Fal de ral de ral doFal de ral de ral do.....
Why on earth do you keep singing that this weekend? I've been asked. Is it because of the weather? Nope. I just think it's a fun, lovely song and I'm feeling upbeat that weekend, much like the song itself.
Nice weather for ducks, and plants! They've been enjoying the rain from the looks of it!
I'm of course referring to the song Nice Weather for Ducks by Lemon Jelly, which is a happy, upbeat electro track that has a nice, almost psychedelic video too. Funny enough, I never really thought how appropriate the song was to the mainly rainy weekend we just had, only by coincidence was I humming it on that particular weekend. The song was just a reflection of my happy mood and the fact that it was largely a free weekend of doing not much else but gardening, rain or shine!The rescued Trachycarpus wagnerianus is now starting to green up nicely
I do love July, rain or shine!
A time to garden, bliss! And it's a big deal as it's often enough that we get so busy that we miss out on the flowering of some of our plants, only realising they have done so after spotting the spent blooms or debris on the ground (like the photos below). So it was nice enough to know that we'll be able to do some gardening and actually have time to just look around too and take some pictures.This was all that was left when I had the chance to take this photo - Cardiocrinum giganteum
Nearly missed out on this one too - Magnolia grandiflora
Only one flower was left and it's looking past its prime but I'm happy enough I managed to see at least one! - Magnolia grandiflora
So this is not another blog about the weather btw, nor about ducks! It's about a random selection of plants that are currently looking great in the garden and making me feel extra happy...Acer sikkimense - I love the color of the new growth of this Acer, very bright...
and very red! Mind you even the mature leaves are very attractive - Acer sikkimense
Tetrapanax papyrifera 'Rex'
Tetrapanax papyrifera 'Rex' - an essential to a jungle garden!
and underneath that 'Rex' is another big leafed plant, the hardy tree tomato Cyphomandra corymbiflora
Cyphomandra corymbiflora
See Asparagus officinale in a different way...
I wish I'm able to take better photos of this plant as all the ones I've taken don't do this justice. Left to grow on, they make great garden plants, very ornamental with its airy and fine foliage - Asparagus officinale
I see something different here.... Bomarea hirtella twining its way up the Catalpa! So looking forward to see its flowers soon!
A quick detour to the potted plants area and these caught my eye...The subtle variegation of Ginkgo biloba 'Beijing Gold'
Ginkgo biloba 'Beijing Gold'
Attractive purple new flush of Oreopanax floribundus
And back again to the rest of the garden...Kniphofia hirsuta 'Fire Dance' at the base of a Kniphofia northiae
A wonderful foliage plant - Rubus lineatus
Rubus lineatus
A very graceful looking plant - Illicium lanceolatum
Schefflera rhododendrifolia is holding its own right in front against the bamboo behind it...
and that bamboo, Phyllostachys vivax 'Aureocaulis' is enjoying the extra rain, lots of big, fat culms this year!
All the ducks are swimming in the water, Fal de ral de ral do, Fal de ral de ral do...
I know this summer hasn't been the sort of summer we were expecting to have, it may be rainy but im still very happy with the way things are turning out!
Just in case you are wondering about this song, you can see the video here.
Mark :-)