30 March 2011 12:09:03
R.Shamrock.
It didn't quite make it for St Patrick's Day, but now R.Shamrock has flowered. It is a fairly low growing hybrid and puts on a reliable show year after year.
25 March 2011 23:24:04
Viburnums.
My love of scented plants is fairly obvious by now and some of the very best are the scented Viburnums. In the winter, V.Bodnantense ‘Dawn’ is a great performer and now it’s the turn of V.carlesii ‘Aurora’ and one I’m unsure of the name of, perhaps it’s V. x juddii and the scent from both of them is wonderful. I also have a V. ‘Eskimo’,V.tinus ‘Eve Price and a V. davidii, all of which are good performers. I’ve never managed to come across a male V. davidii to ensure the lovely blue fruits, but where there’s life there’s hope. Shown are the flowers of what I think is possibly Viburnum x Juddi and it has the most delicious scent of all.I've added another photo of it to my assorted shrubs album.
21 March 2011 23:12:39
R.Loderi King George
Thought I'd share this photo of R.Loderi King George with you. On its right is R.Hippophaeoides and between it and the Hellebores, there are two Meconopsis coming up which I have never had before and im hopeful that they will be successful. I love the contrast between all the different plants.
21 March 2011 22:25:36
Osmanthus 'Silver Jubilee'.
I love scented plants and shown are the flowers of Osmanthus ‘Silver Jubilee' which have a wonderful Jasmine like fragrance. It is a lovely evergreen shrub, mine is about 6ft tall and even though the frosts do affect the flowers there are so many that it always puts on a good show. On the other end of the scent scale (in my opinion) there is the Ribes which is putting on a wonderful display now but I don't like the scent at all. I have added a couple of photos to my assorted shrubs album. In a week or so, I'll be waxing lyrical about the scented Viburnums.
21 March 2011 22:18:43
Magnolia 'Stellata'.
Its Magnolia time again and first to bloom for me is my ‘Stellata'. Not only are the flowers beautiful but there is the bonus of the lovely delicate scent which you don't hear mentioned too often. I must start a Magnolia photo album as I have a few of them, some of which are at flowering age and some which are not. My M.x loebneri ‘Merrill' is about to flower for the first time this year so I'm looking forward to that. They are all slow growing but well worth the wait in the long run.
17 March 2011 23:25:49
A Limerick Ladybird.
Enjoyed the diary entries during the week on ladybirds and to my surprise yesterday, I saw this fellow on the lovely leaf of my R.Leucaspis. I've added a couple of Camellia flower photos to my Camellia album as well.
09 March 2011 21:58:58
C. Rubescens Major.
Despite the damage wreaked by the frosts, I'm glad to see some of the Camellias starting to flower. Shown here is C. Rubescens Major which has just started to open this seasons flower buds. I have also added a few photos to a new Camellia photo album. C. Pope John xx111 and another Camellia seem to have lost all their buds which is a pity but a few more have yet to flower so that's something to look forward to.
04 March 2011 12:24:35
Roxieanum var Oreonastes.
The last week of hard frosts cut short the flowering displays of both R.Christmas Cheer and R.Praecox despite I covering them. R.Fulvum has fared better but has been affected as well. Such a pity but such is life. There is still a slight hope that R.Cilpinense might flower and continuing on a positive note next in line to flower are the hybrids R.Moerheim and R.Shamrock both of which are showing colour in the buds. I have been covering the lovely species R.Leucaspis in the hope that it will save the buds and so far it looks to be working. Time will tell. The Rhodo in the photo shows the narrow leaved R.Roxieanum var Oreonastes which I got late last year
04 March 2011 12:18:36
Asst Skimmias.
Thought I'd share this photo of a group of Skimmias I have planted together. The one in the centre is S.Rubella and the one on the right probably is as well as it doesn't berry. The one on the left started berrying two years ago but I don't know its name. I have another female in front of it, S.Winifred Crook and to the right of that is the white berrying S.Kew White. Elsewhere, I have the self-fertile S.Reevesiana. Close to the group of Skimmias is a group of Pernettyas and also a Callicarpa as I wanted to have a whole area of berrying shrubs and it has worked out well except I will probably have to add another Callicarpa to improve the amount of berries but that's another days work.
01 March 2011 22:35:22
Paeonia Officinalis
What a glorious day it was today once the frost was gone and it looks like it will continue good for the week. Its nice to see the Paeonias putting on good growth. I just love them and despite their slowness, when they do flower they are well worth the wait. Paeonia Lutea var Ludlowi and my other unnamed tree Paeonia are both at flowering size so in a couple of months will put on lovely show. Paeonia Officinalis shown here is planted a good few years but still isn't flowering freely. Paeonia 'Bowl of Beauty' is one I added two years ago and that flowered very well last year. I have another Paeonia which is very slow so maybe this will be its year and I added P.Veitchi Var Woodwardi a year and a half ago so that will take its time as well.