Garden Bloom Day December 2007

December flowers are pretty thin on the ground in my Scottish garden but surprisingly I do have a few to share for this month’s Bloom Day post and for a change I am early! Carol at May Dreams Gardens must be delighted to have had so many participating blogs during this first year of her initiative in posting what’s in flower on the 15th of every month. I have really enjoyed taking part and look forward to browsing the other gardens through the comments on Carol’s December Garden Bloom Day post over the weekend.

In my front garden I found a few surprises, shown above. My bright orange osteospermum has decided to open a few flowers - silly thing! The real surprise though was that I found a caterpillar inside it! We have yet to have a real hard frost so I expect that is why this plant still lives on. However I think I will lift them over the weekend, pot them up, and put them in my greenhouse. I might also try rooting some cuttings in water – I wonder if that would work. I have never grown osteospermum until this year and I have to say it has been a bit disappointing.

The coral red penstemon has still a few bells hanging on there too and the pink aster also has a few clusters of flowers and some buds to open. The nepata has just the hint of purple blue on a few stems but I think it is perhaps time to cut it down as they are starting to die back. But in contrast there are a few new clusters of flowers emerging on my euphorbia. Ahh but the biggest surprise in my front garden is the leaves of allium growing up through the gravel. This I suspect is the pale pink flowering one shown in my allium post last week. I am looking forward to seeing what will happen next with these young plants – they have seeded themselves so I doubt they will flower next year anyway or could they?

In my back garden I had to look a bit harder to find flowers and this is indeed a mixed bag in the photo selection above but yet I still had a surprise there too. The very last photo shows a tiny alpine strawberry! Can you imagine that at this time of year - in Scotland?

I found a few deep orange calendula flowers – again trying to open. The black grass ophiopogon was still holding on to a few berries butI will leave these ones to drop themselves. The fluffy seed heads of the ornamental grass Klein Fontaine catches my eye as I look out my window – I will leave them through the winter.

The last white Japanese anemone flower is now finally on its way out – this plant has given a great show this year and I am about to add a few pink ones that I picked up as bargains at the garden centres in the last few weeks.

Polygala, shown in the centre of the selection above, has probably given the longest flowering season by far in my garden and has been flowering since March with its cream/lemon and purple pea-like flowers. It has grown into a wonderful carpet in my rock garden. My sulphur heart ivy growing up and over my pergola has also had flowers on it this year which will provide food for the birds. I have to say I had never noticed these flowers before but there are quite a number of these cluster balls which actually look quite pretty.

My sulking skimmia was moved earlier this year as it wasn’t showing berries. Now of course I cannot see it from my window and yes the picture above tells all - third row, first photo. Okay so let’s go back to the rock garden for another long flowering plant beginning back in April. These little white clusters of flowers are borne on short stems from mat forming cream splashed foliage and have lit up this area practically all year. I think this is perhaps a variegated arabis.

So finally, this month’s selection is brought sweetly to a close with the alpine strawberry! Mmm I wonder what I will have for next month – perhaps some snow scenes?

The photos above were taken in my garden on December 14th 2007.

Garden Bloom Day November 2007

The birds and wildlife in my garden have rather dominated my posts recently. However today it is time once again to post on what is in flower in my garden at the moment. Well, I have to say that many of the same flowers of the last few months are still in flower albeit in fewer numbers. It was getting dark as I took my photos today so the flash was used in them all. I thought it would make a change. To see more flowering plants in other gardens go to May Dreams Gardens and browse the gardens in the comments of Carol's November post .

Photos above from top: Thistle flowers of Cirsium, coral trumpets of Penstemon, Sea Holly, pink Asters, Verbena Bonariensis, orange Osteospermum, pink crane's bill geranium and white Borage.

Finally, I have to point out here that although the above plants are still in flower they really are in very small numbers now. They appear as little dots of colour through a tapestry of foliage. I should also add that my Japanese Anemones, Nepata, Polygala and Calendula still have a few flowers left too. I enjoy my foliage plants at this time of year and as more plants die down for winter I am able to see the structural plants of my garden once again. Ah yes, and perhaps it is time to start thinking about next year's garden.

The photos above were taken in my garden on November15th 2007.

