Post Mortem Embrace

As I was tidying and removing some of the dead plants still dotted around the garden last weekend I noticed this in our utility area (i.e. where some dead plants are also stored to be sorted out later):

It's like the long dead Cyathea australis giving the newly dead Yucca thompsoniana a cuddle,  a post mortem embrace. Perhaps it is giving it commiseration or a welcome to plant hades.

The Yucca came to us many years ago bare root and needing TLC so it stayed in the greenhouse for quite some time. Not long after being repotted it flowered which took up a lot of energy from an already ailing plant. And instead of re-rooting, all pre existing roots that it had rotted away instead. It was a slow death for the poor plant as it lingered in the greenhouse for years, finally succumbing this spring despite being given special care all through those times. Nevermind. And so the remaining trunk is now stashed with other architectural lifeless plant bodies in the utility area.

And speaking of demise after flowering, one of my favourite bamboos in the garden, a very slow growing one yet so beautiful with its bright yellow culms with green stripe on its sulcus is flowering...

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April in the Garden

Well Spring seems to have finally turned up after what seems like a much longer break so last weekend we finally got some time in the garden. I can't just blame the weather as we have been away quite a lot recently too, but it has felt too miserable to do much even when we were at home.

 

The patio area almost looks like summer is here, most of the plants have done ok this winter, although the agave in the bottom right hand corner is showing some damage. Hopefully it will just be marked rather than anything more serious.

Feeling like summer on the top patio

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A Poem Lovely as a Tree

Whenever we go tree shopping I always find myself thinking of the poem Trees by Joyce Kilmer, a poem that as a child we were made to memorise and recite over and over again on numerous occasions in primary school. Even during typing class (do they still have typing lessons in school nowadays?) one of the exercises that we had to do to pass was to type the lines of this poem arranged in a way to form a symmetrical shape of a tree.

Tree shopping, what a bliss!

Ahh memories! Memories of a poem that was overused in school with its simple, melodramatic lines and religious overtones written to exalt the virtues of trees. Overused it may have been (and it possibly still is) but this is just a testament to the  simplicity, effectiveness, and beauty of the poem. A big kudos and a lasting legacy to the poet who penned it.  

So tree shopping it was for us last Saturday, albeit an impromptu, spur of the moment decision. I know I just mentioned on our previous post that we stayed at home and gardened for most of that day but connected to that was the urge to start reinstating plants that will provide structure to the garden. With the clearing out starting it would also feel great to commence some planting too. And what way to start this process than to put in a beautiful tree we've always wanted to have in the garden but never had the space for it until now.

Given the space (and fortune) I'll happily have all of them!

This is the Tibetan Cherry, Prunus serrula 'Tibetica', a tree introduced into cultivation by Ernest Wilson in 1908 from Western China and is one the finest trees available mainly for bark interest but its graceful habit, form, and not so large size are also notable features. The bark can be polished by regular hosing and even rubbing to further enhance its most attractive feature. There is a beautiful specimen of this that greets visitors to Kew Gardens via the Victoria Gate entrance and ever since we caught sight of this elegant tree it immediately went into our wishlist. And from last Saturday it finally leaped from our wishlist into reality and into our garden.

I couldn't find any of our photos of ones growing at Kew so I borrowed this from Loree of Danger Garden who took this photo when she visited Kew Gardens in 2012

And here's another one taken by Loree (she does take fab photos!) - Prunus serrula 'Tibetica'

I do love trees, perhaps just as much as Joyce Kilmer indicated in his poem (okay, perhaps less melodramatic and religious). In fact whenever I get asked what would be the first non practical thing we would do if we acquired acres of land (hypothetical question but who knows, it might actually happen in the future) to garden I always say I want an arboretum, much to their surprise as they almost always expect that we'd say something like an arid bed, jungle walkway, or even a large pond. Fortunately for me Gaz shares the same sentiments on this matter. We'd still have those of course, given the chance but an arboretum would be really nice.

Given the generous space I could happily indulge in collecting Sorbus, Prunus, Magnolias, Acers, various conifers, you name it. Small trees, large ones, slow growing, fast growing, long lived, short lived, legacy, newly introduced, etc etc! And then underplant these trees with various bulbs that would come up and flower in succession through the seasons. Galanthus, Trilliums, Daffodils, Aconites, the list can be endless.

Snap! That's me daydreaming now! Better get back to reality and focus on this one particular plant, or should I say tree for now.

