PUSHING THE BORDERS

Fantastic!!!

In my garden Magnolia x wieseneri fills the surrounding area with a scent which is utterly delicious:



Charlie recently put up a pic of C. Ada Hoffman and I commented that I had bought one unknowingly (thought it was the normal dark red) and wasn’t keen but actually now mine is in full bloom it’s grown on me:



Plus, being very colour blind, I’m actually finding the flowers on this plant easier to see!

My Camassia John Treasure bulks up well so I’m surprised, with the current popularity of Camassia, that this variety is not more widely available, given its intense colour and delightful double flowers. It took me ages to get hold of:




This forgotten corner of my garden hidden away took me by surprise today. I hadn’t realised how voluptuous it had become with the ferns, Martagons, Podophyllum etc:

What a delightful garden Martin. I love the magnolia especially. I've been a fan of these since I was a kid. They have everything a gardener would want - huge flowers and (often) massive leaves. Hard to beat that combination.

Sometimes it can be the hidden corners of the garden that are the best bits, especially this time of year when everything is fresh. Nice composition of foliage shapes and colours Martin.
It is mostly foliage that is bringing the colour to my garden at the moment





The Telanthophora grandifolia to the right of the Podocarpus came through the winter better than expected with just the top leaves getting burnt off.

Andy is that henkelii? I've taken the plunge and planted mine out. I love this conifer and would hate to lose it but I don't think it is suited to long term pot cultivation, despite regular feeding. My insurance cuttings are still green but have not budged ... a year later!

Which Mahonia is that? I adore Nandina. I've got a couple but there is a garden near me where theirs gets plastered with berries and it looks stunning. They are great plants.

What is the lush green bush with velvety leaves?

Martin,

Click on the thumbnails and the enlarged pictures are all labelled.

Chad

Thanks Chad. Just did that and all became clear. I had a lovely big floriferous Colquhounia which died last winter. Can't see any signs of life. I thought it looked like that in form and leaf shape but the leaves on mine seemed more grey.

You have to love May! all sorts happening out there (please excuse the typo!)

Soloman's Seall by charliepridham, on Flickr

Only a rose but its had flowers all winter

Rosa Bengal Crimson by charliepridham, on Flickr

Made the rooky mistake with the Rodgerisia, bought 3 different ones on the same day and now cant remember which one is which! I like the leaves which so far nothing seems to eat

Rodgerisia by charliepridham, on Flickr

Crinodendron Ada Hoffman by charliepridham, on Flickr

I cant now remember how old this is but we have had it what seems like forever, still in the original pot!

amaryllis by charliepridham, on Flickr

Lonicera cilliaris

Lonicera cilliata by charliepridham, on Flickr

Grew this Lonicera sempervirens from seed and its proving a much better plant than ts parent

Lonicera sempervirens by charliepridham, on Flickr

The Amaryllis looks very much like mine. Had it years, it bulked up so I planted it outside. Survives and comes back and flowers every year so I definitely think they are worth a punt in subtropical Cornwall!
I think they are much tougher than people think. Outdoors for me it flowers in July.

The Beschorneria yuccoides flower spike is growing fast. Not sure how to describe the colour apart from 'lurid', reminds me of the film 'Little Shop of Horrors'.

An Aralia vietnamensis update;

The cutting is sulking after getting sunburnt. The younger leaf isn't expanding at all, and I think I am waiting for a new leaf.



The stump in the tunnel isn't showing any swelling buds.



But from the several years old base there are two new shoots coming.



And 250mm away there is a third shoot coming.



2 meters away, beyond where Mark excavated a root to take for root cuttings, and in an as yet unweeded patch...



That last one is right up against the polytunnel wall and will be a challenge either to grow there, or to move it.

Chad