What's Looking Good in May
- Thread starter zigs
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Thanks.
That Cistus has variegated leaves which form a good contrast to the flower buds. Both the variegated varieties and the plain green ones are two weeks behind their normal timing.
The flowers are a beautiful bright white and only last a day, but the plant continues to produce them for three or four months. One of the green leafed varieties is in this picture.
It's the plant which is on the right of the picture just above the centre and protruding slightly over the lawn.
Behind and to the left of it is a lovely Euphorbia mellifera, which is slightly swamping the Cistus. The flowers smell of honey.
To the left of that, and against the fence, is a bamboo and the smaller, darker, clump in front of the bamboo is one of my favourites, Veronicastrum. By June/July the pink flowers will have grown to 6ft - 7ft tall and be covered in bees and butterflies.
In front of the Cistus is the light colour of another Euphorbia, Ascot Rainbow. The lower, pink and mauve flowers are geraniums. The tall purple flowers at the top left are Alliums and the white flowers behind them are on a golden leafed Choisyia.
The brighter, pale green flowers in the foreground are one of the varieties of Hellebores that flowers all through the winter and the green mass on the bottom right is one of the many varieties of Hebe. This one tends to grow quite low (for a Hebe) with small leaves and, in June/July is completely covered in white flowers. Most Hebes have purple flowers.
In one of the other beds the lovely coloured leaves of the Epimedium are now showing. It's an interesting plant where the flowers form before the leaves. By the time the leaves are there the flowers have finished.
This one has pink flowers and there are just the odd bits of pink left
and this is a yellow flowered one
The yellow flowered Saphora that is in one of the posts above has interesting large clumps of flowers. The plant has grown to about 8ft tall and looks quite spectacular when in full bloom.
That Cistus has variegated leaves which form a good contrast to the flower buds. Both the variegated varieties and the plain green ones are two weeks behind their normal timing.
The flowers are a beautiful bright white and only last a day, but the plant continues to produce them for three or four months. One of the green leafed varieties is in this picture.
It's the plant which is on the right of the picture just above the centre and protruding slightly over the lawn.
Behind and to the left of it is a lovely Euphorbia mellifera, which is slightly swamping the Cistus. The flowers smell of honey.
To the left of that, and against the fence, is a bamboo and the smaller, darker, clump in front of the bamboo is one of my favourites, Veronicastrum. By June/July the pink flowers will have grown to 6ft - 7ft tall and be covered in bees and butterflies.
In front of the Cistus is the light colour of another Euphorbia, Ascot Rainbow. The lower, pink and mauve flowers are geraniums. The tall purple flowers at the top left are Alliums and the white flowers behind them are on a golden leafed Choisyia.
The brighter, pale green flowers in the foreground are one of the varieties of Hellebores that flowers all through the winter and the green mass on the bottom right is one of the many varieties of Hebe. This one tends to grow quite low (for a Hebe) with small leaves and, in June/July is completely covered in white flowers. Most Hebes have purple flowers.
In one of the other beds the lovely coloured leaves of the Epimedium are now showing. It's an interesting plant where the flowers form before the leaves. By the time the leaves are there the flowers have finished.
This one has pink flowers and there are just the odd bits of pink left
and this is a yellow flowered one
The yellow flowered Saphora that is in one of the posts above has interesting large clumps of flowers. The plant has grown to about 8ft tall and looks quite spectacular when in full bloom.
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Plants grow very well in our climate and it seems silly not to take advantage of it. 
It does take an awful lot of work, though!
My neighbour has a very simple garden, lawn trees and a few shrubs, and it takes him about four hours a week to keep it tidy. Our garden would take about three days a week for a professional gardener - but we don't have one.
We keep saying that, as we're in our seventies, we will make the garden easier to look after. Instead we have made it more complicated. This year we've made a new flower bed that is 55ft x 3.5ft.
It does take an awful lot of work, though!My neighbour has a very simple garden, lawn trees and a few shrubs, and it takes him about four hours a week to keep it tidy. Our garden would take about three days a week for a professional gardener - but we don't have one.
We keep saying that, as we're in our seventies, we will make the garden easier to look after. Instead we have made it more complicated. This year we've made a new flower bed that is 55ft x 3.5ft.
- Joined
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Hi Zigs,
What cake would you prefer with your cuppa? We've also got Pimms again if you want it.
Are you driving up on Friday? I've only just managed to find a place for Freddy, and Mrs Freddy, to stay as he tried to book and couldn't find anywhere because he'd left it a bit late. It's sorted now.
See you Saturday.
What cake would you prefer with your cuppa? We've also got Pimms again if you want it
.Are you driving up on Friday? I've only just managed to find a place for Freddy, and Mrs Freddy, to stay as he tried to book and couldn't find anywhere because he'd left it a bit late. It's sorted now.
See you Saturday.
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Are you going to meet up, in the evening, with the others that are coming up on Friday?
Jenny and Mary are coming up early on Friday to help make sandwiches for the helpers and the GC crowd.
Jenny and Mary are coming up early on Friday to help make sandwiches for the helpers and the GC crowd.
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That poinciana is incredible. What a wonderful sight as you go about your day
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What a lovely lay out, Bootsy. I'm thrilled to say I have some of the plants in my garden but I love your combination. It really is inspiring to see what other gardeners do. It isn't possible to copy as nature doesn't let us but it's great to put our own slant on things.
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Can I come ? I'm only a stones throw away!!!!Are you going to meet up, in the evening, with the others that are coming up on Friday?
Jenny and Mary are coming up early on Friday to help make sandwiches for the helpers and the GC crowd.
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Love the color of the first one. I don't think I know that one so I'll keep an eye open. So good to see everyone's gardens...sitting here very comfy with a cuppa having a lovely time. Thanks Sheal.My garden is just starting to come to life.
Saxifraga 'Arendensii'
View attachment 6291
Solomon's Seal behind Azalea
View attachment 6292
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Of course you can.
I guess you must be very good at stone throwing Give me your address and I'll give you directions
We're expecting about 400 to turn up at the weekend. It's all for charity.
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Will leave from Melbourne /Tullamarine Airport, stopover in either Dubai or Singapore for a few hours, land at Heathrow and then.....maybe I'd better take a rain check. Have a great day!!!,
- Joined
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That's not a problem! We have an international airport only ten minutes away so you won't need Heathrow. If you leave now you may make it by Saturday
By the way, if you fly through Singapore to England and use Singapore airlines you can get special deals. As long as you're not flying on their busy days (so go mid-week) and make a one or two day stopover in Singapore you can, quite often, get an enormous discount on the flights. It's subsidised by the government/tourist board.
When we flew to Australia we got the deal and were able to get about 35% off the fare.
We have an international airport only ten minutes away so you won't need Heathrow. If you leave now you may make it by Saturday By the way, if you fly through Singapore to England and use Singapore airlines you can get special deals. As long as you're not flying on their busy days (so go mid-week) and make a one or two day stopover in Singapore you can, quite often, get an enormous discount on the flights. It's subsidised by the government/tourist board.
When we flew to Australia we got the deal and were able to get about 35% off the fare.