Time on my hands!!??

Since my relapse, I have spent a lot of time just sitting as I don't even have the energy to move. Apart from being bored out of my brain, I play brain games, silly games, watch Netflix and all the rubbish on there. I read lots of gardening magazines, well read isn't quite what I do as my brain gets in a jumble with words, so I look at pictures. Then occasionally I wander down my garden, take pictures and plan!!!

PLAN!!

I hadn't 'planned' to change anything, but as you wander and sit in different parts of the garden you think, well I do. This is also very dangerous.
Since we took the palm out I have been thinking about this area, it has never quite worked out as I had hoped it would.

I put a lot of my potted plants on here.

Which as you can see are getting quite big, a bit too big for the green house. The Brugmasias have now gone, the large Cycas I have planted out, the large fern Cyathea Cooperi I just chop back the pop in the corner of the greenhouse for winter, it will get to the stage where it will get too big but until then this is one I will hang on to.

They also require a fair amount of watering which I don't like to do too often.

So I thought ........... 'what  can I do here' and it came to me , quite obvious really when you look at the first picture and now the palm has gone, the gravel and slabs are going and I am going to have one big flower bed. Well hardy tropical bed actually. Not right out to the path but about 8 inches away from it.

Then I will have the joy of planting it up. I have a couple of plants in pots which can go in here. I do have a lovely water feature ball pool which is run on a solar pump, which I will have to rehome, I would like to keep it but may have to jig things around to fit it in.

So there it is, The Plan, when it will occur I have no idea, it may even change, but that is the joy of a plan.

I Love My Garden!

Especially coming into the autumn, this is when its at its best, everything is BIG & I think Beautiful!

Take a short walk with me.

The Brugmansia's are flowering, the scent from them is amazing and I had totally forgotten this one was white!!!

I haven't been down the garden for a few days due to the amount of rain we had had plus a number of hospital appointments as well. So when I wandered down today to hang out some washing I was amazed to see the Brugmansia San Guinea in full flower? Where did they come from??

I have no idea whats going on here this plant is ginormous, taller than me

So had a root around its base and found its label

It is bigger than 180cm!!! and where are the flowers lol!

Who planted a tomato plant behind the fig???? How did it get there?? I have no idea??

The last photo and the next photo are of Blue Salvia that I bought this year from 'Sarah Raven' so how do two plants grow totally differently. The last one is as expected 18inches to 2ft tall, gorgeous purply blue flowers.

This one also has the lovely purply blue flowers but is close to 6ft tall? Not sure whats going on here either?

This is my Cyphomandra Betacea, becoming a favourite, doesn't look much from here, great leaves though.

but look underneath the leaves and you have the sweetest little flowers on long stalks

they are definitely different.

The Ricinus communis 'Red Giant', not my favourite of this plant species, as it is most definitely not 'Giant'.

But the seed pods are the most vibrant red, to be honest the camera does not do it justice.

Below 3 Eucomis, such pretty ones, I think the flowers look like exploding stars.

and a pink one ready to flower.

Tree spinach, and yes you can eat it. This self seeded everywhere this year or should I say last year and has been popping up everywhere. Quite an amazing plant as it easily grows to 6ft+  not everyones cup of tea, but a great filler and looks pretty too.

My stripy Canna, sheltered by the Paulownia

another 'new' favourite plant Solanum laciniatum, (Kangaroo Apple) this is such am amazing plant

again rapidly heading for the 6ft mark, has really pretty leaves and the added bonus of these lovely blue flowers. A definate must for next year.
I have been doing some research into this and it can be over wintered in a frost free greenhouse, but the concensus is, if it grows 6ft from seed in one year why bother.

There are lots of these on the plant so I am hopeful I shall have my own seed and grow a forest of them lol!!

Back in May this little cactus began flowering in the greenhouse.

It is still going strong today!

Just to prove I do actually do things in the garden even when its raining,

well not in the garden...

more like in the greenhouse!! So I didn't get wet. I love being in there when its raining.

I now have 2 new sturdy shelves which should easily last my lifetime!

Off to do some sewing now!

All Packed Away?

At my slimming club this morning I was asked, if  my garden was all packed away yet?

So I thought I would show you, my now very empty garden.

Hubby and I managed to get the last plants out of the ground on Saturday, just in time, as we started having quite white frosts that night.

Now it is empty and desolate. The Ricinus as you can see have finally succumbed, they where just starting to form seed pods too. Everything that is left is hardy so will remain until next year.

On the patio the TRex seems untouched by the frost

The same with the tree ferns,

The Arid bed all tucked up. My Olive tree, I have had this for years, I would really like to plant this in, but it is so small it would look silly. I suppose I could make a raised bed for it? Something to think about.

From the archway down to the greenhouse, all bare!

Had a fright Sunday night, when I went in and checked my thermometer and found it was -3C so set up and extra heater. That has obviously done the trick!!! 5C is as low as I like it to go.

So the Brugmansia are now in and will remain dry all winter. I had them planted in the garden this year, but they failed to flower , I will put them back into big pots next year.

The Ensetes (bananas) still upside down, I will turn them in a couple of weeks.

The cactus all seem happy.

Whats worrying me is how empty the greenhouse is? I have looked back over previous years and for some unknown reason, I have no pics of the winterized greenhouse.

Looking up the garden from the archeway! The hardy banana Musa Basjoo, will die right back then pop up again next year!!

So there you go, probably the last post for this year, I am already buying seeds ready for next year, just have to put them in a place I remember where they are!!!

A lovely morning gardening!

I have had an awesome morning in the garden. I have been digging

and saving my jungle bed from the invasion of the Kerria Japonica, from my neighbour! It is a pain. She moans like crazy about my Trachy, I have never moaned once about her Kerria or Pyracantha she has planted along large parts of the fence and I am forever having to cut back and it has evil thorns too, but I do feel a moan coming on.

Just dug this Brugmansia San Guinea out, lots of new shoots, will pop it back in somewhere.

Everyone who walks past it says this has grown? I hope so.

The flower bed, I have still to get the sleepers in, but need help to do it,

I have been planting my large plug plants today. I think what surprised me was how warm the soil felt.

I know its an odd combination having an English flower bed right next to the arid bed, but I have no idea what else to do with it.

Although it is south facing, with the fence and the other neighbours hedge. Which grows abotu 2 ft above the fence until they cut it down, I'm not sure what else to do with it. Don't get me wrong I love a flower garden, just a bit odd next to the Arid bed.

If you have any great ideas do, let me know.

I have now managed to get one of my shelves outside of the greenhouse.

This is a tetrapanax papyrifer ‘rex’ I have had up for sale for a while, but as no one seems to want it I thought I wouldn't let it go to waste. Now they don't like being potted, but I thought for one year, what could be the harm.

The greenhouse is emptier, honest!

I have tomatoes too.

and slugs definately jump!

The Rheum is the biggest it has ever been this year!

Colocasia Pink China, shows itself.

Its definately warming up as this little Colocasia has shown its self too!