So after spending most of the day clearing and tidying up by mid afternoon we cleared enough space of an area to make way for a tree. There used to be a common elderberry tree, Sambucus canadensis growing sort of in that area and just behind the fences that provided some structure and privacy to the garden but that's gone now, perished by the fire (and rootball subsequently dug up just in case). So a replacement was necessary and this tree immediately sprung into mind. We still had about three hours of daylight left to do anything in the garden and we took advantage of this by immediately driving to a garden centre within our area that we took note of before that sells larger specimens of this tree for a reasonable price.

Not a bad size for price and will provide instant height and impact

We got there, made our choice amongst the best of what they had that is tall yet will still fit in the car, paid, and tied up the top growth with the only thing we had available then to tie it up which was literally a tie (we were a tad unprepared) then headed straight back home.

Why use a rope when you can use a tie!

Unloaded the car, dug up a hole, then presto, there it was in its new home. We forgot to buy a tree stake then so that will follow soon.

We thought it would be nice to cap off that day by planting out a tree that's we've wanted for awhile, and also symbolic that the road to recovery of our garden has truly begun.

And there it is, in it's new home, and playing with a few plants potentially for underplanting by positioning the pots.

Yes it was spontaneous but so, so satisfying! It all starts with that beautiful tree, more plants to follow later.

The fences will be sorted out, painted, and blended away later on but for now we're just admiring and appreciating the presence of this tree in our garden

Now back to the poem, after me saying how overused it was Gaz tells me he is not familiar with it at all! Perhaps it's just me and my school contemporaries then? I'm sure that's not the case.

But for those who are not familiar, let me share to you:

Trees

by Joyce Kilmer

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

Mark :-)

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So What Did We Buy?

I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of interest expressed on what we bought from the recent RHS London Plant and Design Show. We enjoy looking at photos and reading about the plant haul of other plant lovers and vice versa for they give an idea on what's new and what's out there. Especially at this period where it's the tail end of winter and plant buying season is starting to get in gear again.

The plant tag that brings joy to my heart, lol!!

Keeping our plant haul a suspense was unintentional and the reason it wasn't included on our previous post about the event was simply because we forgot. It was a quick post as the show was on for two days and it was best to put some pictures up whilst it was still ongoing which may entice more people to visit the next day.

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Look Down and See Beauty

On a sunny winter's day wandering down the garden it's easy enough to just focus on plants within your immediate level of vision. More often than not though it's also worth looking down to see some beauty, like this Hellebore in bloom that is a cheer to see in winter...

This post was initially inspired by fungi glistening with rain that fell the night before...

But there were others too that were a delight to see on a bright winter's day like...

Magnolia delavayi sprouting from the base. A symbol of hope and recovery from the fire

Saxifrage, Stone, and Moss

Euphorbia x pasteurii

Chrysosplenium macrophyllum

Galanthus - oh yes we have some of these too!

Mahonia eurybracteata (syn. confusa)

I'm so pining for spring now. Or at least the time when we can get fully stuck in mainly into gardening again, whichever comes first. The very thought of gardening is such a huge motivation to finish off all remaining bits of decorating still left to do in the house.

Patience dear patience, it's only winter still!

Mark :-)

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Favourite Plant of the Week - Pittosporum tobira 'Variegata'

How could you not love a plant that looks pristine and beautiful at this time of the year? That's how I found this Pittosporum tobira 'Variegata' last weekend.

Pittosporum tobira 'Variegata'

Ever since we've moved in to our house and started cultivating the garden we have considered putting in this shrub but somehow never managed to, always being edged out by other plants that are a bit more unusual than this one. Until we saw a beautiful specimen growing inside a glasshouse in Vienna, Austria the last time we visited. Winters in Vienna gets a lot colder than it is here so some plants that grow happily outside here are not hardy enough to grow there unless under heated glass. Quite unusual and was a bit surreal to see some 'staples' here growing in a glasshouse there, including this variegated Pittosporum but I'm glad we spotted their nice specimen which made us appreciate this plant even more.

So much so that when we got back home we immediately bought one from a nearby garden centre and planted it out in the spring!

This plant is unfussy, undemanding, and reliable. That's how we find it anyway but it has a reputation for tolerating a wide range of conditions from full sun to dappled shade, acid to alkaline soil, even coastal conditions. It does prefer a sunny spot in moisture retentive soil. 

The glossy, evergreen, variegated foliage glistens and seems to brighten up its own spot. And the plant can integrate well with different styles and planting schemes, from Japanese, jungle, to formal, and modern.

We join Loree of Danger Garden for her Favourite Plant of the Week meme!

Mark :-)

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The Potted Life of a Gunnera

As I wandered down the garden the weekend before last I caught glimpse of our Gunnera tinctoria that is sited on the raised bed adjacent to our bottom patio pond. It is dormant at the moment, currently hiding underneath last years growth with its own leaves snapped and folded on to itself to protect the main crown and the smaller bud surrounding it from the worst of the winter. 