Garden Bloom Day October 2007

Another month has passed quickly by and it is time once again to post on what is currently in flower in my garden. I am not alone in my posting today and to see what is in flower in other gardens visit May Dreams Gardens and browse the comments on Carol’s Garden Bloom Day post for October. My garden is looking seasonally autumnal as the photos below show.

Photos above from top: Acers showing beautiful leaf colours, Acer seed capsules, Japanese Anemones, Sea Holly and Polygala.

The Japanese Anemones have continued to display their beautiful white flowers and are looking stunning with the changes in foliage colour with the plants that surround them. The Sea Holly is now starting to show signs of fading and the small tubular creamy white and lemon flowers of the Polygala were a surprise to see at this time of year.


Photos above from top: Gunnera flower spike, Golden Hop, Stonecrop Sedum, Ophiopogon planiscpus ‘Nigrescens’ berries and growing through Saxifraga variagata (London Pride).

My Gunnera has had a couple of flower spikes for a few months now but soon I will have to consider cutting down its large leaves and pushing them through the spike to protect for it to survive another year. The golden hop is laden with hops at the moment but it’s foliage is starting to show signs of it too coming to the end of the season. In the next two weeks I will have that pruned back to the ground.

London Pride is looking particularly colourful at the moment and I love to see my grasses grow through it - in particular the Ophiopogon which has berries developing in other clumps in my garden. Another surprise, whilst taking my photos, was the single stem of red growth on my Peiris – this growth usually comes during Spring.


Photos above from top: Sedum Rose Carpet in hanging basket, Clematis ‘Silver Moon’, Brunnera 'Jack Frost', Nepata ‘Walkers Low’, Borage blue and white.

Sedum ‘Rose Carpet’ has been looking great in my hanging basket although I had hoped to see butterflies and bees covering it. At the moment my garden has a range of very interesting colours from the wide variety of greens and autumnal colours. However, it is still holding on to some delicate summer colours with the other plants in the photo selection above.


Photos above from top: Cotoneaster Hybridus Pendulus, Calendula, Alpine Aster, Verbena Bonariensis and Cerise Pink Impatiens.

Cotoneaster berries add to the splashes of intense colour still seen dotted in small bursts in my garden. These colours are slowly slipping away with each flower finishing but I don’t mind this transition at all. I have a predominately foliage garden so now it is time for me to appreciate these backbone plants of my garden. I enjoy seeing the structure of my garden in the autumn and winter months.


Photos above from top: Cirsium rivulare "Atropurpureum" and Penstemon ‘Etna’.

I am delighted to be able to show the first flowers of the second flush on my Cirsium which I cut back completely to the ground after it finished flowering during the summer. Last year I had one single flower spike flowering in December so this year I am hoping for many more second time around!

Finally, I am finishing with a photo of the moment as I publish this post. It shows my favourite part of the garden today. There are only a few flowering stems left on my penstemon and in a few days all the beautiful leaves of the Acer will lie crumpled underneath. I hope you are enjoying your garden at the moment as much as I am thoroughly enjoying mine!

The photos above were taken in my garden on September14th 2007, with the exception of the last two full sized photos which were taken on September 15th 2007.

Garden Bloom Day September 2007

Yesterday was Bloom Day. Thanks to Carol, at May Dreams Gardens, garden bloggers throughout the world post on what is currently in flower in their gardens. It is a great way to see real gardens by simply browsing the comments list on Carols post. So let me introduce the stars of my September garden!

Photos above from top: Japanese Anemone, Shasta Daisy, Calendula, Verbena Bonariensis and Impatiens.

The Japanese Anemone is my favourite flower at the moment. My garden is mostly foliage with many shades of green and textures so the contrast of intensity in flower colour shown above works well dotted around in small drifts.


Photos above from top: Sea Holly, Nepata, Aster and Penstemon ‘etna’ are all found in my front garden with ornamental grasses and silver leaved Euphorbia.

The main cast, shown above, would be nothing without the plants hiding in the background on the ground, climbing over trellis or lurking in the shadows. To see the supporting cast of my September garden click here .

The photos above were taken in my garden on September 15th 2007.

