which has tested even the RHS gardeners. There is so much more to post.

One last photo to post today, give you a chance to absorb it all :)

Geum Mrs Bradshaw

Red hot pokers

Red Hot pokers planted next to the Geums between the Arbour and the Sunken pool.Their proper name is hard to pronounce so will stick to common name!

Roses up the Arbour

I have to get some of these pink Climbing roses.They were fragrant too.They looked lovely especially with the mass planting and sunken pool behind them.The light was quite poor with dark rain clouds making the camera think it was twilight.

Colours in the perennial Border

My one sideways photo of the massed planted perennials that grow above the sides of the sunken pool.There were Geums with red flowers, some blue Iris, some Red hot pokers, Gazanias, roses climbing up the arbour entrance where two benches invitingly waited to be sat on to shelter from the rain.I dont know the red flower name, the blue is Salvia I think.There were lots of pink roses too, you can see a few on the bottom left of photo.

Far end of sunken pool

The sunken pool at the other end with a cascading waterfall.The planting complements the hard structural elements.Most gardens need to work with the structure of a house.I love water features be it fountains, waterfalls, or still water.The lillies were floating, could not see any koi carp though!

Lutyens-Jekyll Garden

The garden shows the working relationship between English Architect Sir Edward Lutyens, and Gertrude Jekyll matching structure and planting.The Sunken pool and masses of Perennials deserve their own photo post.

Gardens through Time

After the Rose revolution border, and the Kitchen garden the path leads to a series of seven connected gardens.They were televised in 2004 as part of the BBC's Gardens through time.I have a book which traces the history of gardens from the Pre Roman days up to the 20th century.The interest is what plants and flowers people were growing, and how the fashion of the day has shaped those gardens.As we look forward we always look back too.

There is a Georgian garden from the 1700's, a Victorian garden, A matterhorn Alpine garden from 1890 (which i cant remember seeing.parts of the gardens were closed off), A Jekyll-Lutens garden which will get its own post, a 1951 festival of Britain garden, a 1970's outdoor room garden, and the final one is a Diarmuid Gavin Contempory garden.

Pictured above are the Victorian Pagoda which is strikingly red, but appeared to be stood behind thick shrubs accessible nowhere from the garden.

I am actually in a photo above, sat in a Follie.I thought it looked like a traditional african hut with the willow roof.I love the ideas of follies, shady comfy seats where you can watch the garden, and smell the flowers.The 18th century used follies and great seats around country estates for the owners to enjoy the views.

We have comfy chairs and tables now, an advancement from the follies of old.

An unknown flower bud, and in the victorian garden a row of Strawberry plants below a stone wall. One of the flowers is a pink, the other one is unknown to me :)

The final two pictures show the Auricula theatre, and inside a walk through shed, lots of fried flower heads, and seedheads. Old fashioned room decorations taken from the garden.It is from a Alium.There were certainly plenty of Aliums to dry seedheads from all over the gardens.

Next stop the Spectacular Jekyll-Lutyens Garden...

Kitchen Garden

On the left hand side there is a huge kitchen garden with six foot square raised beds growing loads of vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers.

I didnt know what most of it was that was growing.I liked the mulched walkways between the raised beds.

I wander what they do with all the edible produce made here.A strange touch was a wooden palace with a rose bush growing in the middle of it.

There were marigolds, and Nasturtium growing, leeks, tomatos, potatoes under a covering of black plastic and in a grow bag.

We walked around looking at the prodigious amount growing.I only took these two photos here.

The RHS is championing the cause of people growing vegetables, and fruit organically with no chemicals. A fight back against the supermarkets expensive produce.

Rose Revolution Borders

The Rose revolution borders run along the path from the main entrance leftwards.The borders were liberally planted with rose bushes, Salvia, and Aliums.The peach coloured flowers with yellow stamen above are nameless.I didnt see what they were called.

I love all the roses, and were sniffing all of them.The scent of roses is one of their highlights.I need a scent program that works on the internet.

