Hello people, I’m back again!
Life took a bit of a dip recently after the death of my Dad and I lost interest in everything including blogging! I haven’t stepped foot on my allotment for 2 weeks and not sure what I’m going to find this afternoon when I make a much needed visit. However, yesterday I spent time in my daughter’s garden doing a spot of tidying up, they have missed their gardener (me!) so there is a lot to do.
1. Begonias
Whilst not to everyone’s taste this begonia trough is a riot of color and you can’t help but think wow! Personally I was not a lover of begonias, the name always springs to mind visions of little pink flowers with burgundy leaves used in park gardens. These were small bedding plants given to my son in law by his father and I planted them in a trough on the patio, certainly not expecting the kaleidoscope outcome. They have survived the hot dry weather, being ignored, and have changed my view on begonias.
2. Morning Glory and an unknown clematis
Much to my daughter and SiL’s dismay, after pulling up the bindweed growing rapidly up the trellis on the garage wall, I planted Morning Glory. I think they were a little more than a bit dubious when I explained the difference and that ‘Grandpa Otts’ was a great colourful climber. Although we thought we had cleared the bed in the spring, I found a tiny clematis shoot, so without saying anything I left it to weave it’s way up the trellis. By some miracle it is the same color as the Morning Glory, but I have no idea what it is called – anyone recognize it?
3. Dahlia ‘Preference’
A good friend wanted to buy me a ‘Cafe au Lait’ dahlia last year but as they were out of stock she ordered tubers to be delivered in the spring. The nursery sent two tubers of ‘Preference’ with a note to say Cafe au Lait was still not available so we’re sending the tubers closest in color – which was not the case. It is aptly named as I do prefer this one, the blooms are smaller than ‘Cafe au Lait’ and it gives more color. You can see from the above photo, it has been left to tumble through the flowerbed – this happens when the gardener doesn’t visit regularly and stake the plants 😄. I think they look lovely like this and might just let them do this next year rather than have them regimentally tied up.
4. Salvia ‘Love and Kisses’
I have introduced a number of salvias of different types into their garden. We have all fallen in love with ‘Love and Kisses’. I was a little concerned that it wasn’t going to get enough sun, this border is in shade in the morning and late afternoon, but clearly it was a good spot and it is thriving. Getting it through the winter is the next step – advice on this please?
5. Euphorbia ‘Summer Icicle’
How many packets of seeds free with gardening magazines do you actually use? I had a weird collection in the spring and amongst them was a packet of Euphorbia seeds. I was unaware you could not only grow Euphorbia from seeds, but that some of them were annuals. As an experiment I sowed them in little pots and was not very successful with only two coming to fruition. They are in the ‘Hot Bed’ and are so pretty. I do know they are full of sap which can be an irritant so will be careful. ‘Summer Icicle’ is on my seeds to grow list for 2019.
6. Hot Bed
It is difficult looking after someone else’s garden when they have different ideas and these obviously must be respected. Even more so when it is family. I like the cram-it-all-in style of gardening, giving the higgledy piggledy look, as you can see in the number 3 Dahlia photo. My daughter and SiL prefer to go for the clear cut, room around each plant, look. It is a large garden with lots of space for different flowerbeds so a variety of looks are easily incorporated. Armed with a list of suggested plants from me, they bought and planted a hot bed, including grasses. monarda, agapanthus, salvias and knipofia. It really is quite impressive and they have done an excellent job. Above is the bed from both ends.
Please call in on The Propagator’s Blog and see his Six on Saturday and peep over the garden fence of the many other contributors.