SoS: September 24, 2022. Shamefully remiss.

I have been shamefully remiss. Unlike Fred who posts on SoS even when he goes on holiday, or Gill who knocks out an SoS after suffering an injury, or even more amazingly, our illustrious leader Jon the Propagator who posts on the morning he is going to run a marathon, I have wallowed in inertia for most of the winter.

It is inexcusable. I have no excuse. And now, suddenly, in just a few weeks, the garden has burst forth into Spring. It has erupted, burgeoned, effloresced. It has uplifted and delighted. Despite more rain than we know what to do with in this wide brown land ( well, it was a couple of years ago) I feel I have to do the garden justice.



One: Above, the reliable offering from the Ranunculus. I love the very whiteness of it tempered by a smattering of pink petals in the centre. It has self-seeded generously and I’m happy about that. The more the merrier.

Two: A sunny group of Heucheras. Now there’s a little more shade in the garden I am slowly building up a collection of these colourful plants. They are accompanied by a recently purchased Hellebore which has given every indication that it likes this spot.

Three: Narcissi are on the way out after a stellar performance: Dutch iris and Geums are coming into their own. The silver birches are coming into leaf, but the Tallow is yet to make a move. It will beautiful when it does.

Four: Being the kind of gardener who squeezes in as much as possible and who is often unable to pass up bargains at a nursery, there’s often not a lot of space in which to plant new purchases. Is it only me who buys and then comes home and wanders around wondering where to place a new addition? It makes for a colourful spring, though and that’s always a bonus.

Five: Another corner of the garden: fresh new leaves on the roses, hibiscus and fig; the ground dappled with shade and the last petals from the ornamental pears.

Five: There’s a plethora of pink in the front garden as crabapple, Loropetalum ‘Plum Gorgeous’ and Leptospermum (not completely in bloom ) vie for the best showing. Please excuse the border of weeds in front of the box hedge. I use the word ‘hedge’ with trepidation in case anyone notices how pathetic it is. It came with the house, is more than eight years old, has never really amounted to anything.

Six: Tulipa saxitilus planted last May. There were three flowers, and this is the last of them. Some of my species tulips haven’t appeared this spring, and I think the wet winter has done for them, sadly. This year, I have only watered the garden once.

Those are my six. To see what is happening in other gardens, pop over to the Propagator’s blog and check in.

Weather today: Sunny with a brief shower. 11-21 degrees C.

37 Comments Add yours

  1. Our national Heuchera collection is just up the road

    1. Jane says:

      That would be a lovely thing to see, Derek.

        1. Jane says:

          Oh my goodness, how gorgeous. So many different colours. I doubt I’ll ever have (room for) one of each. Some of those colours are extremely desirable. Thanks for the link, Derek.

          1. My pleasure, Jane

  2. lisinmayenne says:

    It’s all so pretty, Jane, what a lovely celebration of spring! I don’t think you should feel guilty, winter is a natural time for resting and a break from things does no harm whatsoever . . . also, you absolutely can NEVER have too many plants! 😉

  3. janesmudgeegarden says:

    Thank you, Lis. It seems to us that spring this year has been better than ever. Glad to know that you are one of the ‘never too many plants’ brigade!

  4. Jim Stephens says:

    Your front garden pink trio are (is?) gorgeous, makes me want to try Lorapetalum yet again, perhaps I’ll get third time lucky.

    1. Heyjude says:

      I spotted one this week in Trengwainton Garden – ‘Fire Dance’ I think.

    2. Jane says:

      Thank you, Jim. It surprises me that you had difficulty growing Loropetalum as I would have thought it more suited to your climate than mine. My Plum Gorgeous certainly struggled when the weather was hotter and drier.
      I have not really planned combinations of plants or colours, being more the type of person who is easily tempted into a purchase other than the one I went for. I think that’s how I ended up with so much pink at the front of the house!

  5. Rosie Amber says:

    Glad you have Spring and Summer to look forward to, I’m not sure what I will find to post about in the middle of Winter. That Ranunculus is stunning.

    1. Jane says:

      In the past I’ve found things in the winter if I looked carefully, but I think it’s more that I got a bit lazy and fell out of the habit of posting. It doesn’t have to be every week…..perhaps it I will continue, but do it less often.

  6. fredgardener says:

    It doesn’t matter, what matters is to post when you feel like it and when you have the time. The set at #5 is really very pretty with the crabapple and the loropetalum. Nothing to say about these ranunculus which are very pretty too : we can see that spring has arrived at your place.

    1. Jane says:

      Thank you, Fred. Every day there is something new to see, such a wonderful time of year.

  7. It was really good to see you posting again. I am always interested in what is happening on the other side of the world. Your garden is gorgeous with so many blooms. I also buy plants that I don’t have a place to for them. You might notice on my blog that I only do close-ups. 🙂

    1. Jane says:

      I am interested in seeing what happens in your garden too, Judy, as it’s so different from mine but I hadn’t noticed that you only post close-up photos of yours!

