Our first entry is from JON in London, England. Click pics to enlarge...
From "Narnia" to "Club Tropicana" in one year? What an utterly stressful start we had to 2018 (and especially so for our garden) - we put down a deposit in January on a new flat, then had the onerous task of digging up our entire, mature, carefully-nurtured plant collection in order to either dump them, give them away, or re-plant them into pots, in preparation for the move. In February! As if that wasn't bad enough, we could only watch as probably the worst, coldest, dampest March in decades ["The Beast from the East"] froze everything we'd transported.
But once things thawed out - and we went on to have a lovely mild Spring - the whole shebang survived and thrived (entirely in pots) through the Great Heatwave we had in June, July and August - and in the process we created probably the best garden we've had so far...
[clockwise from left] Hesperis matronalis (Sweet Rocket); Ipomoea tricolor (Morning Glory) "Kniola's Black"; Digitalis purpurea (Foxglove); Lilium martagon "Nicotine".
[clockwise from left] Aquilegia x hybrida "Blue Star"; Dahlia (grown from seed variety "Bishop's Children" back in 2014); Fuchsia "Bobolink" (just one of twenty-one varieties we have collected this year); Monarda didyma "Red Colours".
Tree Lily (probably "Pretty Woman"); Asarina scandens; Phlox paniculata; Ipomoea lobata (Spanish Flag).
There's much, much more I could share pictures of, of course - from early spring bulbs such as iris, snowdrops, daffodils and crocus, to early summer flowers like lupins, thalictrum, geranium, polemonium, lobelia and campanula, to annuals (or half-hardies) such as petunia, hollyhock, pelargonium, verbena, mimulus, nicotiana, begonia, thunbergia, cobaea and impatiens, to the ever-lovely and enduring salvias. But one has to stop somewhere!
And what better way than with our mid-summer visitor, the endlessly amusing "Smiling Wasp" (Ectemnius cavifrons), which helped rid us of pesky caterpillars for several months, all the while craning its neck to keep its eye on us?!
Thank you, Jon!
First! (In every way...)
ReplyDeleteI'd actually forgotten some of these pics :-)
Jx
It's because it took me so long to post the photos. Budding season can't be far away again.
DeleteIt's a weird time of year - the fuchsias and cobaeas are still flowering madly, but they are doing so alongside winter pansies and the first leaf spikes of Spring bulbs... Jx
DeleteYou mean to say Mj you haven't budded yet?
DeleteI just knew dear Gin Blossom would have a spectacular garden!!! I have always adored seeing his hanging fuchsia.
ReplyDeleteI do love to display my purple corolla. Jx
DeleteNothing gladdens my heart more than a purple headed foxglove heavy with dew and Jon's Bobo is exquisite too.
ReplyDeleteMy grandma used to make fuchsia and rowan berry jam, it was one of those wartime 'mock' recipes that old people are so fond of.
Fuchsia and rowan berry jam sounds lovely. Probably available for £20 a jar in Harrods, no doubt. Jx
DeleteSuch a beautiful garden! It makes me wish I had green fingers and a tidy bush. Next year I'm going to listen to all the gardening tips from Jon and Dinah and make a start on detangling my brambles.
ReplyDeleteSx
It really doesn't take a huge amount of effort - watering and dead-heading have been the most regular jobs with the summer we've had, but if your plants are in the ground as opposed to our almost entirely potted garden (and of course the normal Devon "summer" of drizzle). then it's less of a chore. Jx
DeleteWhat a lovely garden! I especially like the vivid color of the Morning Glory.
ReplyDeleteThey truly live up to their name - "Glory". We've collected loads of seed, too, so they'll be back! Jx
DeleteI've just spent the last couple of days binge watching Monty Don, starting with his tours of French and Italian gardens and then all three seasons of his show on netflix! We are convinced that if Monty ever came to the states and helped with how pathetic garden, we, too, might have a lovely space! But since that ain't happening, I'll just love YOUR garden and pretend it's mine! xxoo
ReplyDeleteI'll just pop over to Georgia with a few cuttings, and let's see if we can get Monty to pay a visit... Jx
DeleteI knew Jon would have a fabulous start to the show. Amazing that such lushness springs out of pots. And I'm loving that Monarda, which I haven't heard of before.
ReplyDeleteMerci, mon cher. You may well have drunk some Monarda - it is better-known as Bergamot, one of the flavourings in Earl Grey tea... Jx
DeleteBeautiful and inspiring as always, Jon! Especially so following the mid-winter move.
ReplyDeleteWe called it "our reward" for all that stress - I don't envy you, doing similar at the moment... Jx
Delete