Author Topic: Eric & Anthea's garden at different times of year. (Read 98738 times)

ideasguy · « **Reply #225 on:** June 02, 2011, 04:47:19 PM »

Its a very desirable plant Eric, and yours is a fine looking specimen..

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #226 on:** July 02, 2011, 04:11:03 PM »

A progress photo of our KIftsgate rose which now not only reaches the top of the conifer but on the right hand side has grown over an old apple tree

These hollyhocks are self sown and are growing in the joints of some York stone paving. The stems of the Kiftsgate Rose can be seen just behind the hollyhocks and all that remarkable growth comes from them.

NightHawk · « **Reply #227 on:** July 02, 2011, 07:01:11 PM »

That's one amazing specimen of rose Eric.

I hope you never have to prune it

Must be a Guinness Book of Records contender there

Nice Hollyhocks and great photos as usual Eric. I always look forward to seeing your photos - a joy to behold.

Laurie.

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #228 on:** July 02, 2011, 11:00:45 PM »

Thank you Laurie. Pruning is impossible

. I do have an excellent light weight lopper with which I can reach up to 15 feet so the lower straggly bits can be dealt with. Some people don't like it because it is so untidy but we love it. We bought the plant for £1 at an end of season sale at the West Wycombe garden centre. I have posted this picture before but it shows the blooms at close quarters.

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #229 on:** July 12, 2011, 11:05:24 PM »

Our sweet peas are excelling themselves and we can't pick them fast enough. At the moment there are two vases of them in the living room, one in the dining room and one in the kitchen and the place is full of a heavenly scent

ideasguy · « **Reply #230 on:** July 13, 2011, 12:07:46 AM »

Beautiful

Mary loves them.

I love scented plants. Its so nice to be working in the garden and get a waft of fragrance.
No sweet peas this year. I bought a packet, and didn't have time to plant them. I'll use them in Autumn - I haven't tried that before. Have you and Anthea?

In the greenhouse, I have one solitary Freesia, from a full packet

I have a few plants producing leaves, but no sign of flowers.
Nevertheless, its enough to make going into the greenhouse a pleasure. Perhaps they will do better next year (if they survive).

I have a few Dianthus and they are filling the air with a very nice clove scent. I can detect it from 10 paces. I was amazed that they overwintered outdoors!

Enjoy those sweet peas!!

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #231 on:** July 13, 2011, 11:14:44 PM »

Quote from: ideasguy on July 13, 2011, 12:07:46 AM

I'll use them in Autumn - I haven't tried that before. Have you and Anthea?

I have never heard of sowing them in the autumn, George. When do they come into flower?

I bet that Freesia smells good. You did well to grow them from seed. I thought one generally bought bulbs.

We have a Dianthus in a very large pot by the rockery.. Now it overhangs the sides of the pot so it looks like a large hummock of Dianthus. It has been in the pot for about 5 years so it has survived some hard winters.

ideasguy · « **Reply #232 on:** July 14, 2011, 12:00:57 AM »

I read that autumn sown Sweet Peas flower earlier next year Eric. I'll give them a go and report back.

I misled you - I bought the Freesia as corms. However I have grown them from seed in the past. They took a couple of years (more?) to get to flowering size, but they were quite successful.

Now thats a good idea about the Dianthus, putting it in a pot. I bought 2 of 5 varieties last year. I planted one of each out and kept one of each in the greenhouse. My reasoning - I was fed up with them lasting one season, so I was keeping one of each for "stock".
Some actually survived outdoors.

One variety died in the greenhouse. They are still in the greenhouse. The remaining 4 will go in large pots! They have an annoying lax habit, so your idea of allowing them to overhang the pots is a good idea

. Thanks for that tip!

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #233 on:** September 17, 2011, 06:02:59 PM »

Isn't nature wonderful? Our 60th wedding anniversary was 7 weeks ago and Anthea had a lot of vases around the place filled with flowers. Most died and went onto the compost heap ages ago. One particular chrysanthemum head kept fresh well after the others so it was left in the vase like a specimen. and only in the past two or three days started browning off at the end of the petals. Anthea decided to dispose of it at last and to her surprise discovered that it had developed a large root system at the bottom of the stalk. Not only that there is a new shoot coming out of the side of the stalk. It has now been de-headed and lovingly potted.

ideasguy · « **Reply #234 on:** September 17, 2011, 06:31:28 PM »

What an obliging flower!

