LILAC AND GREY
What can I say about the weather this week? At least we've had some rain, which was good, but it was windy and cold too. We moved some ball on stem topiary trees into new larger pots last weekend. With all that wind and rain the trees are no longer upright, but leaning precariously. We were aiming for a 'Mediterranean courtyard' look, but at present it's closer to 'Hebridean courtyard'. They look too sad to photograph.
Instead here are some things, mainly Lilac and Grey, that are looking good.
1. Geum 'Primrose Cottage'
This was a sad sale bench purchase that turned out to be full of wine weevil, but I tried to save what I could and about three years later this is it. It's a rather understated little thing. It's certainly not got the impact of Mrs Bradshaw or Totally Tangerine, but has it's own charm I suppose.
2. Valeriana Pyrenaica
Like the Geum above, this plant would also have the garden visitor wondering whether you had done the weeding. It's supposed to grow over 1m high so perhaps it's just taking it's time. It's described as having pale lilac flowers above heart shaped leaves, which sounded lovely, so I ordered them. These were planted last Spring, and this is the first time they have flowered.
3. Lilac
Of course I couldn't write this 'Lilac and Grey' post without including a Lilac. This is the first one into flower. What variety you ask? Well, Lidl was rather quiet on that point.
4. Phlox subulata
Staying with lilac shades for a moment, this is Phlox subulata lilac. It's a low growing, front of border plant, which was also planted last Spring and has flowered for the first time this year.
5. Grey
On to grey leaves now. The first is a Hosta in the Woodland Garden, and being a blue leaved one, less attractive to snails. With the last two Summers being so dry, it's been tough for plants in the dry shade of the trees, but the Hostas have coped with it better than the ferns.
Another fabulous Grey leaf is the Artichoke. I think this would be worth including in an ornamental border, although it tends to look a mess later in the Summer. We are big fans of artichokes in this household and I've grown a few more from seed this year.
6. 'Super Value Plugs' update
You may recall the value plugs that I bought.
They were featured in my 10th April post when I was potting them on. Well here they are now. Some haven't done so well. Most of the Busy Lizzies died and the trailing lobelia aren't looking very promising, but the Begonia, Petunia and Nicotiana are growing well.
That's all I have space for this time. I hope you have a great week in your garden and we get a little warm sunshine. Thanks, as always to The Propagator for hosting Six on Saturday.
I laughed at the Lidl lilac joke, they have some good plants if you catch them early enough. Looks like you (like me) are a sucker for the Poorly Percy's, it is good when it works. Your hosta is perfect!
ReplyDeleteI do love a bargain.
DeleteI am very taken by the colour of the geum; a soft yellow is a colour I like very much. I grow that valerian, by the way, a grand big plant, impressive foliage though the flower is not especially decorative - a slightly larger flower than the native valerian. A good plant!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you grow that plant and rate it. I just need to wait for it to mature a little. I expect it will be perfect by next year.
DeleteI find Geums charming, lots are featured on SOS this week and with good reason, I like the way they hold their flowers proud on the end of long, nodding stems. I could have featured a photo of my blue leaved Hosta with a definite slug bite on one leaf - since then the copper tape has been applied - what do you mean slugs don't like them?! Last but not least, the artichoke foliage is wonderful, for its colour and its deeply dissected leaves, makes me want to squeeze one into a border.
ReplyDeleteApparently the blue leaved ones are a bit tougher to eat. The green and white leaved ones are the slugs favourites here.
DeleteLilac 'Lidl' is looking beautiful. My mum gets a lot of her plants from Aldi which for some reason she prefers to Lidl - although I can't tell the two shops apart! I have a very similar geum to your lovely 'Primrose Cottage.'
ReplyDeleteAnd Morrisons also does great garden plants, but I must admit that we have been getting shopping delivered so I've not done any impulse buying recently.
DeleteVery pretty hosta leaves which reminds me of a variety that I grow up here (H. Halcyon ) but neither the hostas nor the artichokes are as early as yours ... (I smiled while reading Lidl's unnamed plants, something common here too ...)
ReplyDeleteI always assume that you are a bit ahead of us in the garden, but not this year it seems.
DeleteI wonder with your plug plants whether it is the compost. I have been a little underwhelmed with this year's lot, but of course it could be the temperatures etc. Nice Lilac 'Lidl', I have a super Acer 'Wilko', but I am too far away from any further Wilko cultivars, but sometimes succumb to v. Morrison!
ReplyDeletePicking up the odd plant does make a boring supermarket visit a bit more interesting. I like a Morrisons purchase too, but our town centre Wilko doesn't seem to believe in watering its plants so I still to the bulbs and seeds.
DeleteI very much like the Geum. It looks like a Geum rivale sort of thing? I think it's got a nice subtlety to it.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad the Nicotiana are one of the plants that have come through well. One of my favourite bedding plants :)
I've not grown Nicotiana before so I wasn't sure what to expect. The Geum looks like a rivale selection to me.
DeleteHaha... I am always picking up Asda bargains! Some succeed, others don't. And I am trying out your theory about the blue-green hostas having fallen for a little one called 'Blue Mouse Ears' which is supposed to tougher than my green and white hosta. Only baby plants and on a bench at the moment, so we shall see how they fare as we go through the year.
ReplyDeleteI saw Mouse Ears at a show a couple of years ago. It's so sweet.
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