It was a dull, cool and windy day today: a return to winter, and not really the best sort of weather for taking garden photos. Flowers were tossing uncooperatively in the breeze and the sun was obscuring itself behind banks of grey, but unfortunately not rain-bearing, clouds. However, I found six photos as I’m joining in with the Six on Saturday crowd for the regular round-up of the interesting things that can be seen in gardens around the world.
Number one (above) for me is the Ceonothus now flowering in a profusion of sapphire cloudlets. On sunnier days it has been a magnet for legions of bees, but it was a quiet scene this morning.
Two: In a brief patch of sunlight, Ajuga repens flowers appeared like a miniature purple conifer forest.
Three: An iris with no name was flanked by Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’
Four: Geum ‘Mrs J Bradshaw’ posed charmingly beside some white Alyssum. I think whoever Mrs J Bradshaw was, she must have been a very fine person.
Five: This time last year, the garden was resplendent with Ranunculas of varied and delightful colours. This year there are but a few. Ranunculas have been happily proliferating here for a number of years, so I hope the downturn is simply to do with the lack of rain perhaps, and not a complete disappearance.
Six: Last but certainly not least: Leptospermum ‘Outrageous’. Leptospermums are exceptionally reliable shrubs here, bursting forth into masses of flowers thronging the branches, magnets for bees and spreading brightness and cheer through the garden. I wrote a post about Leptospermums last year which you can read here if you would like to see more examples of them.
On another note, I wonder if anyone can identify the plant below. It has added itself to the garden bed and I’ve no notion from whence it came and no idea what it could be.
Is it friend or foe, I wonder?
That’s my six (plus one) for this week. Do pop over to the Propagator’s blog where you can peep over fences into all manner of gardens.
Weather today: Cloudy and windy, 9 – 15C
Enjoying watching a spring selection, now I am into the Autumn and soggy period.
Yes, Spring is bursting out everywhere, and it’s gorgeous Noelle, but a bit of sogginess wouldn’t go astray rather than a few millimetres every couple of weeks.
Loving your posts. Seems like an interesting foe to me. But I have thought that before and rued the day.
And I might rue the day too, although it seems very well behaved…so far.
You have done well despite the weather. For what it is worth, I find particularly reds and whites have better results in duller light
Thank you, Derrick. Perhaps the reason I never seem to get photographs of red flowers exactly right is because it’s nearly always sunny!
Hi Jane – I hope your unknown flower is a friend! It’s looking quite interesting! I tried growing Geum from seed this year – thought I had a few germinate but after planting everything in May nothing developed into anything Geum-like. Maybe next year…
I think it could be a foe, Chris, from what others are saying about it. Good luck with the Geum seeds….I confess I bought my plants when they were quite advanced.
What pretty anemones and I love the leptospermum, it really is outrageous, in a good way! No idea about the “mystery” looks interesting ….. 🙂
Yes, ‘Outrageous’ is a perfect name. The mystery has been identified as salsify, a plant I’ve heard of, but never seen. It has rather a full head of seed, so I’d better watch out.
This iris without name leaves me speechless … it’s gorgeous! About this leptospermum, it gives a beautiful colorful carpet and reading your article last year, I see you have many others!
I should have a look at that shrub
My plant App detects a salsify flower for your unknown plant ….(Tragopogon porrifolius)
Thank you for the ID, Fred, and for reading my Leptospermum post. I love Leptospermums because they flower so reliably, and yes, the iris is a subdued but lovely combination of colours.
I was given a Leptospermum last year and am looking forward to seeing it flowering next spring! Lovely colourful Six of spring flowers!
I hope it flowers as well for you as mine do here!
What delightful colour you have in your garden, Jane. I was worried that it might have been about to expire. Pitt champions.
Re your unknown plant, we are pretty sure it is tragopogon, commonly known as goatsbeard. It is an environmental weed. I do have a photo of the seedhead but I don’t think I can add it to this comment.
You’re quite right about the tragopogon, and thanks for the ID. I found it online, and that seed head looks like a lot of trouble to me!