Garden Bloom Day August 2007

I am delighted to be able to post my Bloom Day post on time this month. To view other gardens, across the world, to see what they have in flower at the moment browse the comments list on Carol’s post on May Dreams Garden . I have decided, for a change, to post a video of my flowering plants to show how they nestle amongst lots of foliage plants. For me the foliage plants are the stars of my garden at the moment and the flowers are giving spots of colour as you will see in my video below.



I have just been browsing myself and have enjoyed looking at the colours of plants of two gardens in the USA that I would recommend a look at:
Robin's Central Indiana garden and
Layanee's Northwestern Rhode Island garden .

I’m delighted that, through my comments below, someone has noticed that my black grass is in flower and has asked about it – Thank-you Carol. I hoped someone would as I think this plant is rather special - here in the UK is often referred to as a black grass but it isn’t actually a grass. Its real name is rather a mouthful!

Ophiopogon is actually a perennial giving this beautiful grass-like foliage all year through. It is in flower now as you can see at the end of my video above. The flowers are pretty little things but it’s the promise of what they bring that I look forward to – clusters of shiny black-purple berries! These plants can be quite expensive as they are slow growing but occasionally when I have a larger clump I will lift, divide then replant. They can also be propagated from seed when it is fresh. I tried an experiment in January when I had berries on my plants and they were beginning to fall to the ground. I gently pulled the berries off and pushed them into the soil as if they had fallen off and been covered. So far I have seen no signs that this has been successful but I will try it again – planted en masse this plant looks absolutely striking and it is a strong favourite at garden shows.

The photo above, showing berries, was taken in my garden in January 2007 and is the variety Ophiopogon planiscpus ‘Nigrescens’ (syn. Black Dragon) I bought my first plant at a Garden Open Day plant sale many years ago.

The video above was taken, early morning, in my garden on August 4th 2007.

Garden Bloom Day July 2007

For new visitors I ought to explain a little about this post. The photos shown below were all taken in my garden to show what is in flower at the moment. Garden Bloom Day (or Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day) is organised by Carol at May Dreams Gardens who is in Indiana, USA. Her idea is to share across the world what is in flower in the garden on one day of the month – the 15th. It doesn’t need to be shown with photos - lists or a mix will do just as well. To share my photos and see all the others I go to Carol's GBBD post and leave a comment telling her I have taken part. There I can browse the gardens through her comments list – which I have already done and I intend going back to look again! At the moment it looks like I could be her 70th comment and although I am a little late with my contribution I will still add it as I really enjoy taking part.

My front garden has the most colour at the moment. The photos below show my rose ‘Cardinal de Richelieu’ still holding on to a few flowers. Now though, my rose has the backdrop of the penstemon ‘Etna’ firing up the whole border with colour glowing up and through grasses and alongside the violet blues of the nepata ‘Walkers Low’. Pink asters are tucked into corners and my small buddleia is creeping up through grasses now too. New for this year were the beans which are growing well in the last photo of this group. You will also see two allium christophii heads – the small photo shows a seed head but as the other grows in a shadier part of my back garden is only now fully in flower.

This area is quite small so I limited the colours and use bold and repeats of colour with grasses blending the whole thing together. I have chosen plants for vertical impact here with and the growth of the grasses really accelerates at this time of year – my miscanthus just heads for the sky! This year however it is the number of flowers on my stipa towering over the border like a giant umbrella frame that quite literally tops this border. Behind the stipa and growing through it are the deep reds of the cirsium flowers and in front coming up to meet it are drumstick alliums and verbena bonariensis which will be fully in flower in the next few weeks. This area gently moves with the wind and visiting bees but soon the butterflies will join the party too!


Over the fence, in my back garden there is a whole different world. There is much more shade here and the predominant colour is green with little bursts of colour dotted around. At this time of year my back garden is a very tranquil place – cool in the hot days and so lush and vibrant after the rain. It is now shared with my visiting birds which have dropped in numbers after my absence on holiday. I must refresh and move around the feeders to attract them back again. I have gardened for many, many years but only in the last 18 months have I realised that the garden is empty with out visiting birds – really quite empty.