This montage gives a feel of the opening display that takes your breath away.I could have taken five hundred photos and it still only gives a glimpse.It is good publicity for the RHS and Harlow Carr.I plan more visits throughout year to see how things grow and to see the parts we never reached because of the heavy rain!You can see a lot of rain drops on the flowers throughout the day.

About Harlow Carr

I went yesterday to the RHS garden at Harlow Carr.As you can tell from the first photo it was raining.
The BBC forecast light showers, but it was torrential rainfall most of day. We dashed between flowers, in between heavy rain. I got soaked within first hour!
The garden is situated on the outskirts of Harrogate, on Crag Lane in a shallow valley. The name Harlow Carr comes from the name of the stream (Harlow Beck) that disects the valley in half.
The Old norse word for land reclaimed from Bog is Carr.

I like the combination of the two names to name the garden.
The guide book says it is poorly drained ground, with heavy clay, and is acidic. The heavy rainfall means the lower garden is prone to flooding. Indeed I saw the water cascading down the paths yesterday. It will be boggy today as it is still raining heavily. The Valley is exposed to the winter chill, and the soil does not warm up untill April or May.
There are sulphur springs beneath the ground too, which make the soil more acidic in places. The springs were discovered in 1571. A businessman called Henry Wright built a hotel and bath house in 1844, and laid out gardens,

It was in 1946 that the Northern Horticultural society was seeking a garden in the North of England to test out hardiness and suitability of plants north of the Trent (river), to be a sister garden to the RHS garden at Wisley.
They settled on Henry Wrights Estate, and begun developing the gardens bringing new plants, planting massses of Rhodadendrums, and taming the woodland.
in 2001 the Northern Horticultural Society merged with the Royal Horticultural society, and the gardens have progressed since then. They have been featured on Tv Several times including the Gardens through time programme in 2004.
I love the Yorkshire feel here, making a garden with boggy, acidic, windswept, and frosty conditions. It must certainly test all the plants for hardiness and sustainability.

A Red Rose Epilogue

...from the day I spent at Harlow Carr.An RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) garden in 58 acres of land on the outskirts of Harrogate. I took 275 pictures, but that is an awful amount to blog through. I will post over a few days. I am still in plant and flower Nirvana, never seen so many plants in one day, and taken that many photos on the Fujipix. It got a serious work out with the conditions, colours, and myriad of photo opportunities. The day has given some vivid, striking images.
Coming soon!

Beating heart

dangling hearts

new bleeding heart

The Snail Shell

Found today in some pots that Hilary brought me a snail shell, with the most beautiful concentric ring pattern.
The snail was a real looker, the Dolce and Gabbana Snail shell look..I tried to find somewhere light in the flat to photograph it.I put it on my groovy tea tray.
Hils also brought some white Alstromeria cutflowers, pure white flowers with a splash of lime green on the petals, and red freckles. Plus an enormous 75 litre bag of compost :)
Whats better than spending four hours repotting plants and using half of that compost!
The indoor greenhouse is looking very green.I also got a new plant, A dicentra Spectablis (Bleeding heart) with some red heart flowers on it.
I gave Hil's the Balloon flower as it did not like my flat.It will look better in the blue end of her rainbow garden.
A good trade, a balloon flower for all the above mentioned things.We are going to Harlow Carr tomorrow. Near Harrogate, a garden built on a spring.
The camera batterys are being charged.Fran has made Tuna Sandwiches.Hils will bring some coffee to keep me well oiled.
I hope the weather holds the expected showers.I want to see the scented garden (smell?) and take a few photos.There is also a plant shop, and a tea room.
Cant wait, the perfect foil to doing seven long night shifts!!
A few bleeding heart photos to follow this post...

Looking..

Ludisia discolor

The Jewel Orchid chilling in the low light area between the computer desk and the TV.The flowers have finished, so the spike has been cut.I repotted it in a shallow fruit bowl so its rhizome could spread out.It has a new growth under the soil which hopefully will regrow as another stem with the dark velvet leaves.The leaves turn red when they are dying off I discovered.
They seem to grow out from the stem but the plant knows to make leaf cells and not stem cells.The leafs have coppery red veins that seem to glow in the light.

