A New Bit of Garden

[Maggi Young]

It's  really good plant for a trough, Robin ... in New Zealand, Aberdeen and  in Valais!

[Ragged Robin]

well that settles it - I'm looking for new ideas this year  

First search brought up this site if only they had something like this for Switzerland - glad to have found it!

http://www.biolib.cz/en/taxonimage/id12639/

http://www.biolib.cz/en/main/

[Lesley Cox]

Robin, here's another picture of it. It makes a really flat mat and if grown hard, is very tight and floriferous.

Two days later, all is well. Teddy hasn't leapt onto it, next door's cat hasn't found it and we haven't had a hot, nor'west wind to dehydrate it. I've dribbled a little fresh seed of both blue and white forms of Gentiana verna into odd spots and maybe they'll fill any little spaces and look "natural." They won't germinate though until September!

[Lesley Cox]

The picture above shows a lesson. It is simply that these flat, matting plants love to be in the full open air and not partially overgrown or overhung by larger plants. On the right where it is in the clear, the plant is gradually creeping further and further to make a bigger mat. On the left it has stopped growing and the growth already there is looser and will, eventually become soft and maybe even die back. As a lesson it seems so obvious but so often space restrictions force us to plant where it would be better not to.

[David Nicholson]

Nice job Lesley.

[maggiepie]

Lesley, your troughs are inspiring me, now all I need to do is acquire a trough or two.
Can't wait to see how yours look in a few months time.
Regarding the last pic of Vitaliana, how big is the mat?
It looks magnificent.

[Lesley Cox]

I should have said that particular mat isn't mine. It's in another garden but as I remember it, it was maybe 40cms in diameter.

[Ragged Robin]

Thanks for the photo and all the tips, Lesley, showing/advising how best to grow mat forming alpines....  I have noticed the same with the Saxifraga I grow, they definitely like their own space  

[t00lie]

Hope your plants survived the dry period you have had Lesley.

Now that my field trips are at an end i've managed over the last weekend or so to continue remodelling the gardens on the east side of the house.

Stage One.

First pic shows 1--the area i planted back in Sept --see postings/pics above in this thread.

                     2--a new trillium bed after removal of perennials /roses.
                     3--a jungle area of Rhodos/Camellias badly needing thinned out and a height reduction.

The next pic shows one of the reasons for my activity --a number of Trilliums in the shade house awaiting planting.....

Close up of the new bed planted out with 18 Trilliums ......

with a Trillium feature.

Close up of the jungle --before and ......

after the pruning.

Stage two.

Further north of the jungle is the next area being redeveloped .

A Desfontainea spinosa was starting to dominate this bed, shade out some T. grandiflorums and look straggly despite being hedgetrimmed twice yearly ....

and although it has lovely orange /yellow blooms it had to go.

The last two pics show a Double pink weeping Cherry needing work ----before .....

and after shots.

Another day should see that area finished as well ,then i can start on the main rockery.........

Cheers dave.






 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Looking good Dave !
Love the general aspect of your garden !!   

You seem to have some pots as wel...    a very familiar view to most of the forum members I guess... 

Hope to see more when you have finished !!!

[t00lie]

Thanks for the compliment Luc.

Will be well into spring i think before the main rock garden revamp is finished.

You seem to have some pots as wel...    a very familiar view to most of the forum members I guess...  

Unfortunately it doesn't end there  

Shot of a few more pots ......

Back garden path.

Ex glasshouse --Ex aviary --Ex shade house ---currently being used as an oversized cold frame  .

In which the only plant flowering at the moment was sown Jan 2009 ,(received as Crocus mathewii   ),Corydalis wilsonii.

Cheers dave.

[Ragged Robin]

What a lot of work Dave but your garden has wonderful 'Himalayan' backdrops with the Rhododendrons and Camellias - trying to work out when they will be in flower for you guess it will be Nov?  Will look forward to seeing your new Trillium bed in flower.

[Lesley Cox]

Glad you've taken over this thread Dave as my new bit has come to a halt for now. Not that I'm not doing things and have planted a lot, especially bulbs recently, but the next part hasn't happened yet and may not until after the winter. I need to do a lot of cleaning up first especially in the nursery part and get some Leyland cypress taken out or down. Something of a puzzle how to do this at present with Roger just about crippled with bad ankle, and I'm not paying some local contractor several thousands for the pleasure.

[Ragged Robin]

I'm not paying some local contractor several thousands for the pleasure.

Howabout a rehabilitation project for John when he's mended and he feels up to it? 

[t00lie]

get some Leyland cypress taken out or down. Something of a puzzle how to do this at present with Roger just about crippled with bad ankle, and I'm not paying some local contractor several thousands for the pleasure.

Are the trees big enough for firewood ?.If so ,have you thought about a wood merchant felling them for free if he can take the wood ....

Cheers dave.