In the first set of photos below you will see that the red campion is a favourite with the insects. To the right of this photo if you look closely you will see my gunnera is sending out its flower spike. Completing this set you can see my hostas are now coming into flower – another popular feeding station for the bees and other insects.

Next, the deep colours of the clematis look stunning as they are in partial shade and the little thyme, in the larger picture, looks so delicate. Geramiums and a rogue foxglove complete this set.

Dotted around my back garden delicate colours of flower heads emerge as you can see in this next group. The blue allium was part of a bulb set two years ago and was a surprise to find in flower all on its lonesome nowhere near where I planted the rest – which never emerged! The single stem is the start of my lavender showing signs of flower although they have a lot more growth to put on yet. The group of stems is my small low compact astilbe showing signs of flowers to come too.

Next, alpine strawberries are continuing to flower and fruits are developing. My last aquilegia flower is shown and the larger picture is a complete unknown – if I were to make a guess I would say it has perhaps has a likeness for an orchid. I have no idea where this has come from – perhaps the birds? Can anyone help with an ID here?

The last photo in this group is of my borage showing first flowers in a blue and white although it too has a lot of growth to put on – it gets quite tall and if you have children you should be aware the hairy stems are quiet prickly. I grew this from seed a number of years ago and I always pull it up again but it always finds a way to keep coming back! I do leave some depending on where I find it. Finally, the wind and rain took its toll on my campanulas as they now lie across other plants.


Seed heads are now appearing in my garden – I have to say I enjoy looking at them although they can be untidy. I collected many seeds last year but this year I will try sowing the fluffy ones like the celemisia, in the larger photo of the first set of photos below, fresh this year. I won’t try growing cirsium as I have no space for anymore – however after all the flowers have passed in a stem I plan to cut it completely to the ground as last year I had a second flush of cirsium flowers in December! The pods in the last photo hold white lupin seeds.

The second photo in this group below shows a seed head on my clematis ‘Miss Bateman’ and although I successfully propagated it from cuttings last year I think I will also try sowing its fluffy seeds too. For some reason an insect found its leaves of interest! The larger photo shows that my heuchera’s still have flower spikes – their foliage colours are looking great now too.


A bright splash of colour can be seen at my back door in a hanging basket as you will see in the next group of photos below. It looks well above my new silver border which at the moment has a small compact hebe now covered in white flowers as you can see in the second photo of this group. This border isn’t entirely silver in colour – some plants have silver in their name like the rose ‘Silver Anniversary’ we were given for our Anniversary which will have white flowers.

The paler blue meconopsis, grown from seed, is in a pot in a partial shady nursery area in my garden. The final flower spike showing with the start of small purple flowers is a new plant that is temporarily in my silver border to fill space for this year – I will find its label and update this with its name.

Finally the last photos show the very impressive, tall, yellow flowers of Ligulaia x palmatiloba which for the moment is the strongest colour in my back garden. They tower above me as I walk around this border - I had to use a small step ladder to take these photos!

Looking down on me as I was on my step ladder was a blackbird sitting on my, in need of a good trim, hedge! The blackbirds often watch and follow me when I am in the garden – just in case I put out some food and then they will come up quite close. I will get out and attend to them soon.

Next month my back garden should have more colours again but for the moment I am enjoying the many greens and textures of the foliage.

All photos shown above were taken in my garden on 16th July 2007.

Garden Bloom Day June 2007

Very disappointingly rain and winds on the 15th of June meant that I was unable to take part in Garden Bloom Day this month. Carol at May Dreams Gardens however, who has organised this day, will be happy I have posted late rather than not at all. So below I have posted photographs of flowering plants in my Scottish garden on May 17th. I looked through the posts submitted by other gardeners in the comments of her post on the 15th and it is wonderful to see what is flower in ‘real’ gardens in other parts of the world. Again, Carol I have to congratulate you on such a great idea!

My front garden is where I started taking photos and at the moment the violet blues of the Nepata ‘Walkers Low’ is giving a wonderful contrast to the many tones of pink. Below in the top set of pictures you will also see my penstemon ‘etna’ taken from cutting two years ago, top right and bottom right the cerise pink of the dianthus 'devon glow' planted below my rose.

