Thrilled with my Garden

I have not blogged for awhile as I have been having a couple of problems, I have tendinitis, which is so painful, I can't get a shoe on and I hobble around like an old woman!!!  Which is making life rather difficult.

The garden is blooming, some parts are fabulous and other parts need a bit more work.

This is the part of the garden I usually love the best, I am not so happy this year, its ok but needs some changes.

This is the same bed but from a different angle. What I have noticed is that plants this year that should only be 20 inches high have grown to over a metre. I have no idea why but it probably why this bed is not my favourite this year.

The banana 'Musa Basjoo' my hardy banana that came through the winter standing it usually collapses back to the root, I thought it would romp away, but it hasn't. It has been very slow even though its been fed and watered regularly. The Canna is far bigger than the banana.

This is the bed opposite, which has gone bonkers. The Cannas are doing so well and the Pink China clumps (big leaves at the front) have also gone mental they are close to 4ft tall which is huge for me, I am going to have to split them at the end of this year.

Same bed but from a different angle.

Now we come to my favourite part, I extended the jungle further down the garden and I really love how this is looking at the moment. On the way down I definitely have a few gaps but I have stuck canes in to mark where I need to move some of the taller Cannas when I split them.

The next pic, same bed but different angle.

These Cleomes are the same height as me? I know I did not buy this height as my garden is not really big enough, but they look so healthy.

These Cannas tower over me now, this one is aiming to take over this bed so some serious digging will be done in the autumn to split this and move round the garden.

On the other side another Canna going for the sky hasn't spread so far, yet.

Everyone is loving the changes I have made, so all the work I put in during 'lockdown' is paying off. It has been suggested I extend the 'jungle' look in the lower part of the garden especially since I redid the bed down by the pond.

This is how it looks down there, its a difficult part of the garden and I spend my life fighting back my neighbours Euphorbia and a huge grass that wants to grow in my garden not hers. So this autumn I will seriously consider digging most of this bed out, possibly using bamboo rhizome barrier along the fence line to stop invasions of unwanted  plants.

Then hopefully it will match this

Till next time x

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.

Biggest and Best Year Ever!!

I have never had such HUGE leaves/plants as I have had this year. Whether it is because I have had a good feeding regime, or whether it has been really good growing weather I have no idea.

The last few weeks have been so hot and humid, interspersed by heavy downpours the result is

 
The Paulownia has easily got to 15ft

The Ricinus must be about 12ft, they have never grown above my height and I'm 5ft 9in but this year they are huge.

Just look at the size of these leaves!

 
One of my Canna, this is the shortest!

This one must be about 7ft, which gives you an idea how tall the rest of the jungle is!

loving it!

Keeping Busy!

Trying to keep myself busy so I don't think! Spent it on the bottom patio cutting back the neighbours over hanging hedge. Their neighbour the other side has kept his hedge down below fence height, such a shame they don't follow suit. That 18 inches make a big difference to light levels.

They said they would be replacing the fence at the beginning of the year, the panel on the right in the picture above is just propped up, it is so rotten it won't stay in. Anyway we are still waiting!!

The climbing hydrangea that grew up the panel closest to hubbies office decided to die, so I have taken it off the fence and chopped it right back. It may very well grow back, but we will see.

In the meantime I may paint the fence again, as I still have some paint left, shame to waste it!!

My eldest daughter bought me some 'prostrate Rosemary' which I have planted in amongst the lavender, hope it does well here!

Not sure I have shown you the pond from this angle. It really needs a good clean out, should have been done last year, but I ended up having to go 'oop north' to look after my mum after she had a fall and broke her hip.

It is true what they say, if you dig a pond, no matter what, double the size. I wish we had!

My bromliards seem happy and have grown, they where quite small at the beginning of the season.

some flowers..... hiding!

I started growing Cleomes about 2 years ago, I am so glad I did, they are such a beautiful and delicate flower. The added bonus are the seeds. Which grow the same colour as the flower they are taken from!

Finally these leaves are the reason I grow tropical plants, I just love the huge leaves!