SoS 27/7/19
I’m back in the Matchbox Garden away from the coast as I prepare for further eye surgery on Tuesday, so had a trip to the nursery, bought a few things and had a little bit of a plantathon… not that one really gets a sweat-up in the Matchbox, unlike my Northern Hemisphere friends who are sweltering!
Today I offer up a bit of a mish-mash of pics because in all honesty, there’s only so much to see in a garden that’s tiny.
The daphne’s in flower, so spring is only days away for us. The fragrance is delightful and I’ve placed vases of it in the bedrooms.
The white japonica is from a reserve close by, where it’s growing wild. I pick it in the tightest bud-form and it lasts for weeks, opening out to this full floral beauty before shedding petals on the floor.
The five Manchurian Pears of our garden that edge the common driveway have had tops lopped to keep them at a manageable level, stop the branches belting th windows in the wind and allow sun into our lounge. In the summer, the foliage is like a thickly verdant screen, protecting us from HOT northerly and westerly sun and also giving us tremendous privacy.
My richest black hellebore. I adore this one.
The speckled hellebore is like a winter face grabbing freckles from the sun. Love it.
This is the haul from the nursery. I was thrilled to find white poppies and in the mix there, you can see my climbing rose, Madame Alfred Carriere, has finally arrived. It’s been on order for 4 months! It has tender tiny buds and I so look forward to seeing it climb the black frame my husband has cut, painted and installed.
And that’s it from me, folks. I might do a little post on my tiny Matchbox Garden in the next day if you want to see a really small winter space, but in the meantime, hop over to Mr.P, as usual and see what everyone has on offer.
This black hellebore is really nice ! You won’t be disappointted with the ‘Alfred Carriere’ rose …
Thanks Fred. Alfred Carriere is one of my all-time favourites. I have it growing elsewhere and the flowers never disappointed in shade or fragrance. A friend has a sandstone home, double-storey, and the rose grows right across the front of the whole house. When I first saw it, it took my breath away.
Prue, the garden is looking delightful, you have packed so much in there, its gorgeous, you can tell the pleasure you get from it. Xx
Oh thank you, Libby. I just want it to explode one day – frothing everywhere like wave tips!
I love the black hellebore too and I can only imagine how delightful the daphne scent is! It looks like beautiful weather where you are, clear and cool. Fabulous.
Love the black hellebore, Prue. How do you keep your garden watered when you are away?
Thank you, Shirley. I buy from a breeder here in Australia called Post Office Nursery. They are fab. Watering is done by a tailored system throughout which we laid when we built the garden infrastructure. It operates off a computerised timer fixed to the back wall of the house. We’ve been using such a system for gardens since the 1990’s and it works brilliantly. We can over-ride it, change the timing/length of watering for different parts of the garden and it means that when we are away, the garden is being cared for. And let’s face it, we live on the coast and only ‘visit’ the Big Smoke, so it’s essential to be able to trust the system.
Stunning hellebores, especially that black one.
The black is so pure, isn’t it? I can’t wait to see what the slate grey is like but suspect there will be no flowers till next year.
That’s it, I’ve had enough! I’ve read so many positive mentions of mrs carriere, I now must get one. I have just the spot for her.
Good luck with your surgery.
She’s beautiful Jon. You must! And thank you re surgery. I gather I shall be rather black and blue but at least I’ll be able to see better.