Hi sjoerd. The Chinese Lantern is a real shocker as you say. I liked it very much but kept it well contained where it did no harm i.e in a small raised bed built up on a concrete path. Likewise I would never recommend it.
Hi Syd,..it took me two days to move and dismantle things,..difficult when doing it on my own but where there is a will there is a way,..duck walked the sofa lol,..antiques i do have some though not as many as you if i remember rightly,..oh i always look after the Harts tongue Ferns,..love them as with new greenery they look so well,..i have to give away many each year as they thrive here. ==================================================================================== Hi Sjoerd,..yes the Phlox is a beauty though as i mentioned when seeing yours,..mine is way behind,..i am looking forward to seeing the Chinese Lantern when Autumn arrives,..i did look up its growing habit and have it potted,..i will be housing it in a bigger pot and ensuring it doesn't branch out,..Mints and Lemon Balm not forgetting Oxalis are nearly as bad,..invasive as hell lol. =================================================================================== Thank you Islandlife,..delighted you liked the pictures,..especially the Hollyhocks. =================================================================================== Deanna,..Harts Tongue Fern is easy to keep,..it grows in a wall at the end of my garden plus anywhere else it can find a spot,..every winter it dies back here and come Spring i just cut off any old leaf to help it grow qiucker,..the picture below was taken on June 8th. Dahlia Pom Pom 'Golden Scepter'. Musk Mallow. Lily 'Pixels Mix'. Laurie's Golden Orange. Heading off to bed as its 0220,..another long day as i was up at 0600 to take my car for the Road Test,..only time available was at 0730 yesterday morning.
Thanks Islandlife,..lol i fell asleep at the computer,..oh later today i will post some more in your Exotic Plants Thread,..maybe mine will not be so exotic but nice enough .
Hi Philip. May I say taking things all round you do very well indeed - a lovely property and garden - quite the plantsman also - top marks plus. Ref the little Harts Tongue Fern I likewise love it - it is a British native I read. Can remember on Yorkshire & Devon holidays seeing it growing everywhere. Have never seen it growing in "my neck of the woods". Near to where I last lived there was a lane leading down to a large'ish tidal river - along this lane was fields but also some nice shady sloped banks - all right out in the open. Whether I should have done or not I do not know but I took some Harts Tongue divisions and planted them at intervals in a bank - watered them in and marked the places with old treewood. We often walked down that way (ref birds - camera) and always took a bottle of water and gave them a drink - still there when we moved and hopefully still so - plus. My antiques come down mainly to pottery & porcelain but do have some furniture items including wheelback chairs - table etc. Would love to live in an older cottagey property and be able to furnish it with antique items properly appropriate to its age and in keeping - beyond my means sadly though our current bungalow is OK. Nice to natter. Best wishes. Syd.
Hi Syd,..nice to go back and check on those Harts Tongue Ferns,..its something i do myself,..one of the walks i take with my dog has a grass margin which is left grow as there are wild flowers growing there,..some i started myself from a seed packet which i had no use for,..it always makes me smile knowing i did that. The cottage i live in is 30 years old which isn't really all that old,..i really don't have room for anything unless i measure,..that's why i had to rearrange the furniture for the new table and chairs,..it was like a workout thankfully they fit now lol. ==================================================================================== Crocosmia in bloom here and there in the garden. Hosta Blooms. Foxgloves showing some color. Lilium 'Lollypop' Lilium 'Rialto'. Hibiscus syriacus 'Woodbridge',..buds have appeared for the first time.
@Philip Nulty - Just looking at your latest photos and they're beautiful. In your last photo of the hibiscus you've got stones in the pot. Is there a specific reason or purpose for having stone in there? (i.e. to stop the pot from blowing over? or ??)
Hi Philip. Great pics again and you do still manage to also grow some lovely Lilies - I reluctantly gave up on them a while ago due to that wretched Beetle. I grew mainly species like pyrenaicum, martagon etc but did have a few larger named ones. Pride of place went to a good number of true Madonnas which lasted years but sadly slowly drifted away from me. An interesting little story how I came by them --- At our first property a pals father was moving house and believe it or not had this row of Madonnas growing of all places along in front of a Privet hedge. They are finicky and not easy to please - I read they did wonderfully well in the old cottage gardens and were often grown along the sunny wall by the door where they got the contents of the teapot and the washing up bowl regularly. At the time they were given to me they were in full flower - my pal had them standing in a bucket. Do you know I planted them immediately and they just carried on as if nowt had happened - wonderful and further proof plants want to live and grow for you given a fighting chance. Ref the Crocosmias in spite of their increases I have always grown them - the smaller ones and a tall one (will find its name) - this an original (dull red) before the now newer really bright red varieties - grows to 3-4ft tall - bought it from a cottage garden as I did a smaller lovely pale yellow which was listed as "Angels Tears". Syd. Edit. Philip that plant name. The old tall dull red original Crocosmia was bought as Antholiza paniculata ( known as "Aunt Eliza").
Hi Islandlife,..thank you,..ah yes those stones lol,..i have four Cats and they like to sleep in some of my pots they have no regard if there is a nice plant in that pot be it big or small,..they will cause a plant to bend if all four get in,..so the stones help to deter them,..most of the time
Philip I have the orange Crocosmia as well as the red 'Lucifer.' They do tend to spread themselves around but I don't mind as I love them both.
Hi Syd,..thankfully i have not had bother with the Beetles,..every year mine have multiplied so i now have dozens,..i did lose one in all those years,..heavens knows why,..they remain in the ground here all year round. Its amazing how a plant even in flower can be removed from soil and replanted quickly without any harm to it,..they do have to fight to carry along and bloom then seed and they succeed very well. I had Crocosmia growing at the end of my garden but had to give it away as it was taking over,..it covered an area of four foot at the time i got rid of it,..now i keep it in pots. =================================================================================== Today the first of the Tigridia pavonia,..'Mexican Shell Flower/Tiger Flower',.. bloomed though not a color i had before so it will be interesting to see what other colors appear,..the blooms were always approx six inches across however this present one is a tad smaller. Tigridia pavonia 'Mexican Shell Flower/Tiger Flower. Crocosmia. Phygelius 'Cape Fuchsia Funfare Orange'. General View. Clematis 'Freckles'. No ID Roses.
Hi Eileen,..i don't have the red ones ,..both are very striking blooms,..i came across a Chocolate colored one when fishing some years back,..was so set on fishing i didn't take one home,..later when i returned the land had being plowed over,..if i had a spot i would like to have lots of Crocosmia,..apart from the nice blooms i like the sun shining through the foliage and how it sways in the breeze.
