PUSHING THE BORDERS

A few random photos of flowers in the garden at the moment. Some have already been flowering for 2 months or more, others only just into bloom.

Coreopsis with Aster Monch in the background



Helianthus Monarch



Echinacea Magnus with Rudbeckia in background



Helenium El Dorado - excellent performer, quite impressed.



Impatiens Rothii



amaryllis belladonna



Hedychium Tara



Hedychium 'Corelli' I think :?:



TULBAGHIA 'JOHN MAY'S SPECIAL' with Tulbaghia Cosmic, Rudbeckia, Salvia Patio Blue in background



Mandevilla Laxa - the first flower since it was dug up from the old garden and replanted.

Jon - what sort of winter love does the Mandevilla get?

A few things;
Toad Lily season is one of my faves and here are a few of the ones in bloom at the moment. Firstly, Tricyrtis macropoda (which has suffered badly at the hands of the slugs this year).................


White Towers................


Tojen................


This Taipei Silk is in pretty heavy shade and less blue than the one in more sun..............


T.hirta..................


Hototogisu.................


Another photo of Caiophora hibiscifolia ('cos I love it)..................


Finally, Albuca humilis has decided to put out a second flush of blooms. Not just the odd bulb either but all of them...................

The Mandevilla gets no love at all :lol:

It was grown from seed around 2000 and then planted out against the house wall (old garden) which is west facing. It was there without protection until it was dug up in 2012 so it survived Dec 2010 no problems. It has been sitting in a large pot waiting for planting (planted this year) so has had -8c or so at the worst. I've never lost top growth on it but I'm sure if you did, it would come back from lower down. Its worth a go so try it, lovely fragrance aswell.

Here's a photo of it in the old garden.

Lovely set of daisy flowers Jon, glad to see the Mandevilla making a comeback. I love mine to bits and managed to get hold of a particularly free flowering form, which flowers continuously every year, Keith mine just gets left to get on with it on a west wall. huge plant at Kew and at Hestercombe, trunks as thick as your leg. I think each time we have a bad winter they are severely damaged but spring back from low down. My seed grown plant which is a lot older is on a south facing bit of wall and has seen multiple cold winters now over the last 15 years as the trunks get meatier it dies back less with frost (don't recommend growing from seed though as I am still waiting for the first flowers!) and don't put it under glass its a nightmare for red spider mite!

Toad lilies are like Passion flowers you just have to take their picture, such beautiful flowers. :)

My Mandevilla took around 4 /5 years to flower from seed and I was going to give up on it. Luckily I left it and fortunately its also a free flowering form. Its now on a south/south-west facing wall as I've noticed early warmth on the plant (May time) helps it to get going. On a good year at the old house, it flowered from early July to October. They are much hardier than what you think.

In the 'non-exotic' areas of the garden, I've gone for several daisy type flowers and other insect friendly plants. A few weeks ago I had a swarm of honey bees descend on the garden. A local bee keeper came and collected them 8-)

Thanks for the Mandevilla info chaps. I'm tempted to give one a go for Sues courtyard garden.

Yes Charlie - the Tricyrtis is a fascinating subject to photograph. If anyone is interested, this is a great site stuffed full of microscope photos.................

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/ind ... dlily.html

Back in my garden today and I have a deformed flower on my Datura wrightii.....................

This small Tibouchina is always reliable, even planted out it flowers about now each year
tibouchina paratropica 020 by charliepridham, on Flickr

tibouchina paratropica 019 by charliepridham, on Flickr

The best time of year (I say that every month) !


Streptocarpus myersii 130914 by John Jearrard, on Flickr


Solanum sisymbriifolium 130914 by John Jearrard, on Flickr


Solanum atropurpureum 130914 by John Jearrard, on Flickr


Roscoea auriculata White Cap 130914 by John Jearrard, on Flickr


Pitcairnia bergii 130914 by John Jearrard, on Flickr


Pericallis appendiculata 130914 by John Jearrard, on Flickr


Pecteilis radiata Variegated 130914 by John Jearrard, on Flickr


Paeonia cambessedesii 130914 by John Jearrard, on Flickr


Mahonia Cabaret 130914 by John Jearrard, on Flickr


magnolia wilsonii 130914 by John Jearrard, on Flickr


Limonium (sinuatum) 130914 by John Jearrard, on Flickr


Hedychium gardnerianum Pallidum 130914 by John Jearrard, on Flickr


Hedychium Devon Cream 130914 by John Jearrard, on Flickr


Fuchsia Walz Polka 130914 by John Jearrard, on Flickr


Begonia annulata 130914 by John Jearrard, on Flickr

My favorite time of year as well, although I like my Madeira break at the end of the month each year, when the weather is like this its a wrench to go!

Some lovely things there John

I thought the garden was looking a bit thin.

The best bits have gone to church!



Chad.