The Leptospermum is gorgeous! I must see if I can find one to try here. And I love the unnamed iris planted with the orange Geum, such a lovely pairing of colours. And whatever your mystery flower is, I think it looks lovely.
I think you should be able to grow a Leptospermum in your garden Jude, as long as doesn’t get too wet! The mystery plant is salsify, and although it has a pretty flower, it seems to have seeds like a dandelion, so I don’t think I’ll be keeping it.
As ever I wish I could send you some surplus rain. We must be having our wettest autumn ever and it’s only half way through. The run off has gouged out ravines in the Precipitous Bank, straight through areas where I’d planted bulbs. I dread to think where those are now. It reminds me of the eroded river courses we saw in the South Australian outback, although maybe not quite so extreme!
I’ve been reading about your rain, and I do hope the bulbs on the Precipitous Bank survive. Perhaps they’ll spread themselves fetchingly amongst the trees on the riverbank…could look very pretty.
I’ve found that Ranunculus want a surprising amount of water during their growing cycle – I gave up growing them in my sparsely watered beds and instead use them as annuals in my cutting garden, which gets a lot more water. I love Leptospermum and have several but, if I ever see ‘Outrageous’ for sale here, I’m going to scoop it up and find a place for it afterwards.
That sounds like the answer re the Ranunculas, Kris as the rainfall over the winter here was very low. I might do as you have done and plant some in my new cutting bed when the time comes. Thanks for the advice.
If it is salsify it might be interesting to keep it but make sure you keep a good eye on the seeds.
I’ve looked at salsify online, and I absolutely see what you mean!
That Leptospermum is a cracker. We can just about grow Leptospermum here but all the available forms are varieties of the New Zealand L. scoparium and ‘Outrageous’ looks to be a hybrid involving three Australian species. According to one website it should be hardy in moist soils in temperate climates but it doesn’t seem to have made its way over here yet. I’d certainly give it a try, it makes the ones we have now look very dull.
I hope you can find one, Jim. There are others that are just as floriferous, but I posted about them last year and didn’t want to repeat myself.
Your leptospermum is a beautiful colour, so vibrant. We had a very cool Saturday too and even some rain – only 18 mm but better than none.
18mm of rain…wonderful!
A real burst of colour at your place Jane. That iris is a stunning colour combination and I love the Ceonothus and Leptospermum. I’m just in the process of developing a native shrub corner and have put those 2 on my must have list. We have just had 2 days of glorious rain, 51mm on my garden, I have been waiting for it so now I can rush out to a native nursery and drool over what to buy….
Lovely to receive all that rain and to be able to get planting in damp soil. I’ll look forward to seeing your native shrub corner when you’ve completed it. Careful with the Ceonothus though as they don’t like wet feet.
You might know the Tragopogon better as Salsify? I’m not familiar with the name Goatsbeard, but did think I’d seen the flower before. Tracy had the clue.
Seems to have a number of different names.
That’s a particularly fine patch of Ajuga you have there and I love the Ceonothus. There used to be a lovely patch in Melbourne’s RBG but it was (literally) years before I found out the name.
I didn’t know the tragopogon at all Vicki, and have only vaguely heard of salsify. It’s quite the mystery as to how it came to be in my garden. I love the Ajuga and would love to have more of it, but it suffers in the summer sun….perhaps when I have more shade.
In common with others, i think that lepto-thingybob is quite something. In your face but not at all ashamed about it. Brazen.
Brazen is a good description- wish I’d thought of it!
I see you have pebbles around your ajuga. Mine’ve been attacked by mildew this year, so perhaps that’s something that’d help. I’m loving all these photos – the geums, the iris w/the geums, the shrubs – outrageous & friends! – & am so glad the mystery flower is a friend because it’s gorgeous. I’ve never had luck w/ranunculus, but hope you can get them started again. I’ve never seen any quite like yours & I’m in love. May have to try once again.
Thank you for your comments,Lora. Sorry it’s taken so long to reply. The garden is looking very different now, suffering from drought. I hope your ajuga is recovered from mildew…. mine has fried in the sun! I didn’t keep the mystery plant in the end as it has prolific seed spreading abilities. I was warned and I took notice!