Red Poppy

The poppy that had not fallen to bits yet.I passed three red poppies in the public display.I dont know if they were planted originally or have been blown in somehow.

The are gorgeous.On the way to the plant sale over a week ago we passed some public land where there was a field full of them.A sea of red papery petals blowing in the wind.Like a Monet picture!

One is beautiful, a field full of them is spectacular.

Dog Rose in Bloom

This was about two metres in the air growing through tree and hedge branches.The other picture was too blurry.I need some better photos when im back at work again :)

Mystery Hedge flower

Taken today on the way back home from my nightshift.The purple coloured flowers look almost like Fuschias.
I have no idea what this plant is growing in the hedgerow.In the hedgerow the purple stands out miles from the greens, tan, and whites.
The butter cups are flowering, a daisy kind of flower, and today I even saw some Dog roses.I only realised when i got back.My blurry photo is like the Acrylic painting i did of the Rosa Canina.
I also got the photo i wanted of a red poppy growing in a residential planting display.where the pink flowers were before.
A beautiful red poppy with black centre.
What is my mystery hedgerow plant?Is it related to the Fuschias im growing?

Two flowers

Two Nicotiana Domino flowers like chinese lanterns..have just finished my seventh night of this batch.Time for gardens, flowers, and photos this weel :)

Hilarys Poppy

This was taken last week in Hilarys garden.She has been redoing it this week, making her borders rainbow like moving from Hot reds down to cool blues.I guess the Poppy is somewhere near hot.
The sun was shining and the flowers had freshly opened.I love the striking orange papery petals and yellow centres.Like sweets!
My last night shift tonight of Seven.I have blogged even with tiredness and sleep deprivation through this week.
Next week is going to be good.I am visiting a garden (Pats)on tuesday to photograph it.Then on wednesday I am off to Harlow Carr, A royal horticultural society Garden.One of four, but the only one in Yorkshire.
I need a full battery charge for that, and will hopefully bring back some plants!!
Unless I say my photos are from other peoples gardens, or outside then they are growing on my windowsills..
Busy lizzies, french marigolds, Verbena Bonarensis, Fuschias, Oriental stargazer (only one plant now has buds left on it), Asiatic lilly, Bouganvillea, snapdragons, Geum, sunflowers, Gazania tiger stripes, Hydrangea, An unknown Fern, Bird of paradise, Aspidistra, Jewel Orchid, Phaelanopsis, tomato plants, Bletilla Striata's.....
Thats some of whats growing inside the indoor greenhouse now :)

Inca gold three

Inca gold two

Inca Gold one

Green and light

Hydrangea in the Evening Sunlight after getting up.They are flowering in the pot that is sat near the Bedroom Windowsill.I am waiting for the colours to develop on the little green flowers.The top leaves have already turned a lighter peppermint green colour compared to the usual dark green well veined leaves.
The Oriental Stargazers have two well developed buds on one plant, and one sickly looking bud on the other plant.That second plant dropped most of its buds off for some strange reason.
I think they dont like the cold.The weather has been warm during the day, but then chilly at night.I have never grown them before so the journey from planting the bulb, to leaves growing, buds developing, and the final flowering stage is new.
I take a few photos when i get up before going to work.The plants are chilling to classic FM at night then being moved to a light room whilst i sleep.
Once im up i check their growth, soil, leaves, or flowers.They seem to be flourishing with my minimal attention.
Only two more nights after the Fifth one tonight.It always reminds me of Shakespeare Twelth Night :)

Peruvian Lillies

An unknown patient who was discharged sent my ward a large bouquet of flowers including carnations, roses, calla lillies, cape daisys, and these peruvian lillies.I took a stem of the Alstromeria for photographing and sat them in a wine bottle in the windowsill.
I tried and failed to find a pot of them in B+Q before.They are gorgeous with pink/salmon coloured outer petals and tiger stripes on the top petals.The flowers almost have faces on them from the markings.
They are on my wish list now, to grow from bulbs if i can find a supply.

