In a Vase on Monday: Oh so Totally…..!

I planted some long-sought-after Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’ two years ago and this year they have really taken off. They are a gorgeous orange colour,  and the name is perfect. It was the natural choice for this week’s arrangement for Cathy’s In a Vase on Monday meme (Rambling in the Garden), and allowed me to use one of my favourite vases too.

I added another Geum, which may be Red Wings, but some of my labels have disappeared again! And some Spiraea ‘Magic Carpet’ which is looking stunning this year after all the rain we have had.

It has been a busy couple of weeks, with work on the new bed progressing. Here is a sneak preview, with my vase standing on the freshly spread woodchip mulch which will soon turn grey in the sun but is dazzling at the moment! (The plants still look so small!)

The complete bed will be revealed at a later date as there is still much to do. 😉

We have had some great gardening weather which has allowed me to catch up with chores… the runner beans are sown, tomatoes almost ready to go into their final containers, annual geraniums potted up. It’s beginning to look like summer here with no sign of any more frost, so fingers crossed. I have also finally got some weeding done today, just in time as some of the weeds were getting the overhand!

 

Now do go and visit Cathy to see what she and others are sharing from their gardens today.  And have a great week.

Happy Gardening!

Wild and Weedy Wednesday: Saxifraga granulata

I am resuming my weekly posts about wild flowers and ‘weeds’ – ‘Wild and Weedy Wednesday’ – that I started last year. I thought I would run out of plants last summer, after several months of posts, but found I was making lists of flowers to include this year! Anyway, if anyone wishes to join in with me and look at some of the wild flowers (or are they weeds?!) growing in our gardens, please do!

Last summer we did not mow the vast majority of our meadows at all, and have thus already noticed a difference in the wildflowers we are seeing. Today’s flower is a good example – we don’t recall having seen it here at all in 2023; Saxifraga granulata, or meadow saxifrage.

The creamy white flowers with striking yellow stamens have been bobbing around in the wind for over a week now, standing out on their dark stems at a height of around 40 cm. The flowers are perhaps 2 cm in diameter and have a kind of ‘vintage’ look to them.

They are found on hillsides of sandy dry grassland, where the soil is poor in nutrients and slightly acidic. I am very happy this native plant has made its way to our plot, as it is on the red list of endangered plants in Bavaria.

I wonder if you have ever seen this flower? Do share if it seems familiar, as I have no idea how widespread or rare it actually is.

Have a great Wednesday!

 

Viburnum ‘Aurora’ and ?

About two weeks ago, while we were still enjoying a warm spell, my Viburnum carlesii ‘Aurora’ in the Oval Bed came into flower.

I love this shrub and have another one at the front gate. I also grew it very successfully in my old garden. It has a wonderful fragrance, pretty pale pink flowers and shiny leaves.

As you may notice on these photos there is a bud next to the flower, tightly closed. I thought this was odd and had already noticed the foliage of part of the shrub was slightly different. But, I am embarrassed to admit, I never really took much notice of it.

A few days ago the second lot of buds opened, and some ugly white flowers, with no scent, appeared. Now, I took a closer look! All of the thicker and more textured foliage – which was a similar shape to Aurora – and the white flowers were on a second stem at the base of the shrub. This is the first time this part of the shrub has flowered.

I looked online for clues, but found nothing. I then remembered that the other Aurora shrub I have here also had another alien stem growing at its base which I lopped early on last year. On checking it, lo and behold! That lopped stem is also sprouting new leaves that look unmistakably like the native wild Viburnum opulus that grows in our hedges here.

So, my conclusion is that the rootstock of this hybrid decided – for whatever reason – to shoot and try and take over! I did not consider that this could happen. Did I perhaps plant them too deep, as can happen with grafted fruit trees?

I have removed the offending part of the shrub now (great material for starting off my new compost beds) and Aurora has been given breathing space again. The whole Oval Bed looks so much better! I hope she will now put on new growth and form buds for next year.

This will not deter me from planting another ‘Aurora’ in my new bed, which will focus on scented plants. I will, however, be more vigilant from now on. (By the way, work is resuming on the new bed this week as our rain has stopped and the wind is drying the garden up nicely. 😃)

I wonder if any of you gardeners have experienced the same with cultivated shrubs? I would love to hear if this is common or if it only occurs on particular plants.

Have a great Sunday

and

Happy Gardening!

 

 

In a Vase on Monday: Lovely Ladies

Now, when you look at this pretty double Hellebore, what comes to mind?

I am sure some of you think of ladies’ petticoats, as I do. 😉Hence the title for todays’s vase, as I join Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for her weekly meme with vases from around the world.

The winter Viburnum ‘Dawn’ has been opening bit by bit for about a week now, but only two days ago was it warm enough to detect its delicious fragrance. Needless to say I was immediately tempted to cut a piece to bring indoors. Cornus and Forsythia stems and some Pussy willow from last week’s vase joined the Viburnum. And then I made the decision to cut some Hellebores; I always hesitate, as they do not usually last well in a vase. But the ones I picked last week still look amazingly good, so I went for it!

As well as their resemblance to frilly feminine attire, their names all sound very feminine to me: Moondance, Noa, Carlotta and Yellow Lady.

Yellow Lady is the one at the front, with pretty pink freckles. (Is she blushing?)

The double one is called Noa. I bought it from an online nursery some years ago and have not been able to track it down since. I wonder if you have seen or heard of her before?

Next to Noa, on the right, is Moondance. This is a newcomer to the garden so I hope she settles in well. I love the hint of pale pink on the edge of her petals.

And on the left is the beautiful Carlotta, with her peachy pink and golden hues. A proper lady indeed.

