GARDENIAS: LOVE THEM OR NO?
Gardenias: an old-fashioned charmer!
MY NEW FAVORITE PERENNIAL
My new favorite perennial (for autumn) is:
Helianthus salicifolius ‘Low Down’
Look at all that brilliant yellow!
These plants are now about 18″ tall and, knowing I just planted them in April, I am amazed. Most perennials take a year or two really develop, but these have taken off. They are in full sun and receive water from my watering system every other morning for about 45 minutes. We’ve had a very VERY hot and dry summer and they have flourished.
Above, with the Scabiosa Black Knight behind them
Here, looking glorious with the dark red dahlias!
FRIDAY FLOWERS: GROWING DAHLIAS
One of the best garden blogs around is
The Middle-Sized Garden
Yes, it is based in the U.K. so of course discusses gardens over there. But the information is, I have found, so very universal. Plus, I come away with so many new places I want to visit!
Go to the home page and look around. See what you think.
Last week Alexandra did a video chat all about growing dahlias. Listen to how the Brits pronounce this flower: dahlias with the ‘a’ being a long one. Do you like it?
I found this video talk so informative even though I have grown dahlias for years. But watch it until the end: I love the way they discuss companion plants for dahlias. I’ve now started thinking of next spring and making certain I plant some sun loving dahlias right with my cannas. Somehow I never saw those two together before!!
This is the only dahlia I’ve grown this year…sadly. These came to me from many family generations and I do treasure them! I dig up some of the tubers each fall but also leave some in the ground for the winter. In this climate it doesn’t really seem to make a difference (sigh of relief!)
FRIDAY FLOWERS: THE GARDEN MUSEUM
This is one of my favorite places in London.
And yes, if you are a long time follower here, I did a post about the Museum in this post.
The Garden Museum
The Garden Museum is a lovely, quiet oasis on the South Bank across the Lambeth Bridge and just a short way from Westminster. Its Cafe is excellent; I highly recommend it if you go. The Museum is actually the renovated and redesigned Church of St. Mary-at-Lambeth. The building/church was due for demolition in the 70’s and was rescued by Rosemary and John Nicholson. You can read all about it HERE.
Just a month ago I went to see the exhibition of Ivon Hitchens: The Painter in the Woods
And at the same time, an exhibition of George Rowlett: Paintings of Sarah Price’s Garden
But MOST IMPORTANTLY
The Museum needs support and help from all of us. A planning application for high rise…as in 28 stories.. luxury apartment building has […]
VISIT TO CLIFTON NURSERIES IN LONDON
Our visit to
Clifton Nurseries
was an unexpected and delightful surprise.
I had never heard of it, nor had I been to this part of London. It is near the Little Venice neighborhood and the tube stop is Warwick Aveneue.
It is set back behind and between so many gorgeous and beautiful London houses and, if you didn’t know about it, could almost be missed as it is set back like a private park.
What a hidden gem it is! A bit like Petersham Nurseries I would say, on a smaller scale. And from their website it seems the main business is landscape design. But the variety of plants, furniture, garden tools of all kinds, baskets, topiaries, succulents and gifts is wonderful. The selection of pots, garden tools, water features and furniture is amazing and a bit overwhelming!
I need this furniture!!!
Loved these wire animal topiaries!
I have been looking for ages to buy these metal plant supports but cannot find them anywhere in the States. If you know how to find them, please let […]
TRENGWAINTON GARDEN IN CORNWALL
We’re back from our two week trip to England!
So much to say and show (of course) and so little time. I’ve thought about how to best show all that we did and saw while across the pond. Gardens and gardening are, of course, central to my travel plans so I am starting with this post. We moved around several times which we now realize was a mistake. It is tiring. Packing and unpacking, catching trains and buses, dragging suitcase up long hills and then trying to relax. We are not tour people partly for this reason; we prefer to stay in one place and really settle in. With that said… I will begin with our stay in Cornwall.
Our longest stay was in Mousehole. Cute name, no? Well, it is NOT pronounced as it is spelled (much to my husband’s disappointment) The correct pronunciation is mow-zel . Got it?
This entire area, for those who are not familiar, is the southwest corner of England. To the west is the Atlantic ocean and to the south the beginning of the English Channel.
So much to see! But without a car (we just cannot imagine driving on the other side of the road..) we were somewhat limited; trains and buses are fine but can get […]