SoS 9/5/20
Here we are again! It’s astonishing to think how quickly the week goes as one day rolls seamlessly into another so that days even lose their names at this current time.
Here we are again! It’s astonishing to think how quickly the week goes as one day rolls seamlessly into another so that days even lose their names at this current time.
Before I start, happy birthday to SoS and congrats to Mr.Propagator for starting the whole thing three years ago. It’s been such a bonus for me, watching and learning about different shrubs and plants and meeting gardenaholics. So thank you, Jonathan!
My pics today are from earlier in the week when it was springlike and sunny. Today, on my end of the globe, it’s wet, windy and chilly with frequent little cold cells drifting across the radar and preventing any outdoors activity at all – something I don’t take kindly to.
This week on SoS, I’m offering two gardens.
The state of one is the direct result of Covid-19.
We’ve been in lockdown with borders closed for quite a while here in my state of Tasmania (Australia). If one had a shack anywhere, (a second residence on coast, rural or highlands), one could stay there for the duration of the lockdown, only venturing away for food, exercise and medical requirements.
It’s similar to the UK, I believe – Stay Safe, Stay Home.
Golly, I certainly didn’t think I’d have any plants to talk about but because of the C-Virus, and our island declaring a State of Emergency and shutting its borders, I’ve spent a lot of time in the garden, doing the autumn cutback.
It’s been wonderful, I’ve found:
It’s been such a long time since I SOS-ed.
The main reason is the ongoing drought where I live.
Deciduous trees are yellowing and losing leaves, not because autumn approaches, but because of lack of water. Our subsoil is dry for at least a metre, if not more. The above is one of two massive sixty year old willows in our garden, favourite hiding places of our grandson and our terrier.
My borders stopped flowering weeks ago and whilst we can keep the borders alive, it’s as though the plants are going into hibernation. So there’s little to photograph as even in the city, trees are beginning to shed, street verges are dry and in some cases just dirt. And gardens of the less interested are looking awful.
However, on a quick walk yesterday, I took pics of what caught my eye and gave me hope that this pervasive dry will end one day and it will rain.
Acorns in a street row of oaks. I love the trees – so shady in summer.
Down a little lane and shaded from the worst of the westerly sun, this tiny little clematis (unknown?) which I found so pretty. I wouldn’t mind a cutting, as I have a thing for clematis.
Which brings me to seedheads of Clematis Montana in my own garden.
Nasturtiums. Love the colours, love the taste of the flowerheads in a salad.
And finally, Pachystegia insignis. This plant that grows down the road from our little city-bolthole is the one that caught my eye a while ago with its leaves. It has papery white flowers and now these wonderful seedheads. It’s very hardy and I purchased three last year. All in tubs as a plantsman friend says they do best in tubs, she has found.
And that’s it from me for this week and probably for a little while because of the drought. It will soon be time to begin reading catalogues, to separate seeds and think about propagating, but without adequate water, it’s hard to divine anything beyond life-support for what one already has.
So pootle on to other wonderfully wet northern hemisphere gardens with The Propagator, folks. It’s envy on steroids!
Toodles.
Not many words in this frantic ‘before Christmas’ post.
The little Aussie Matchbox blooms amazingly when we go to the city. When we are on the coast though, it’s a constant effort to keep things fresh and exciting in the middle of the ongoing Big Dry (to which I’ll add the word – windy!).
So my six are all those I’ve shared the previous summer – only this year, they’re one year older and showing just how stunning they can be in my white garden.
The strange and ghostly white clematis with the mauve tinge and green stripes is completely unknown. I just remember I liked it in the catalogue. It’s LOVELY on the fence.
And so’s the pom-pom green one. But actually, so’s every other clematis I have – and surprise, surprise, all whites. All eleven of them!
Just for some variation closer to the ground, I do love the pulmonaria (which flowers white) and the dicentra (I have two different varieties of white flowers).
I do apologise for the lack of names but I’m away currently on the coast and my botanical list is in the city. I’m trying to pluck names from a pre-Christmas head chock full of non-essentials. In any case, I’m sure the informed amongst you know exactly what each plant is!
To see how gardens are progressing in the northern hemisphere, do click on the link and go to The Propagator’s SoS. It may prove a gentle way to spend a weekend!
We’ve just had a ghastly bout of weather. Last week we had 32 degrees and we were swimming. Yesterday, it was 9 degrees with galeforce winds and icy rain. My poor garden has been battered and bruised but plucky thing that it is, it continues to bloom regardless. That’s the wonderful thing about nature.
My six were taken in haste this evening after freezing rain earlier today.
Firstly my flower purchases.
White petunias for terracotta tubs here and there. Three packets of different varieties of sunflowers for the veggie garden. Pachystegia Insignis for tubs. Dicentra formosa. It’s delightful. Primula auricula with a ‘blackish’ flower.
Next, my veggies. Firstly parsnip seed. Then seedlings: cucumber, zucchini, basil, mixed lettuces and pak choy. I’ve already planted potatoes, snap peas, snow peas, carrots and beetroot.
Thirdly: my propagated sweetpeas. I complained a few SOS’s ago because they seemed only to produce blue flowers but in the last week they have started with pinks, so I’m quite happy. And I can’t believe that I grew this fence-load of plants from seed I collected myself. Thanks Mr. P for the encouragement.
Fourthly: Madame Alfred Carriere on the veggie garden fence. A picture, despite the gales we’ve had.
Fifthly: I wintered poor little Euphorbia Diamond Frost in my cold frame but it looks appalling! I hope evidence of green stems means it will survive. What I don’t like is the horrid seedling/triffid taking over the pot. How dare it! I ripped all the white foxgloves out of the garden last year and expect the rest of my life will now be stopping them taking over.
And finally six. It’s not hail or snow. It’s white petals off the Guelder Rose after the winds. Poor plant.
To have a look at other global gardens, pop over to Mr.P
Cheers all.
I’ve missed SoS for such a long time. September/October have been such busy months, which is a shame because I’ve missed sharing my fritillaria, hoop petticoats, spring crocus, white muscari and the much loved black and white tulips which this year have done me proud – so much excitement and I was unable to share it.
I haven’t done SoS for a couple of weeks as quite honestly, the garden sank into a pre-spring hiatus as our weather turned bitterly cold, windy and … wait for it … wet! We have managed to accrue some quite good falls in our area after minimal rain (what we called our Big Dry) from November. So it’s been with utter pleasure that I have watched things like tulips unfold and blossoms fill the air with their nutmeg scents in the evenings.
Today, my crocuses (Jeanne D’Arc) burst into bloom and I have posted three shots…
Once upon a time…
… we downsized to a small house with a tiny garden. The garden, once established, had to give us (and the dog) joy. And an escape from the city outside the gates, because we’re not city folk.
It also had to promise to care for itself for large tracts of time.
So not a lot to ask really…