Tag Archive: flowers
Recently, I was attending a meeting at a museum in Luton and in the lunch break had the chance to see the travelling exhibition of photographs from the International Garden Photographer of the Year competition (the eighth in the series to date). I was enthralled by the many wonderful images on show. Unfortunately the lighting in the room made taking photographs of these difficult without them being affected by reflections. However, I’ve put together a gallery of a few that seem less affected by this- I hope that you enjoy them.
We attended a couple of carol services at St. Agnes’ Church in Cawston, recently, and were bowled over by the floral displays put together by local resident Lynne Fairchild.
Old School Gardener
So, here are the final four wonderful pictures taken by my friend Jen over in Vietnam.
First, a plant with a common name of ‘Canonball Tree’ due to its large rounded fruits (and its flower buds also rather resemble Brussel Sprouts!). Couroupita guianensis, as its name suggests, was originally native to South America.
Couroupita guianensis
Second, one of the range of River Lilies Crinum. I think this one might be the ‘giant Spider Lily’ Crinum x amabile, which can grow to 6 feet tall in the right conditions.
Crinum x amabile
‘Folded and floating’ is how Jen describes these amazing Lotus flowers…
Finally, this one caused me a lot of searching (including via our postman’s Vietnamese friend!), but I’m pretty sure its the ‘Cockspur Coral Tree’ or Erythrina crista-galli (the latter means ‘cock’s comb’). A native of South America it is also the national tree and flower of Argentina. The picture shows the dramatic terminal raceme of flowers, in this case not yet open.
Erythrina crista-galli
I hope that you’ve enjoyed this mini series; I have certainly found it fascinating trying to track the plants down! Thanks once more to my friend Jen.
Old School Gardener
Aristolochia salvador
I’ve surprised myself. I think I’ve managed to track down the six remaining plant pictures my friend Jen sent me from Vietnam. So here’s the next three wonderful pictures in this ‘select flora’…
First the evergreen shrub, Ixora coccinea or the ‘Jungle Geranium’ or ‘Flame of the Woods’.
Ixora coccinea
Second, the national flower of Laos, the Champon flower, or Plumeria rubra. This fragrant relative of Oleander is also known as ‘Frangipani’.
Plumeria rubra
Finally, a rather spiky Euphorbia originally from Madagascar, named after a former Governor of the Island of Reunion (Baron Milius) who introduced it to France in 1821, Euphorbia milii, or the ‘Crown of Thorns’.
Euphorbia milii
My final three plants in a few days time…
Old School Gardener
Euphorbia milii
Sunflowers and Echinops
Some of this year’s squash harvest- should keep us going for a few weeks.
Old School Garden – 29th November 2015
Dear Walter,
As we move towards winter, this month has been one of small steps forward, old friend. We had our first frost last week, and I managed to get the tenderest plants under cover in the greenhouse.
Tucked away from the frost…
I’ve noticed that the leaves on the Cannas have started to brown so it won’t be long until they and the Dahlias are also brought in. I won’t be cutting down or removing much else as I like to see the grasses and many herbaceous stems stand over winter- I think this is also good for wildlife.
Cannas on the turn- soon to be dug up and replanted in the greenhouse
The piles of leaves continue to grow, and though many have fallen, there’s still a lot of oak to float down and then be gathered up. I’ve already cut back and placed most of the Pelargoniums into trays for over wintering and once the remaining pots on the terrace are empty, I’ll plant out the four or five packs of tulips I have in the shed.
Tulips ready to go in some of the other terrace containers and borders
In the kitchen garden I’ve pulled the remaining carrots- they are a well-sized and tasty crop. The parsnips and a few leeks are all that remains for winter vegetables, with the promise of Purple Sprouting Broccoli to come in spring. As I reported last month, I’ve used my latest batch of compost to mulch the fruit bushes, strawberries and raspberries and added some manure over the rhubarb and asparagus bed, which hopefully might give us a few spears next year.
I dug up one of the remaining two blackcurrant bushes the other day and took this in to the local Primary School, where I was helped by 7 pupils to divide it and plant it out in their developing fruit garden. It was fun to be back among some familiar (if older) faces and they were very responsive and involved in the hour we spent talking about roots, stems, water and so on.
Awaiitng a Redcurrant, to go alongside White and Black!
So, here we’re left with one large blackcurrant bush (after having three for several years – the freezer is still bulging with the last few year’s crops). I’m now waiting on the arrival of some bare root red currant and raspberry canes at the local nursery, so that I can fill out the summer fruiting raspberries and replace the blackcurrant, which will give us one each of Red, White and Black currants.
Looking ahead, my friend Steve volunteered to order me some seed potatoes, so I’ve gone for some first and second earlies which should be here for ‘chitting’ in January. I also recently ordered some seeds from the RHS scheme for members, which is good value for money. With the seeds I purchased on my visit to Wallington Gardens in September (as well as some harvesting at other gardens we’ve visited), I can see that February will be a busy time (as usual), propagating a new range of interesting flowers for the borders; including one ‘long wanted’ variety, Cephalaria gigantea.
Some heavy flagstones awaiting re-use in the Pond Garden
The Pond Garden design starts to evolve…
My Pond garden project is moving ahead slowly, with the reclamation of some large York stone flags from one of our outside sheds (we’ve had a new concrete floor put in here to replace the stones) and the use of the stony soil from under these to build up the surrounds of the pond area. Before going much further outside on this I want to firm up my design on paper, so the drawing board is out again and I’m sketching out some ideas, including a stepping stone bridge (this is what some of the flagstones will be used for), boggy borders and a ‘beach’. My collection of plants for this area is growing nicely so I’m factoring these into the design too.