Congratulations once again on your 60th Eric and Anthea. That little flower must have realised that it was in the right place for TLC, and decided to put down its roots

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #235 on:** October 13, 2011, 11:15:55 PM »

Is this a record

We have enjoyed perpetual spinach all summer. We keep cutting it as near the ground as possible and it obligingly regenerates quite quickly. One plant we left to grow because Anthea thought she would see if she could save some seed. It has grown so tall I decided to measure it. It is 7 feet 1 inch tall (in old money)

What an extraordinary autumn. I counted 10 different type of rose in the garden still in bloom including the American Pillar over our summerhouse roof which is having a second go. I photographed it this morning from an upstairs window.

NightHawk · « **Reply #236 on:** October 14, 2011, 02:15:31 PM »

I can't answer your spinach question Eric, but the prolonged warm weather at the moment is certainly keeping our plants blooming longer.

Here too, we are experiencing some very hot and sunny days.

However, make the most of it. Colder weather is on the way next week

You've got a nice collection of apples there too Eric. Apple pies maybe $:-\$

Laurie.

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #237 on:** October 14, 2011, 02:46:03 PM »

Quote from: Kathy & Laurie on October 14, 2011, 02:15:31 PM

Apple pies maybe $:-\$

We have been alternating between baked apples and apple crumble, Laurie. I never get tired of them

ideasguy · « **Reply #238 on:** October 15, 2011, 12:01:55 AM »

Stewed apple and custard for me - lovely

My Bramley apples are much smaller this year. Are yours the normal size?

I'm amazed at the colour in my gardens as well Eric and Laurie.
Took some photos today, and will post when I get a chance.
Roses here too - lots of them! New Penstemon just purchased this year are only beginning to bloom now!
Stars of the show at present is Argyranthemum 'Jamaica Primrose'. My stock all died over winter. I managed three from the tiniest cuttings from my sons house, from a plant which had been protected by another plant which had covered and protected it from last hard winter with withered strap leaves. His locality in Belfast seems to have a micro climate. Ive given him one to overwinter in his garden again!

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #239 on:** November 23, 2011, 08:08:36 AM »

I have not been looking at the forum seriously for a couple of weeks because neither Anthea nor I have been well. Luckily I am now recovering but she has a very painful back that is not helped by the fact that any effective painkiller seems to upset her stomach

Luckily the garden is looking respectable again by dint of a very long hard day’s work yesterday by two strong young men. They also collected a good load of well rotted horse manure from a friend’s stable up the lane

I ventured out to inspect the work and was struck by what was still blooming in the garden. The seasons seem all adrift. In no particular order and just from memory, so I may have forgotten some, these are still in flower: -

Several roses, fuchsias in abundance, a profusion of nasturtiums climbing up a six foot hedge, primroses, a wallflower, a cistus, our sweet scented jasmine which climbs 14 ft high, hypericum, our double marsh marigold in the pond and, to my surprise, two hollyhocks, which we cut down as finished, have sprouted again, grown to about four or five feet tall and are in bloom again.

Will they know what to do next year

ideasguy · « **Reply #240 on:** November 23, 2011, 12:00:01 PM »

Sorry to hear you and Anthea haven't been well Eric. Its good that you are on the mend

I hope Anthea finds something more agreeable to the system to ease the back pain. Nothing is worse than constant pain!

Thank you for finding the time to give us an update on the garden. Like you, I'm surprised at how much is in bloom and its almost December! More later.

NightHawk · « **Reply #241 on:** November 23, 2011, 12:15:56 PM »

Best wishes to you both Eric for a speedy recovery.

The current climate is indeed proving to be very fickle. The plants, and wildlife, don't seem to know what's happening. Do the plants go dormant, does the wildlife hibernate, and/or migrate. The balance of nature is in a bit of a turmoil $:-\$

We had a minus 1 degree C frost last night - the first for this year. What next

Laurie.

Lyn and Malcolm · « **Reply #242 on:** November 23, 2011, 11:24:39 PM »

And welcome back to you Eric. I hope you both continue to feel better, and are able to enjoy your garden in whatever seasons we may have.

