Sinful Syneilesis

Year after year I continue to be impressed by this genus of woodland perennial. Not that we have lots of them, we only have two in the garden but they reliably come back in the spring (as you'd expect from a hardy perennial) and they get bigger and better each year.

We've referred to this plant as 'Cousin It' before on a previous blog post but once it has fully leafed it has no resemblance to this nickname whatsoever.

Sinfully lovely and leafy Syneilesis...

Syneilesis palmata

Syneilesis aconitifolia

Of the two which one is your favourite? Or do you equally like them both (or perhaps not at all)?

Cultural requirements? Dappled shade to shade, in a moisture retentive spot that doesn't get waterlogged either. 

Anyway, as an aside I just realised neither of us have posted anything about our garden for three weeks now, yikes!! The last post we made about our own garden was the one on the fourth of May, oops!

It's been such a hectic, incredibly busy, but fantastic past three weeks I must say. With the Cornwall trip and spending a few days covering the recently concluded Chelsea Flower Show, both events within close range between each other too (plus our own garden to sort out), there's so much material to write about. And although we have written some coverage already about both topics, there is still a backlog of subjects about them that I'd prefer to feature as separate posts. No doubt they will get featured eventually, gradually and interspersed between other subjects, no longer chronological but it will still happen...

But I thought it would be nice to bring it back again to the very root of this blog which is about our garden, even if it's just a short one (for now anyway).

Mark :-)

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April in the Garden

This year Spring has been quite late in the UK and across much of Europe, with a long cold snap through February and March. However April is now showing some warmer and brighter weather and the garden is responding rapidly.

I love this time of year, with new shoots and leaves on woody plants, and herbaceous plants busting through the soil ready to explode into new and exciting forms that we have not seen since last autumn.

I took a stroll round the garden this evening with a camera in hand, here are some of the plants that caught my attention.

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Scopolia carniolica

This delightful looking woodland plant was a pleasant surprise for us recently. I do not remember buying or being given it, so sadly I'm not 100% sure where it came from.

Scopolia carniolica

However it returned near to the middle patio area with the spring-like weather and rewarded us with the most exquisite maroon flowers. As we did not remember buying it we also were unsure of the name, however a request for an ID on our Facebook page gave us the answer pretty quickly (thanks Andrew, Don and others for confirming the name).

Scopolia carniolica

So now we have an ID, I thought I better find out a little more about Scopolia carniolica. It is a European native, with its natural habitat in the damp conditions of beech forests in southeastern Europe, covering quite a range of habitats from lowlands to more mountainous conditions. Although our plant is fairly small these can reach up to 60cm (2 feet) tall, I'll be quite interested to see how it looks as a bigger plant in future years.

It is a member of the Solanaceae family, and is reportedly poisonous, as it contains fairly high quantities of tropane alkaloids (also found in deadly nightshade), with the highest concentration found within the roots. Personally I tend not to worry too much about poisonous plants, many plants are poisonous, and as long as you are sensible and aware then you shouldn't have any problems. If we all only garden with plants listed as safe the world would be a very boring place. It can also be hallucinogenic properties and it was regarded as magical in medieval Europe with an association with witchcraft. 

On Facebook it was mentioned that there is a yellow flowering form (var. brevifolia), so that is something I will have to look out for, although I love the colour of these flowers.

Gaz

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Leafy Woodland Wonders!

Woodland plants with big leaves play such an integral part in our garden. Used as under story planting to other, much taller exotics, they help reinforce the atmosphere in our jungle themed garden. 

Here's a few of what's currently looking good in our garden. 

Diphylleia cymosa

This has been in our garden for four years now and never fails to perform with it's curiously shaped leaves that remind me of bat or moth wings. The leaves it throws out gets bigger as it gets established and despite being partially hidden from view, never fails to catch the attention of most of our visitors. A wonderful plant, I can't get enough of this and have several planted in different places of our garden. It thrives very well on dappled sun to full shade in a moisture retentive site. I've tried it on dry shade, although it still comes back every year, it struggles to get produce bigger leaves.


Astilboides tabularis

A well established specimen in a moisture retentive, shady spot is always a sight to behold. It can truly live up to it's common name, the Dinner Plate plant as it can produce huge, circular leaves the size of a dinner plate (or more like a round serving tray I think :-)). An old favourite, it associates well with shady cottage style of gardening, ferneries, and of course jungle style of gardening.




Sanguinaria canadensis

This gently spreading North American woodlander has gorgeous spring flowers, but the main reason I grow it is for it's interesting, and relatively big leaves. Even the smallest of gardens can have room for a few


Peltoboykinia watanabei

A lovely woodland plant with interesting foliage originating from the far east. Younger specimens and leaves are palmate but as the plant gets established it throws out much bigger leaves that are more circular/less lobed. I do like this plant but I must admit that it's cousin is my favourite...


Peltoboykinia tellimoides

Another plant I can't get enough of! I absolutely love it's stellate leaves that gets bigger as the season progresses, and improves in overall habit as years go by. Unlike other woodlanders, this one seems to tolerate a sunnier spot and doesn't wilt on warm, sunny days. I think it's gorgeous! If you're only limiting yourself to one Peltoboykinia, this is the one to go for.





Podophyllum 'Spotty Dotty'

A relatively new introduction that is proving to be very garden worthy for many, with it's huge, marked, and patterned foliage, and curious red flower borne in the late spring. The one on the photo has been on the ground for four years and it just gets better every year. It prefers a bright spot with indirect sun, or dappled shade in a moisture retentive site. Full shade and it fails to bulk up, full sun and the leaves take on a light green shade and you lose the intensity of the markings. 


Petasites frigidus var. palmatus 'Golden Palms'

A naughty plant but I think is very nice! I love the shape of the foliage and the yellow speckles on the big leaves. It can be invasive but I find it easy enough to control by regularly pulling up new shoots as the rhizomes tend to be superficial. Site with care and not for the low maintenance gardener.







Syneilesis palmata

I'm so impressed by this plant, in the spring you get curiously odd looking hairy shoots coming out from the ground (and plenty of reaction too when I featured it on a Wordless Wednesday), then you get heavily dissected leaves that get bigger and bigger, very architectural! Gently spreads out to make an even more impressive stand. Wonderful! :-)

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