On some years we would throw in a few layers of fleece in between the crown and its own leaves just to give it some extra insulation. And sometimes we would even anchor down the folded leaves with netting fastened with tent pegs just in case the winds would uncover it especially as the leaves itself rot down through the course of the winter. This winter we haven't bothered with any of both and just relied on the leaves itself to rest on to the crown and do its thing. So far so good but then again it's been a mild winter so far.

Not a pretty sight but look at those buds!

The main crown and the smaller buds have been steadily increasing in size over the past few weeks and will continue to do so until in spring when they open up and new leaves emerge that will just get bigger and bigger through the course of the growing season. We find that the first batch of leaves that they release tend to become the biggest ones that they'll ever produce in that growing season, with the ones following them only marginally smaller.

Looking at the Gunnera has also reminded me of one of the most common questions we get asked by visitors to the garden: Is it possible to grow a large Gunnera long term in a container?

Yes of course, this one has been container grown by us at least since 2007. I can't remember anymore when exactly did we buy it, perhaps just the year before that but it did live in the garden centre where we bought it from for several years before we actually bought it. As for long term, well that's relative but with the right care a giant Gunnera can thrive in a container for years.

There are two giant Gunneras that are readily available here, G. manicata (Brazilian) and G. tinctoria (Chilean). They both get very big but apparently the former gets a touch bigger than the latter. In reality size difference between the two seems negligible so whichever you choose the care and result you'll get will likely be the same.

This plant prefers a free root run of course and keeping it in a container will curb its growth and the size of the leaves they produce to varying degrees. The bigger the container, the better and leaves they can produce can be bigger too. 

It likes a rich growing medium that is moisture retentive but not permanently waterlogged. Naturally it doesn't grow on ponds or bodies of fresh water that keeps it permanently submerged but rather on the banks wherein it can keep its 'feet' wet by being near the water whilst the rest of the plant well above it. 

So when growing on a container make sure it still has some drainage whilst at the same time conducive to retaining extra moisture which it needs especially in the summer. The Gunnera has an extra high moisture requirement especially in the summer but will also detest being permanently waterlogged. Generous moisture in the summer months will encourage larger leaves and vigorous growth as well as keep their leaves upright even on the warmest parts of the day. Its leaves are prone to droop down when it gets really warm and moisture supply is low and potted specimens are more prone to this, less so for those on the ground.

When we first planted ours on a wooden container it was first lined with strong plastic (compost bags) that were pierced at random places. This made the container hold more moisture but at the same time still has means for drainage of excess of it. Same principle when we transferred it later on to the raised but this time using an old pond liner.

They tolerate dappled shade up to full sun as long as their moisture supply remains constantly high which keeps the leaves from drooping. The best site for it is semi/dappled shade.

How do we maintain ours? In the spring we clear off all the remaining old leaves and give it a dose of liquid fertiliser to give it an initial boost. We also push in on to the soil some plug fertiliser as this plant is a gross feeder and responds really well with extra feeding by putting on large growth. Then it is watered generously as and when needed. As it is on a raised bed with cobble mulch to prevent soil going on to the pond, it has little access to naturally rotting organic matter hence the need to give it summer supplements to support a good display.

So if you don't have the space to have one growing on the ground and getting to gigantic proportions, it is still possible to haveone but grown in a container. It may never get as big but it can still size up enough for an impressive summer show in the garden!

Mark :-)

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Favourite Plant of the Week - Arum italicum subsp. italicum 'Marmoratum'

Whew! What a long name but what a cheer to see looking so good even in the depths of winter. Another stalwart of a plant worth highlighting.

Arum italicum subsp. italicum 'Marmoratum'

This very exotic looking yet very hardy aroid has large, arrow shaped leaves that are glossy and heavily marbled with cream that in time can cover large areas from late autumn until early spring. Later on the spathes rise up above the foliage and develop into displays of clumps of attractive orange berries, becoming the main attraction of this plant and taking the limelight as the foliage dies down.

But before we even get into the berries later in the year, growing it for the foliage is enough reason to have it especially as it looks so good, pristine, and very exotic at a time of the year when very little else is looking at their prime. A great plant for winter interest.

Despite it potentially taking over large areas, it is slow to do so and unlikely to be a nuisance and doesn't seem to smother other perennials. Also they are in leaf at a time when most plants are dormant and by the time other plants leaf out, the leaves of this aroid starts to fade away and the area is taken over by others.