      1. My secret is out.

  8. Heyjude says:

    Lovely to see a post from you Jane. I always take a break from the garden over winter as there is not much to show and often the weather is so grim (wet, windy, foggy) I rarely go into it. What type of Ranunculus is that one? It’s quite pretty. I swore I would buy some this year, but have yet to do so. As for buying plants and having no space, that’s waht pots are for…. 😂

    1. Jane says:

      I’m not sure what that ranunculus is Jude. It’s one of the first I planted and I think it came in a packet of mixed corms. Most of the others seem to have faded away, but that one flourishes. I agree about pots, but in normal weather here they can be hard to keep alive over the summer. Perhaps when our trees grow a bit more……

      1. Heyjude says:

        I try desperately to reduce the number of pots I have, especially larger ones that are too heavy for me now, but some things just don’t survive the wet in the winter here.

  9. It all looks splendid. Spring has well and truly sprung over there. The view in number 5 is lovely – I was eying Loropetalum a few months back but I’m not not sure it’s totally hardy over here. Wish I could grow Ranunculus!

    1. Jane says:

      Thank you Graeme, it has indeed been a bountiful spring. I think the Loropetalum is perhaps the best it’s been, but then we have had all that rain. It was a bit miserable during the drought. I feel sure it would be suitable for you to grow as it comes originally from woodland areas in China. My white Ranunculus is by far the best. Other prettily coloured ones seem to have faded quietly away.

  10. Kris P says:

    What a spectacular spring you’re enjoying, Jane! I love the crabapple-Loropetalum combination. Fall is yet a dream here as summer still has us in its clutches and my garden is at its lowest point (or near it, as there’s another nasty heatwave underway). The weather pundits are predicting a La Nina year, which I believe means plenty (or too much?) rain for you and a pitifully little for us. Nevertheless, I have 140 bulbs on order (many are small!), which I need to cram in somewhere, hopefully without sticking my trowel through bulbs I planted in previous years.

    1. Jane says:

      I’m sorry you’re receiving such awful weather, Kris. It’s true, we are forecast to have our third La Niña in a row. Our garden is constantly soggy and I’m very surprised I haven’t lost plants, because the drainage is so poor in the back garden they’re often sitting in water. Finding somewhere to put bulbs without damaging others is a problem I have too! If only there were some discrete non-destructible markers that could be used. My back is groaning at the thought of planting 140 bulbs!

  11. Pauline says:

    Your garden is certainly looking very springlike, love the photo of your crabapple and your ranunculus is very pretty too.

    1. Jane says:

      Thank you, Pauline. There’s certainly a lot to see in the garden at this time of the year.

  12. Good to see you back and your garden is looking beautiful! The longer shots are very interesting, it’s good to see the bigger picture……literally. Your crabapple is very pretty. Do the birds like the fruit in the winter? They seem to ignore mine.

    1. Jane says:

      Thank you, Granny. No, the birds don’t seem to like my crabapples, and I’m puzzled as to why. As it’s an ornamental one, the apples are tiny. I would have thought they’d be perfect for some of our parrots!

  13. Cathy says:

    Your garden is looking glorious in your spring sunshine Jane! I love the idea of planting different Heucheras together… but I would need a new flower bed to fit them in! (You are not alone in picking up garden centre purchases without a spot for the plant!) 😉 Lovely to see your spring flowers as we head into autumn. 😃

    1. Jane says:

      Thank you so much, Cathy. Like you, I wouldn’t be able to fit all the Heucheras in my garden without creating a new plot, but I’ll try to fit as many as I can!

  14. Jane, your garden looks so lush and colourful and so tidy too. It is no wonder you don’t have time for preparing a post.

    1. Jane says:

      Thanks Tracy. I had no excuse, really. The garden is certainly lush, but then there’s been all that rain. No doubt you’ve had plenty down your way too. I expect Canberra is looking splendid just now.

      1. Plenty here too, Jane. I’ve mostly been in native gardens this month. The wattle, hardenbergia and stypandra glauca at ANBG has set my heart afire. So beautiful. As for my garden, I’ve actually been snapping away for the last four weeks with the intention of doing an SoS post but I get distracted or don’t like the photos. Taking plant photos is harder than it looks. 🙂

  15. It’s very hard to keep the Sixs going over Winter. I’m glad your enthusiasm has retuned with the Spring. And you are very definitely not the only one to buy bulbs and then wonder where to put them.

    1. Jane says:

      Thank you Hortus Baileyana. I agree it’s hard, but I probably should have tried harder! Is there such a thing as too many bulbs, I wonder?

  16. Your garden is looking beautiful. It’s lovely to see the wider shots.

    1. Jane says:

      Thank you! 😊

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