Last week of February already, how fast does time fly? Mind you it also means spring is definitely just around the corner!
Most garden bloggers in the UK seems to have been keeping themselves busy and active plant wise with plenty of snowdrop activities. So far we haven't caught the fever yet although it is a nice preoccupation on an otherwise almost void period of a gardening year. We did catch a glimpse of the few snowdrops that we have in our garden last weekend and they are just about to bloom too. They seemed rather late but nevertheless a delight to see! As usual forgot to take photos of them though but hopefully they blooms are still around this coming weekend.
Anyway, here are a few random shots of our garden taken last weekend...
Tree fern fronds are mostly still green which means our lowest temperature this winter hasn't been below -6C...yet (we're not out of the woods and touch wood as I don't want to tempt fate). Based on our observations through the years the Dicksonia antarctica frond only go brown and crispy when temperatures go lower than that.
Our tallest Schefflera taiwaniana. So hard to photograph well without extra effort as it's taller than me (and that's a good thing).
This one, Schefflera kornasii not so difficult and only slightly taller than me. And it's also looking better than ever!
Orange can be present in an exotic garden too even in the depths of winter.
And speaking of orange....Phyllostachys bambusoides 'Castillonis'
Now that we're on to bamboos let me continue it a bit with one of my favourites, this Chilean beauty called Chusquea culeou. The culms are solid (character of the genus) unlike the hollow ones of most other bamboos.
And finally a very generous gift from our friend Don (check out his fab garden here), a New Zealand native lancewood, Pseudopanax crassifolius that is over seven feet tall and I can't help but admire everytime I pass by it. Although at that height it is definitely hard to ignore, plus it looks fabulously odd!
Now what will we get up to this weekend? Hmmmm....
Mark :-)
This gardening blog follows our journey as we create our Tropical and Exotic themed garden. We hope you'll enjoy the journey as much as we do. We started our Exotic Garden in 2005 and this site will show its development, as well as our travels, both abroad and within the UK to gardens, nurseries and friends.
Wow, your Chusquea culeou is big already! I also love chusqueas. There are two in my mother-in-law's garden near the Oregon border; they almost died in the deep freeze of December 2013 but are making a slow recovery.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that they sailed through Gerhard! Is that the one near Mt. Shasta? Have you got any in your garden? They ought to be more popular really, hardy and looks distinctive :)
DeleteYes, in Mount Shasta. They had -5F in Dec. 2013. That top-killed them but they came back from the rhizomes. I don't have any because they can't take the dry summer heat we have.
DeleteHave you guys done a rundown of your bamboos recently? You must have at least four species, but maybe much more than that? It's so nice seeing gardens from milder climates at this time of year...
ReplyDeleteWe possibly still have around 60 Alan, over four genus :) hope that cold spell in your area will end soon, cross fingers!
DeleteOooo I like that Schefflera kornasii a lot. I've just been reading up an earlier post you did on Schefflera. I don't suppose they'd like my clay/chalk combo.
ReplyDeleteThey don't seem that demanding or fussy Sarah. Give them a try, perhaps with S. taiwaniana first and/or S. rhododendrifolia :)
DeleteI've got to get me one of those orange bamboos.. It's fabulous!!
ReplyDeleteYou'll have to Jessica, some of them glow even on a dreary and dull day :)
DeleteGreat color! The red stems of Schefflera kornasii are incredible! Haven't seen that one over here yet. Phyllostachys bambusoides 'Castillonis' is glorious!
ReplyDeleteHopefully there will be some on your area soon Peter. Worth checking Cistus as well :)
DeleteThat orange bamboo is pretty cool. I enjoyed this quick look around your garden.
ReplyDeleteThanks Alison! That bamboo seems to flow even when it's dark already :)
DeleteYour garden sure looks lush for February..here in Norcal we have daylight savings time kicking in the first weekend in March, which means more daylight and gardening time after coming home from the office--love those red stems on S. kornasii !
ReplyDeleteWe have our BST end of March Kathy, so looking forward to that! As you've said more gardening time after work :)
DeleteOh everything is looking just grand! Have you planted the Pseudopanax crassifolius in the ground or is it in a container?
ReplyDeleteNot yet Loree. We only got it a month ago and still figuring out where to place it :)
DeleteLoooove your bamboos, and that pseudopanax is so cool!
ReplyDeleteIt is Amy :) any thoughts about putting Pseudopanax in your garden?
DeleteYou've got a lot of great color in your garden despite your (still cold) temperatures. I love those bamboos!
ReplyDeleteIt glows doesn't it Kris? :)
DeleteThe touches of red and orange are so dramatic! My pseudopanax came inside for the winter. It has a long ways to go the reach those proportions...maybe never, if it stays in a pot. I sure would hqte to lose it.
ReplyDeleteThey seem to do will even in small pots Ricki, in fact the one above grows in a very small pot that I have to put bricks on it to stop it falling over.
DeleteIs Pseudopanax crassifolius hardy enough for your garden? It looks awesome!!! everything does...the Scheffleras are beautiful, and the bamboos...and the tree fern...beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThank you Lisa! And yes on more recent winters it has been hardy enough to sail through fine :)
DeleteSeems extraordinary that a sixth of the year is already passed. Your garden's looking great. I'm not a great snowdrop enthusiast either so don't get an early start to the year but it's definitely time to start to get out there and get going. The weeds are getting away from me already.
ReplyDeleteThanks Helen! The gardening bug is slowly creeping in, and tempted to stay home all weekend and garden :)
DeleteI love that Pseudopanax. I don't know how nature managed to come up with so many fabulous combinations of shape and color.
ReplyDeleteSame here Heather, and big part of the allure of that Pseudopanax is how weird it looks :)
DeleteWow, those two bamboos are gorgeous! I wish I had not been turned so off bamboos by the invasive creature that was planted behind our house long before we arrived. It is an excellent screen, but it also comes up in the parking area and the vegetable garden. We will never get rid of it. It wants to take over the place, and we battle it constantly. But yours are extraordinary, and I hope well-behaved!
ReplyDeleteSome are more behaved than others Debs. The one above is a runner too but not vigorous in our location. Hopefully you'll consider trying some bamboos again :)
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