In the second set of photos you can see the beautiful scented head of my only rose Cardinal de Richelieu, a beautifully scented thornless one, and an alpine aster. I wonder if anyone knows the name of my aster that I have had in my gardens forever?

In smokey grey pots at my front door I have Christophii Alliums which are looking great at the moment shown in the main picture in top set of photos below and a clematis rouge cardinal growing through a simple metal spiral obelisk, top right.

This year I fancied a few dots of very strong orange so growing in gravel I have an osteospermum ‘dark florence’. The next photo shows the orange flowers of runner beans, again in a smokey grey pot with a taller metal spiral obelisk. The yellow flowers are top right, tomatoes and bottom right mini cucumber both growing in my greenhouse. However, I am trying growing some tomatoes outside too in pots in my front garden which gets the most sun.

Bees are always seen in my front garden at this time of year especially on my Nepata, catmint, and on the thistle shaped flowers of my cirsium as you can see in the main picture below. The top right picture shows the scale of the flowers to stem on the cirsium and the stipa growing in front of it floating around in the wind with its giant golden oat flowers.

I love the movement of the grasses in my garden especially when flowers grow up and through them. I also like the strong acid greens of the euphorbia flower, shown right bottom which is a wonderful contrast to the deep reds growing in my front garden.

Through my garden gate into my back garden the first thing that my eye is immediately drawn to is my flowering white wisteria growing over my pergola, shown in the main picture and top left. This is the best year of flowers I have ever had and I have been absolutely thrilled with it – yes it is scented too! If you would like to see more pictures of my wisteria click here .

The picture bottom right is a lupin ‘snow white’ which I decided to show with the wisteria as it made me think of an upside down wisteria flower! I have quite a lot of white in my garden at the moment, dotted about in my mostly green foliage back garden celimsia and saxifrage is shown in the second picture below – again favourites with the bees.

Another favourite flower in my garden at this time of year growing through my golden grasses are the blue and violet colours of the meconopsis flower, shown in the main picture below. Again I have some more photos if you would like to see them click here . However they are prone to loosing petals with strong winds and rain so they are best growth in more sheltered positions.

Top right below, shows the flowers of my choiysia just hanging on - it will soon be over but they have given a good show for the last month. So too, bottom right, has my orange geum – I perhaps should cut them down now.

Hanging baskets can add a bit of extra colour and height to a garden and are mostly associated with hot summer days. Most who have known my garden over the years it will be very surprised to see so many bright colours in it at the moment as I have always loved my predominately green garden.

However my garden has evolved many, many times over the years and for a change this year I though I would set aside a small bed and add some bedding in the form of deep cerise pink busy lizzies, impatiens shown bottom right. I have also added some cineraria for silver foliage colour and a few other silver green foliage plants – I just love all the varied shades of greens mixed with the different textures and shapes of the leaves. Above this bed hangs a colourful hanging basket, main photo below, which will pick out the colours in the bed – the bees love this too.

During the early part of the year I have had another hanging basket filled with little violas, shown below top right which has given a good show for months – it is probably past its best and I really should consider what I will replace it with – a clematis perhaps?

The colour pink has always contrasted well with the greens of my foliage plants. The cranes bill geranium, below main photo, is a favourite for both me and the bees again. I love the deep colours too especially in the clematis niobe, shown below bottom left – the colours are deeper when it gets less direct sunshine. But this deep colour is seen in the, surprise, surprise, foliage in my garden too.

The top left picture below, shows the tiny clusters of flowers growing from a purple leaved heuchera. I’ve probably chatted on a bit too long now so the last pictures I will just list. I have thoroughly enjoyed preparing this post – it will be great to look back on at the end of the year too.


Below, main picture, aquilegia. Top right, wild flower, pink campion and bottom right white campion.

Middle, picture above, main photo allium. Top left, herbs, thyme and bottom left chives.

Last, picture above, buds about to open, main photo hosta flower. Top left iris and finally bottom left trollis.

Happy gardening – whatever the weather!

Garden Bloom Day May 2007

May Dreams Garden is in Indiana, USA. It is a Gardening Blog/Diary written by Carol who shares photos and stories about her garden. There are many people throughout the world that do this – that is not unique. However she has introduced something through her site that is unique and I feel is such a brilliant idea.