Another Rescued Plant

Geum from the plant stall.The RHS Gardeners encyclopedia has such a lovely picture that we sold several based on that.There was one homeless Geum at the end which I took home.It has airy big green leaves that seem to float above the soil.The flowers rise up from the leafs.There are no buds yet.It needs a bigger pot.I thought they would be superb planted with Heucheras for the combination of leaf textures and colours.
They are herbaceous perennial plants and grow all over the world.They can grow in sun or partial shade. They spread bu underground Rhizomes, so i guess this plant has been seperated from its parent one.
They weave their flowers through other plants instead of standing up so they can be used in combination planting for great displays.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avens
Five more nights to go.I think this week will be a post a picture a day of whats growing in the indoor greenhouse.Lots more than just Asiatic lillys which are ending their sumptuous blooms, and Hydrangea in a pot :)

Promising..

The Bougainvillea has a flower bud already. The Flowers are usually white and small, but it is the bright papery bracts that are colourful. I thought they were the flowers.
They are native to south America, and were discovered in Brazil in 1758 by a french Admiral Louis Antoine de Bougainville.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bougainvillea
I hope it flowers beautifully. Another Exotic plant for the indoor greenhouse.It likes bright sunlight, moderate watering, and should flower every six weeks.In its natural habitat it can grow 12 metres tall.I will keep it pot bound.The BBC site said a 30cm pot should keep it to about two foot tall.I need a stick for it to grow up.The one it came with is shorter than the plant.

Tuesday's Flowers full of Grace..

Geranium Vancouver Centennial, the Scarlet flower

The Asiatic lilly blooming still, but dropping flowers now :(

The first recognisable flower on the Hydrangea.Where is the coloured petals? Will it be blue, pink, or white?Should i get iron chippings for the soil to make it blue?

The Nicotiana Domino starry shaped red flowers.I thought these were scented but i cant smell anything!

I want a sensory garden one day with sights, smells, and textures.I love handling leafs, sniffing flowers, examining the flowers, buds, and looking for new growth.

For Blackswamp Girl

The Aeonium Shwarzkopf with its dark looking leaves.It is native to the canary islands, Madeira, and North Africa.I think it looks like a house leek on a stem

These have beautiful yellow flowers in the summer, and are supposed to be easy to propogate.This has an enormous leaf head that tipped the pot over it was so heavy.

They need watering in the summer, but not in the winter.They are succulent so they store it in the waxy leaves.

It has a mad range of colour from black to purple to green.I will post more pics when i take them..

Aspidistra flying in...

The Aspidistra Elatior was one of my prize finds yesterday at the plant stall.It has beautiful two foot long leaves, and the stems are like thick green sticks (I thought they were green canes keeping it upright, untill i looked closer).

Also called the Cast Iron plant it loves low light areas, occasional watering, and has some purple flowers that grow at the base occasionally.I have mine about eight foot from the window.It likes half strength fertiliser during the summer every few weeks.

Joining the Richard E Grant loving plant are ten other kinds of flowering plant or grass.

These new plants are:

1) Aspidistra pictured :)

2) Fuschia Alice Hoffman

3) Salvia red plant

4) Penstemon Amelia Jane, small plant

5) French Marigolds: eight plants

6) Nicotiana Domino, eight plants with flowers of red, white, and pale green.

7) Streptocarpus from Hil's house.A hairy leaved flowering plant..

8) Festuca Glauca, two pots of the green/blue dwarf growing grass

9) Bougainvillea

10) Unknown name Hellebore, a baby plant

11) Geum Yellow, with its crinkly green heuchera like leaves.

12) Aeonium Schwarzkopf, a strange looking Succulent.like a house leek on a long stem.Its so big the rossette it tips the pot over.

Thats given me loads more plants to photograph.I took over a hundred yesterday from Hilarys garden, and one of her friends who had the most glorious Peony in pink and white flowering.They will be posts this week, between my seven night shifts.

Hope all your gardens are growing, and that the sun smiles down on you :)

Fuschia Alice Hoffman

Petunia in plant stall

Aster from plant stall

Busy lizzies...

