Its a Jungle Out There!!!

 I have no idea what has gone on in the garden this year? Its like the plants are on steroids! I don't think that in all the years I have grown 'exotic' looking plants I have had a year like this.

You can hardly get down the path. Its fun.

We decided that because of the phenomenal growth we should measure a few of the plants to use as comparison in future years or to just see if this is a one off. So apologies for hubbies shirt in the following pics lol!!

Amaranthus, should be about 4ft as you can see it is bigger than hubby who is 5ft 10in.

The beautiful Cleome, such a stunning flower with evil thorns on its stem, another 4 footer as you can see hitting 6ft!

Amaranthus pointy finger  apparently should be just over 3 ft, but this is closer to 5ft.

Good old Colocasia Pink China

Similar view from last year and I think you get the idea in the difference.

I was trying to think what I have done differently, I added bags of manure, the plants get chicken pellets when planted then I throw some more on about halfway through the growing season. The big change is the watering system. I am pleased-ish with this new system, I do need to make some alterations as to the placing of the spray heads, but on the whole its doing its job.

In the last few days through the heavy rain storms and high winds I have had to stake and tie up lots of  the plants.

Canna Stuttgard exceptional tall habit up to 3 metres which it has easily hit this year. This clump is now huge and will have to be split this autumn as it is currently charging off around this bed and taking over.

The Canna (above)with the orange flower is actually Canna Cleopatra, according to the RHS 'Cleopatra is a vigorous, clump-forming perennial to 5 ft tall'. As you can see it is a lot taller than that.

It is one of my favourites as both the foliage and the flower are stripy. In all honesty it is not in the best place to show it off. I was waiting for it to clump up a bit before I moved it.

Canna Pretoria, on the right, another 4-6 ft one.

The path is slowly disappearing.

Down by the pond, the Ricinus Zanzibarensis on the right is huge. Such beautiful leaves.

Such beautiful plants, all grown from seed, I love the different colours.

Just look at this Ricinus communis 'New Zealand Black' the purple hues in this are stunning.

My garden brings me great joy and peace, it has been a tough month for us/me. My Godfather a very special and important man in our family passed away the end of July. I am grateful he is at peace and out of pain, but he has left a huge hole in my heart.

This is exactly how I want to remember him, such a happy, cheerful man. He has been in my life, all of my life and will be greatly missed.

Summer, lots of changes.

The garden has been amazing, I have lots more flowers than usual, the nicotianas I planted I though would grow to about 12 inches have hit 3ft plus and to be honest are far to close to the path, but they give a fabulous closed in feeling.

This spikey leaved plant which I have totally forgotten the name of is huge, the one planted in a pot is far smaller.

It is covered in spikes from the trunk

to its leaves....

My new dahlia has excelled its self

the heads are about 6-8 inches across

and there have been loads.

All the dahlias I overwintered have not done so well, but the 3 new ones have done well this red/yellow one with the tree dandelion next to it,

and another new one the flowers change colour as they age.

Amaranthus Pointy finger, looks exactly like a pointy finger, makes me smile every time I walk past it.

some look better than others but you still get the idea.

Canna Cleopatra has not only got stunning foliage

 but stunning flowers as well, I cannot wait for this clump to get bigger, I think its my favourite canna.

Another Canna easily over 8ft beautiful leaves and yes it will flower if the autumn is mild.

 The Rincus in the new bed have reached amazing heights. Blue Giant on the left should reach 10ft plus and out sized New Zealand Purple easily, but New Zealand purple has reached heights I have never seen before in my garden the seed pack says it can reach 7ft well it is way above that. When I put the new soil in this bed I did add a lot of bags of farmyard manure which I think helped. (Note to self: bu more farm yard manure)

Canna Durban looking good against Ricinus Carmencita Red.

Landscape pic of this bed.

Stumpy, well that is what I have called this Maureli against the back drop of the T-Rex it looks quite good but should be 6ft plus, maybe I need more manure down here lol!!