Best wishes to you both.

Malcolm and Lyn

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #243 on:** November 24, 2011, 08:18:05 AM »

Thank you George, Laurie and Malcolm for your good wishes. It is amazing how you all feel like good friends to me even though we have never met!

Another brief excursion round the garden yesterday added campanula and vibernum to the list. Geraniums in containers are still all flowering well and adding quite a lot of colour. They should come indoors soon before the frosts. The summerhouse is a good spot for overwintering. The heads of the hydrangeas this year have gone a most glorious shade of red, brighter than I ever remember. They will stay there until I take them off in March. Finally, this year has been exceptional for holly berries. I hope the old maxim of that being a harbinger of a hard winter doesn't come to pass

Best wishes from Anthea and me to you all.

ideasguy · « **Reply #244 on:** November 24, 2011, 03:57:56 PM »

RE:

Quote

It is amazing how you all feel like good friends to me even though we have never met

That's my feelings exactly Eric! I think you get to know a lot about the person when you communicate by email and on a forum - not so much what they say, but the way they say it.
Its very nice to communicate in this way with people who have similar interests in life, sometimes difficult to find in the "real" world.

Enjoy the scent of those Viburnums

I used to have two large specimens on a wall between the gavels of our house and next door. On a still winters evening coming from from work it was a pleasant surprise to get a waft of their beautiful scent.

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #245 on:** January 01, 2012, 01:32:03 PM »

HAPPY NEW YEAR everybody

!

New Year's day and four climbing Rosa Paul Scarlet heads in full bloom are looking at me through my first floor study window, Rosa Mermaid is in bud outside our bedroom window and Alberic Barbier also in flower! Amazing

NightHawk · « **Reply #246 on:** January 01, 2012, 02:55:41 PM »

Happy New Year!

Glad to see you've got some lovely colour in your garden there Eric

Here too we've got a Camelia in our front garden that's in full bloom. Covered in wonderful pink flowers. The same bush last year didn't start flowering until February $:-\$ Very strange things going on with this mild weather.

I'd take a photo of the Camelia to show everyone, but it's raining hard and has been since this morning

You'll just have to take my word for it for now

ideasguy · « **Reply #247 on:** January 02, 2012, 09:21:27 PM »

Everything is indeed a bit zany this year Eric & Laurie. Its nice to have all flowers all the year round!
Soon we'll have the snowdrops and the Crocus are well up, so all year round flowers is a distinct possibility this year!

We had frost last night and today was cooler - 4 degrees C around 4pm when we headed off to the airport.

Happy New Year all!

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #248 on:** June 05, 2012, 03:40:43 PM »

Blossom, blossom and yet more blossom. It is a wonderful time of year - we seem to be surrounded by it. Here is a view of the front of our house taken from the common about ten days ago. The hawthorns were covered in May blossom and the cow parsley was flourishing.

Here are a couple of shots taken from my bedroom window. The first shows Rosa Nevada and Kolkwitzia inside and cow parsley outside our side gate.

This, also taken from my bedroom window, shows Deutzia and Rosa Alberic Barbier growing in our front hedge.

This was taken from our kitchen window yesterday morning

And these views of a climbing hydrangea and Kolkwitzia were taken from our bathroom window yesterday morning.

Here is a closer view of a broom and a Clematis Montana on our east boundary. The roots of the clematis are in our ground but it seems to prefer our neighbour’s tree for support.

It is raining now, which is a shame, a street party is planned on the common today. I watched a spectacular firework display from my bedroom window last night.

NightHawk · « **Reply #249 on:** June 05, 2012, 04:01:31 PM »

Some great photos there Eric, very impressive displays.

Thanks for sharing those with us.

You picked the best day to photograph them. Sadly it's raining here too today - has been since about 10am.

Shame for any street parties and other outdoor celebrations planned for today

We had success with growing hostas in our old house. As you will recall I did a Forum article on the use of copper rings, which worked well for us.
The hostas were far enough apart from other plants and fencing so the slugs couldn't get onto the plants from other directions.

Laurie.

Author Topic: Eric & Anthea's garden at different times of year. (Read 98738 times)

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