Begonia....

Mimulus from Plant stall

Million bells flower from plant stall

Ageratum from plant stall

Charitable Plant Stall

I got up early this morning to go to Walton (a small village community on the edge of Wakefield) to help Hilary do her annual charity plant stall.
She has been busy for weeks growing masses of plants for sale outside the village hall. Bedding plants, perennials, vegetables, and grasses.
She set up seven tables entirely covered with plants, and the first two tables had the pavement covered in more plants.


The pictures were taken after a few hours because I left the Camera in the car. I took it out and tried to photograph the shady plant stall.
We were there for about five hours, selling the plants to villagers and passers by out on the sunny Sunday.
The village hall was massive inside, with a dance floor, raised stage, and piano. I used the kitchen for making a few cups of



coffee to keep the volunteers hydrated on a very warm day.
The first two people asked for plants we did not have.It is simple if you could see it you could buy it.
Trays of Busy lizzies, French marigolds, Begonias, Geraniums, Trailing and upright Lobelia, Trailing and upright Fuschias, million bells, petunias, Surfinias, Mimulus, Ageratums, My Black Violas, Tigerstriped Gazania, Asters, Sunflowers (both small ones and large varieties).


The Perennials included Foxgloves, Penstemons, Hellebores, Geum's, Salvia's red and blue, Aqualegias, the gorgeous Verbaena Bonarensis, Evening primrose in yellow or red flowers, Some beautiful Heuncheras, Eryngium (Sea Holly) which had striking foliage, some potted Hostas. An oriental poppy which opened one flower bud as we opened the stall.It went in the first round of people buying.


The Edible plants included Tomato plants, peppers, courgettes (which you can grow into marrows if you leave them long enough), celery, curly leaf parsley, runner beans, sprouts, Leeks both newly started, and bigger stablished ones, mint in pots swiss and common garden, and gooseberry bushes

which sold out fast.
There were odd specimins too like my cactus which were all sold, a mother in laws tongue, some Auriculas, some large houseleek type plant with green rosettes.
I am trying to remember what was there.Even I was suprised at the end to find some of the above listed plants.They were hidden away.
I will post a few more pictures afterwards normal size but blogger would not let me post them so you can click to enlarge them
Drum roll, we made a little over £456 which beat Hil's target of £400 from last years plant stall.It must have been having me and Fran helping :)
The committee divides the money raised from the plant stall, Vegetable show, and Pub Auction (of the Veg from the show) equally between four local groups.
Brownies, Rainbows, girl guides, scouts, elderly groups that provide xmas dinner.Basically four local groups will benefit from a fun day in the sun.
After two long days in the hospital admissions ward it was great to be outside, looking at millions of plants, and selling them to gardeners both amateur, and more serious.
The village hall was a throwback to the old days, as was the community minded growing plants to sell on a stall.
A few of mine went including Gazanias, viola midnight runner, and all my donated Cactus.I helped pack boxes, take overloaded boxes to cars, and sold plants, then rearranged table to put more plants on display.
There was some left over, but it was taken back to Hilarys house, and her friends and neighbours will benefit now from the excess bedding, vegetable and perennial plants.
It was a Grand Day Out :)

Baby bird of Paradise plant

Pinks too

The pink flowers posted so they dont feel left out.They are gorgeous, as Naturegirl said in a comment.She has Oriental Stargazer and Casablanca Lillies growing too.
My Oriental Stargazers have small flower buds but are developing slowly.I could not find any suppliers of Casablanca lillies on the internet for the UK.
I saw they were used often Casablanca in wedding displays because they are pure white flowered and scented.Got to have some of those if I can find a bulb supplier :)
Just makes me think of Humphry Bogart, and the Marseillase!

orange flowers

the third orange asiatic lilly has opened overnight...

Up with the Early birds

I think they were eating bread though not worms this morning.I live next to a take away so i guess some of the Polish occupants had a donner kebab last night.

About six little birds hopped, chirped and flew around chasing the chip.The windows were heavily condensated so it was not the clearest of shots.They made me smile though :)