At the moment they are standing tall, but I know they may flop at any minute. I have given up all the tricks suggested by friends and fellow bloggers such as searing the stems, as they sometimes work and sometimes don’t. I will just have to enjoy them NOW! Carpe diem and all that!

So, as you can see, I think we can now safely say that spring has arrived. I even saw a couple of butterflies today: some Peacocks and a single Brimstone. I just hope we are not plunged back into winter with icy winds later this month – March came in like a lamb… so it may go out with a lion’s roar!

Whatever the weather, I hope you are enjoying your gardens and wish you all a flowery week. 🦋

 

Wild and Weedy Wednesday: Coltsfoot

Some of my readers may remember I did a series of posts last year on wild flowers/weeds growing in and around my garden. Well, the series will continue this year, as there are still so many plants that I want to post about and share!

Yesterday I spotted the first wild flower of the year: Coltsfoot, Tussilago farfara.

What a wonderful sight amid the winter debris and moss! This small flower measures about 3cm when fully open, and grows on long scaly stems which continue to grow taller with the flower already open. The large leaves will emerge later – the leaves are what gives the plant its name as they supposedly resemble a colt’s foot!

The ground has to be at least 5°C before this plant will flower, so it is always a lovely find as it signifies the end of winter. In the phenological calendar we are therefore now officially in ‘Early Spring’. Hooray!

Interestingly, a report has shown that Coltsfoot in Germany still flowers at approximately the same time each year and has not reacted to ‘global warming’ at all…

I find it here directly outside our garden gate on the edge of the woods, and on our lane through the woods up to the main road. It is an old medicinal plant used primarily for tea that is said to help with coughs and asthma. As with all herbal medicines though, it should be used with caution, as too much can damage the liver.

Another interesting and useful fact is that the large leaves are soft and hairy on the underside, like tissue paper, and are a hiker’s friend when caught short in the woods! 😉

Do you see Coltsfoot near you? And if so, when does it usually start flowering?

My Wild and Weedy Wednesday posts will probably be a little intermittent until spring gets a foothold, but I just had to share this little ray of sunshine!

😁

Plant Therapy 🤣

I blame it on Frank. And Kimberley. A conspiracy of winter-weary gardeners encouraging me to go on a spending spree at the garden centre. (Thanks Frank! Thanks Kimberley! 😆)

In case you are wondering what I am talking about, Kimberley of Cosmos and Cleome recently posted here about the Ten Days of Plantness; a new holiday that Frank at Sorta Like Suburbia had apparently invented (See here and here). Frank confessed a few days later (he even baked a cake to celebrate!) and I must admit I was easily persuaded to join in. The idea was, to buy ten plants in the ten days between January 12th and 21st in order to prevent winter sticking around for much longer. Well, I missed the deadline, but a trip to the garden centre (now open again after a winter break) was bound to happen sooner or later. And the sight of all these tiny violas when I got there was magical – and the scent of them too!

I am not terribly successful with houseplants and have managed to kill, or at least severely damage several this winter through overwatering or neglect. Greenfly then whitefly invested several pots and I fear they will not survive the spraying with soapy water. So some replacements were definitely necessary. Does this sound like I am trying to justify spending xx euros (the cost of a meal out for two perhaps)?

Anyway, here is what I got….

First of all, an Aloe. I’ve got one already and haven’t managed to kill it off yet, so I am assuming this may be a good idea to stick with what I know. Yes, that is ivy next to the Aloe… it will never make it into the garden, but it will be added to an outdoor container in spring. Various violas and primulas also jumped into my shopping trolley, including the beautiful pale lavender/white one you can see above, a yellow one…

…and this gorgeous frilly pink one. 🩷

Then this beautiful pink flower caught my eye. I have never seen one before and do not usually buy such big and rather pricey plants. But this really appealed to me…

It is a Dendrobium ‘Berry Oda’. It will go where the Christmas cactus (that didn’t flower again) stood. The cactus clearly needs a new location… any tips welcome.

In the background you can see a bunch of pink tulips, tinged with creamy yellow. One broke while I was arranging them, but not to worry, I bought a new vase (😆) which was perfect…

Next to the vase above is a teeny weeny African Violet. Not sure how long it will last as it really is minute, but I will do my best. And the green plant next to it is called a Caribbean Chlorophytum Comosum ‘Bonnie’. Completely new to me but will look good in the spot where my Poinsettia stood over Christmas and New Year. (Don’t ask… Poinsettias never seem to survive longer than six weeks here).

And finally a small pot of Muscari and a white Cyclamen. I have several dormant Cyclamen at the moment. (At least, I hope they are only dormant!) but none in flower. I love white ones as they really brighten up a grey day.

I think I actually ended up with more than ten plants. 🤣

The only disappointment was that the garden centre had no Hellebores worth buying. They had clearly been neglected in their pots during the winter closure and were almost beyond saving. I expect some new stock will appear soon though, and I will just have to go again! 😉

Have you been to a garden centre recently? Or bought a new plant?

Have a good week

and

Happy (indoor) Gardening!

🌷🌷🌷

European Mistletoe

While looking around the garden for materials for a wreath recently, I picked up a large pine twig that I thought I could perhaps use, and found this….

Mistletoe is visible in the crowns of the pine trees in our woods…. right at the tops where nobody can reach or see it properly. And I had never seen how it actually attaches itself to the tree.
Well, now I can inspect it up close. What a revelation!

This mistletoe growing on the pine trees is Viscum album subsp. austriacum. It really does seem to be a part of its host tree, growing out of the wood of the pine and not simply attaching itself like ivy does.

I wonder if you have seen this before? Or perhaps with some other kind of parasitic plant?

I found it fascinating. Nature never ceases to amaze me.