Nerine bowdenii
Onions sets starting to go..
Crab apple well laden
Cornus beginning to reveal its colurful stems with Mahonia in flower
Oops! These Red Delicious apples fell before they could be harvested…I’ve not been diligent enough this year!
Table planter starting to fill out with garlic, shallots and Broad Beans
On a broader front, I went over to Gressenhall the other day and began to clear up for winter (including some overdue shearing of the lavender and leaf clearing) and planted out some Catmint I took out of the courtyard planters at Old School Garden. Together with the new plants I purchased recently these will make a good show in a number of half barrel planters we have there.
You’ll have also seen something of my regular visits to Blickling Hall, where the winter clear up and preparation for next season is well underway. Did I tell you that I’m hoping to run a new Garden Design course at Blickling? Based on the one I’ve run in the past at Reepham, it will be slightly extended but will still focus on helping participants to design their own garden or area. I hope for a good level of interest, especially as we shall be able to use the gardens at Blickling as a showcase for many of the ideas and concepts I’ll be covering. If I get the numbers I need this will begin in early February.
Having just replaced the broken glass in our wood burner I think its time to light it and get something to drink!
Very best wishes,
Old School Gardener
Planter with various kinds of Nicotiana (Tobacco plant)
Old School Garden – 30th October 2015
Dear Walter,
Well, this month I can say that I’ve just about caught up with the routine jobs that Old School Garden needs at this time of year, though my bigger projects of pond and shed still await some serious attention.
I’ve spread a large pile of leaf mould in the new woodland garden I’m creating and mixed this with the topsoil and ashes from the old bonfire site I’d deposited there a few months ago. The soil is at least starting to deepen and hold some moisture. Into this mix I’ve planted a lot of ground cover and slightly larger perennials from around the garden as well as many spring bulbs – in waves that should hopefully make a bit of an impact next March and April.
The new woodland garden…promise of things to come.
Rhubarb mulched with manure…
Strawberries, and other fruit, with compost
I’ve also dug over the main kitchen garden beds and added some leaf mould and compost; the latter around the various fruit bushes. It all looks nice and tidy and should help to enrich the soil as well as cover it over the winter. I also finally got around to cleaning up the greenhouse and am about to add its winter insulation before putting in the various tender plants that I try to over winter.
Greenhouse cleaned, ready to insulate and fill..
..with things like these Echeveria.
I also plan to buy some bare root summer fruiting raspberries and a redcurrant bush- I’ve decided to reduce further our stock of blackcurrant bushes to one and donate the other to the local Primary School; how we ever dealt with three bushes I don’t know! (the first one went to Gressenhall Museum last year).
The table planter I created this year has also been stocked with a mix of garlic, shallots and broad beans that should get going and give me a chance of early crops next year. And a mix of white and red onions have also been planted out for the same reason.
Leaves, leaves everywhere
Elsewhere in the garden its been leaf collecting time, and having cleared last year’s leaf mould pile, I’m slightly reorganising the storage areas to accommodate a new supply of firewood (yet to be cut and collected) from our near neighbours. In doing this I’ve opened up a new vista towards the church..maybe a spot for another bench methinks?
New view…one to take advantage of with a new seat?
I had hoped to have shown you some pictures of the beautiful leaves on the Sumachs, but once again a little breeze and they soon disappear! It’s also been a time of hedge cutting and I’m pleased that this big job- with the added task of reshaping the big Laurel hedge in the main garden- has now been completed, as has fence painting. I spent one morning spreading 7.5 tonnes of shingle we had delivered which certainly improves the look of the drive, though in places it’s rather like Sheringham beach!
Autumn colour…Sedums, Cornus…
Malus ‘Red Sentinel’
Cooking apples…
Chinese lanterns
I recently made start on some plant moving, specifically a large white rose bush that was being crowded out by a vibrant Choisya and Viburnum. This helps to plug a gap in one of the mixed borders. I’ve also been mentally logging which other plants need to be shifted, including a Myrtle (which I’ll leave until early spring) and some other shrubs I’ve earmarked for the new pond garden. The plants I now have for this area – including some purchases earlier in the year – are now making a nice little collection and I can’t wait to finalise my design and get on with the pond and its surrounds.
Some of the plants I’ve been collecting for the new pond garden
I also have a big bag of tulips of various kinds as well as some Alliums I want to get into some of the containers we have and some in the borders. A job for next month.
As you’ll read in my other posts I’ve been putting in some sessions at Blickling Hall and also went over to Gressenhall museum last week to plant up some tubs with some drought tolerant perennials; two varieties of Cistus and a compact Buddleja, to be precise, with a few small ivies to add ‘edge interest’.
I gave a talk to a local gardening group the other night on the basics of garden design. This went well and I took the opportunity to plug my new garden design course (‘Your Garden- your Design’) I’m hoping to run at Blickling Hall from February next year.
The switchover has begun…the tender plants formerly in these pots are on their way to the greenhouse..to be replaced by Carex elata aureum (‘Bowles Golden Grass’) and tulips to come..
I do hope you and Lise are in good health as the days shorten and the temperatures drop. No doubt you’re enjoying watching someone else do the autumn tasks now that you’re getting some extra gardening help!
All the best old friend,
Old School Gardener
Patio, Cordoba, Spain
Old School Garden 