What grows and flowers where and when – how many books are written on this? However, especially with climate change, stories from real gardeners can be invaluable. Carol has come up with an idea that tells real stories of how plants are thriving, or not, throughout the world. She has invited gardeners to share what is in flower in our own gardens on a particular day of the Month, the 15th, by posting plant lists and photos through Blog/Diaries. This is such a fun idea to see what other gardeners like to grow too – giving ideas to all and sharing valuable info.

To join all you need to do is post your photos and lists of what’s in bloom, perhaps what is in bud and what has just finished. It is up to you - it doesn’t have to be all photos but they are great for everyone to see. You then tell Carol that you have taken part by leaving a comment on her page here. This allows her and others to visit your page from the large list she will have there. If you are not able to take part this time you can still see the photos and plant lists by visiting May Dreams Gardens. Below you will see my contribution for May.

Photos above, from top, ALLIUM Christophii, ALLIUM Purple Sensation, Pink & BLUEBELLS, CIRSIUM Rivulare Atopurpursum, EUPHORBIA (Spurge).

The plants above are grown in my front garden with a quartz gravel mulch as they get baked in the sun there. They all grow well through grasses and over rocks.

Photos above, from top, GEUM, Candelabra PRIMULA, SAXIFRAGA variagata (London Pride), AQUILEGIA (not sure variety), BOWLES GOLDEN Sedge Grass, SNOWDROP (On tall stems -not sure variety).

The Geum above sadly is short lived but I lift and divide it to spread this sunshine orange colour about. My back garden gets more shade. It looks great with the striking pink of the Candelabra primulas and the ornamental grasses.

Photos above, from top, TULIP , VIOLA Labradorica Purpurea, AJUGA (not sure variety), PRIMROSE grown from seed in 2003.

These plants have some shade growing under my Acer tree and to the side of my pergola. I do love to see them in the early morning as I did today with it dappled upon them.

Photos above, from top, FRITALLARI (not sure variety), AQUILEGIA x2 grown from seed collected last year on variety Tequila Sunrise, RHODODENDRON x2 (will need to check varieties – have labels), POLYGALA Chamebuxus.

The plants above always add strong colour to my garden at this time of year. Most of these plants I have had for many years although they have not always been where they are now! I am well known for moving plants around.

Photos above, from top, NARCISSUS Poeticus Pheasant Eye, Lawn DAISIES.

I was quite surprised to see two lone narcisi in my grass today - all the other bulbs have passed over and at the end of June we will mow over this grass area again. Today the rest of my grass was in need of a trim - but then I would have missed the daisies!

Photos above, from top, CHOISYA Ternata (Orange Blossom), CHOISYA Aztec Pearl, WISTERIA Shiro Naga Fuji (Snow Showers) x2.

The scent of boths leaves and flowers of the Choisya are wonderful. My Wisteria has not quite made it into flower for this post but it really isn't far away. The leaves are now beginning to uncurl behind the flower buds which are getting longer every day. I must remember to feed it to get good strong flowers.

Photo above, BAMBOO Sinarundinaria Nitida (Chinese).

This perhaps looks like an odd photo to add to the list for today. Yes, and not too common fortunately. This is my Bamboo in flower - it is now setting seed and will die! I was very unfortunate that I had three good sized plants when last year was the one year in 100 that this plant flowered. Other Bamboos are once in every 30-40 years. I collected seed and will try sowing it - just as an exercise to see if it germinates. The plant I have in flower was spared one more year as I had divided it into another three before it came into flower last year. I have thrown out one, compost bin, and left another to see if it comes back to life in another three or so years purely for sentimental reasons as it was part of a Jungle garden I built with my daughter.

Finally, I would like to wish everyone that drops by this page a Good Bloom Day! I am now looking forward to visiting May Dreams Gardens to see who has been visiting there with garden photos today.

Update Wednesday 16th:

Sorry, I missed something in my post yesterday which may be of interest to you. I have had increasing enquiries to my site about New Zealand Flatworms after posting on them. Many are now coming from the USA. Click here to read about them.

All photographs above were taken in my garden on 15th May 2007.