Another landscape photo from the side bed. Butia with Ricinus communis zanzibarensis to the left and the Tree tomato to the right.

The Elephants ears, Colocasia Pink China have been amazing this ear and as far as I am concerned are the hardiest for me.

As a precaution I always dig a few up to over winter in the greenhouse. but the rest are left outside covered with extra soil or manure.

One of my baby Hiniba from last year.

At the back of the Hiniba is a new plant for me this year Manihot Grahamii, its the one with the very pretty leaves. I planted it here to give it protection from an expected hot summer which never happened, so I hope it has had the chance to get some good roots down to help it through the winter.

Now I am preparing for winter and have started to wrap up the greenhouse, more details in the next post.

What would I do without my family!

So it is 3-4 weeks since I had the work done in my garden, normally it would have taken me a couple of days to get it all sorted and planted, but I just can't do it. So I have had to be patient, not something I am good at, but because I physically haven't been able to do things, it wasn't too much of a problem.

So I must thank from the bottom of my heart, both m girls and my lovely hubby. None of this would have happened if they hadn't been popping round to do the heavy work and planting.

So the top bed:-

The Paulowina is off, I have 3 shoots growing at the moment, but I think I will take one off.

The Petasites, still being kept in its trough, but watered and fed regularly has been moved to infront of the boiler to disguise it a bit.

Looking down the garden, past the new bed which has had bagfuls of compost and manure added before the planting began. What I cannot believe is how much of a difference the hedge on the right being cut down to below the fence level has made. The Alliums actually grew upright this year instead of growing out at an angle.

The hedge on the left has also been cut back. This bed all planted up, wait a couple of weeks and it will start looking good.

The new bed, a lot of annuals in here for now, just one or two hardy. I need to get hold of some really good hardy plants.

The Trachycarpus Princeps just to the left of the Cycas is quite small at the mo, but will grow, but not as big or as fast as my other one I have been informed.

I will extend the sleepers, probably next year when I have a bit more cash.

The arid bed, still growing like crazy, I never do anything to it except cover it in the winter and throw some chicken pellets on it during early summer. I do wish I had realised just how big they where all going to get, I would have spread them out a bit. I had no idea just how much they would love my garden.

Opposite the arid bed, looks boring doesn't it, qiute a few hardy plants in this area, just have to wait and see if they come up.

Lower bed on the right, this is an odd part of the garden, the T-Rex, (big leaved plant on left of pic) has been in here for quite a few years now and should be considerably bigger. No idea why it hasn't grown, although I suspect a large orange blossom bush/tree on the extreme left of the pic is taking over this bed. We are seriously considering getting someone in to dig it out!

 The pond area, my 2 Red Hot Pokers have flowered this year, they increase in size year on year, so when I'm dead they should look amazing lol!!!

Raised bed by bottom patio, odd bed? This is were the spider plants survived the winter. We have planted a Passionflower on the right so hopefully that should start climbing this year. This should start looking better in the next few weeks.

Behind the pond, another odd bed, bottom right of the pic below, is another newly planted passionflower. there are some hardy plants in here somewhere but they have yet to rear there heads. Because its up against the fence, I think it stays rather dry during the winter hence the disappearing hardy plants.

The fish pond! The sooner someone invents a contraceptive pill for a pond the better, we reckon there are over 50 fish in here. Flippin things keep breeding!!!

The bottom bed. This is the wettest part of the garden but still the Gunnera refuses to grow, I have threatened to dig it out but hubby says no.The arum lily on the other hand is doing fine. We have planted 2 new clematis to climb up the frame and there is also another T-Rex newly planted here as well.

So there we go, I haven't shown you the bed on the right of this area because we haven't got that done yet. its another difficult bed as my neighbours euphorbia and mint has decided it would much rather grow i my garden than hers. It has become quite invasive really and has spread practically the length of the bed.

I am funny, a lot of the plants I grow can really romp away but I would hate to inflict my plants on my neighbours so I keep these ones potted up. I think I probably think this way because this has happened to me and I don't like it. Maybe I should set them free after all?????