This plant is easy to establish, doing well in moist and shady areas, perhaps even in a sunny spot as long as the area doesn't dry out. You can introduce it in the garden via plants in leaf bought in the autumn and once you get the berries you can scatter them in other parts of the garden where you want it to be seen. Sometimes blackbirds can do this deed for you however you won't have control where it will come up (unwanted seedlings are easy enough to remove though).

We join Loree of Danger Garden for her Favourite Plant of the Week meme!

Mark :-)

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Call of the Familiar

As I sat yesterday trying to think of things to possibly see and do for the coming new year I also found myself making a list of things and places to best perhaps steer clear of temporarily, just to inject some variety on our visiting repertoire.

Three places stood out for us, namely Madeira, Kew Gardens, and Cornwall.

Madeira

Nothing wrong with these places, in fact we love them to bits! It's just that we have visited them far too many times already and although each visit is enjoyable, it does make you wonder too if we've just let ourselves get stuck in some sort of routine.

Variety is the spice of life as they say and new experiences keeps ones interest refreshed and on going. And if you only have a limited amount of days off from work in a year there is this little pressure from within to try and include as many new things within this finite amount of free time.

Kew

So no visits to Madeira for quite some time? Perhaps bypass visiting Kew Gardens all of next year? And maybe break tradition and skip a spring week in Cornwall next year? There are so many other places and people to visit out there, so many things to see...

But there is also the call of the familiar. If you enjoy a place so much then what's wrong with visiting it over and over again? And isn't it nice that when you go to a place you know it so well than you don't have to adjust to your surroundings anymore? That you can just immediately settle in and not think anymore, but just feel it, straight away.

Cornwall

Heed the beckoning of the new or the call of the familiar? Sleep over it and let the universe answer the question for later on.

And I got some answers this morning, looks like it's going to be a 'meet halfway' thing. Despite initial hesitations due to our previous repeated visits, the feeling seems just right now to just give in and....what the heck, visit it again for the nth time soon. And one we'll be visiting again very soon as it's near a nursery that has a post Christmas sale ongoing.

Looks like only one will get the chop for a visit next year. But what about all those wonderful nurseries there, in a year when we need to stock up on plants again?

Ahh C'est La Vie! But what about you, would you prefer to keep coming back to the same place you are familiar with, or would you rather visit somewhere new each time? Or have you found a middle ground between the two?

Mark :-)

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Back In The Game

It's been a long time since we've bought any new plants for the garden. Mainly because both of us have been in a 'house mode' for months now that the desire to buy new plants have been pretty much non existent.

Until recently that is when I suddenly found myself needing to buy a plant, not for the garden but for the house to fill up a very important spot in the conservatory.

I've selected many plants before to go in it as featured on previous blog posts but there was one particular spot that I've had difficulty finding a suitable plant to fill it amongst the ones we have already. They either didn't meet the criteria I mentioned before, too flawed to be displayed, or simply they were just the wrong size and habit for that particular spot. 

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Never the Idle Dreamers

A summary and a monthly timeline of our Koi Pond project from start till finish...

May 2010 - Clearing the area

June 2010 - Construction of first raised bed and pathway begins

July 2010 - the Big Dig has begun

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Pretty on the Outside too...

As a conclusion to our previous two part feature on NYBG's Enid A. Haupt Conservatory (Part One and Part Two) we'll also share a few photos of the immediate surroundings of the glasshouse as well as highlight the structure itself. The weather was glorious the moment we stepped out from the conservatory and it was looking pretty on the outside too...

But first I can't help but admire the pots of Furcraea foetida 'Mediopicta' just outside the main entrance to the conservatory.

And the conservatory itself looks good!

Once you've completed your journey through a series of glasshouses, or at least go outside via the desert and temporary exhibition section you will be greeted by a huge pond that has a variety of aquatic plants growing in it.

A good selection of Nymphaeas, Nelumbos, and even Victoria amazonica can be found growing in this pond and the effect of them all together looks splendid!

The aquatic display looked amazing despite being past its prime. I can imagine how extra magnificent this pond must have been during the peak of summer just a few weeks earlier to our visit.

They have used some very nice plants too for their summer/seasonal display...

Solanum sp, at the back

A pair of Bismarckia nobilis

Gaudy colours and summer do go hand in hand!

After exploring this area we spent another hour exploring as much as we could of the rest of the botanical garden but it was a bit of a rush and we didn't take as many photos as we should have. The day we visited was our last day in the city and after our visit here we collected our luggage and headed for the airport to catch our flight home.

I'm sure we'll visit again sometime in the future. Hopefully quite soon!

Mark :-)

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