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Another couple of old pics to start this month off, the front garden this time. Did I say garden, maybe builders yard would be more appropriate for the one on the left. The one on the right was taken about one year later, see the little pine tree peeping over the wall? Yes it's the same one as shown in the May photo of the front garden. You can see also that the lawn was a little larger (I was not short of planting space in those early days), and you can just about make out the wisteria to the right of the door. Notice also the rocks in the alpine bed, yes it was a true rockery then, now they have almost all disappeared under the plant growth. |
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Staying amongst the rocks, first up is Campanula cochleariifolia, I prefer the original latin name pusilla, it somehow fitted it's dainty stature and little thimble flowers. This little thing has proved more tenacious than others that I've tried to establish. Any campanula this size is usually easy meat for my slugs, just as a starter you understand, they need something far more substantial for the main course. Well not only has this one survived, but it has spread a little and flowered on and off for about four months. |
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I wish that I had more rock crevices. There is something satisfying about a plant in that situation growing and spreading out over the rock face as this Sempervivum will do in years to come. In this part of the world many plants will only grow in a vertical crevice, as the situation stops water standing in the rosette over winter. Lewisias are one plant that comes to mind for growing in this type of setting, though I have to say that they still eventually failed in my garden. The Sempervivium of course does not need the vertical crevice, just any situation in sun with free draining soil and very little competition. |
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This is another Sempervivium and as you can see it is perfectly content snuggled between the rocks with a sprinkling of gravel to set it off. I also grow them in free draining compost (equal parts John Innes No. 2 compost and sharp sand), in a variety of pots. They look particularly good when they have filled the pot and are starting to grow over the edges. Providing they get the free draining conditions and at least some sunshine they are one of the easiest most trouble free plants to grow. Sorry that I haven't been able to name the varieties, but there are so many and a lot of them are very similar in looks and size, plus they change colour depending on growing conditions. The better colouration occurs when they are somewhat starved of water. |
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Another easy plant for an alpine bed or the front of a border, this is Erigeron karvinskianus, another name change, used to be mucronatus. I am beginning to notice that it's all the names I can remember that they're changing, do you think it could be a plot? This one seeds around and is another drought lover. Flowers as you can see open pink and fade to white with age. It is seldom without flower throughout the whole of the growing season. Must check to see if I've covered this one before, just got a touch of Deja Vue as I was typing these notes. No can't find it in previous sections so it can stay in, if it's there and I've missed it my apologies for repeating myself. |
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Last in the alpine type plants is I believe a Sedum, getting worse now I can't even tell you the Genus, let alone the species, but thought I would include it as it is a little different and a very neat grower, only reaching a height of about one inch (2.5cm). It has not flowered for me in the three years that I've had it, or if it did they were so insignificant that I missed them, but who needs flowers when the foliage looks so good. |
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My favourite grass with a mouthful of a name, Halonechloa macra Aureola. I have had to wait a long time to see it looking like this. When I bought it by mail order it arrived as a tiny little thing with two little spears pushing up through the compost. Now ten or so years later it has finally made a plant large enough to show off it's graceful growth habit. Like most ornamental grasses it dies down completely in winter ( my lawn usually does that in summer :-) ) It seems to prefer a pot a little on the small side, but will not tolerate drying out, preferring a slightly shaded situation. I think I shall be having a go at splitting it this winter to get a couple of small sections to start two more plants. |
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Back on the geraniums, awe come on, I did give you a rest from them last month. O. K. so it was because I lost all my photos when the laptop went down, but these two are nice piccies. First one, and to the right, is Geranium procurrens, this is a spreader and a scrambler, though for me it dies back to the same spot each winter. I understand that if spreading over bare earth it will try to root at the nodes, but bare earth is something I haven't seen in this garden for a good number of years. When I say it scrambles, I mean it will send shoots up through bushes and the flowers will appear anything up to four feet off the ground, great for a photographer who suffers with a bad back. |
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The one to the left, Geranium wallichianum Buxton's variety, also scrambles but in a more dignified way only reaching a couple of feet at most. Both this and the procurrens have a long flowering season say from June through to and including October. |
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