eve Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 Been a lovely couple of days here and I've been out in the garden trying to clear up some of the leaves and dead stuff. January always seems to be such a dreary month so it was quite cheering to see the first little snowdrops just about to open their buds: Looking around there's actually quite a bit of colour about already and loads of bulbs poking through ready for spring. Some gorgeous Helebores: Primroses: Morning glory: Winter jasmine: Cyclamen: Forgotten what this is: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merledogs Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 Love the Helebores I've got daffs coming into flower and other stuff coming up which I'll be able to identify once they've flowered. There's other stuff which has buds ready to burst - just hoping we don't have any freezing weather now cos it may kill the buds off. Because it's been exceptionally mild, the wood pigeons are already gathering to breed. Since the end of summer the Collared Doves have had my food mostly to themselves, apart from the odd Magpie or Squirrel. This morning I noticed that lots of Wood Pigeons had returned early. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merledogs Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 (edited) ETA : The last one could possibly be a Hebe Edited January 7, 2012 by merledogs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
griff Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 i agree alex, that last one is a hebe in my opinion, i had a lovely one in my back garden but it died and i planted onethe month my nan died at the family plot and my mums cousin went and pulled it up i think i may replace it as they are generally quite hardy aren't they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murtle Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 hebes are hardy Griff. Gorgeous as well with pretty flowers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
griff Posted January 8, 2012 Report Share Posted January 8, 2012 i will try to pick one up this week then and if she pulls it up again i will pull her arms off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murtle Posted January 8, 2012 Report Share Posted January 8, 2012 http://www.gardenlandscapesltd.talktalk.net/Shrubs%20Descriptions.html put a tag round it saying, "Please don't pull me up, I'm a plant that has been lovingly planted" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
griff Posted January 8, 2012 Report Share Posted January 8, 2012 thank you murtle i didn't think of making a label up for it the lady in the crematorium office got me a sign that requests them not to trim or spray as family tend the grave but i will deffo pop labels round the rose bush that my nan planted and the plants i pop in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yantan Posted January 9, 2012 Report Share Posted January 9, 2012 Sometime soon (I hope!) we are getting our very large bay tree chopped down which will leave us with a bare area right beside the front garden fence. It will only get the afternoon sun and be pretty much in shadow the rest of the time. I want to plant something that will fast growing, provide us with some privacy and be bird friendly as the bay tree is home to quite a few so I would like to give them somewhere to move too. Anyone got any ideas for which plant/s might be suitable? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merledogs Posted January 9, 2012 Report Share Posted January 9, 2012 Why is the Bay being chopped down? How far is it from the front of the house? Are you looking for a tree or shrub? Do you want it to be evergreen? How tall will it be allowed to grow? Do you want it to be bird friendly in terms of nesting or to have berries on which birds can eat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merledogs Posted January 19, 2012 Report Share Posted January 19, 2012 Some of my Rhodos are looking a bit sad following the frosts. I'm hoping they recover once the warmer weather comes. I've pruned my Wisteria properly so am hoping it will flower more profusely this year (last few years it's only flowered in one section). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K9Fran Posted January 19, 2012 Report Share Posted January 19, 2012 Thanks for reminding me - I have a Buddlhia which needs pruning back - it rose like Lazarus after OH chopped it back when 'tidying'..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merledogs Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 My first daff has shown its yellow head Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merledogs Posted February 11, 2012 Report Share Posted February 11, 2012 I've bought some more plants I've got a couple of Sarcococca Confusa (sweet box) - they are only ickle and are currently on the kitchen windowsill until the weather warms up a bit. They are in flower and every time I walk past them I get the most gorjuss smell I've also got a couple of pink Camellias which I bought from Aldi the other day (doesn't say what they are but the pics look like those on the link). I've tried growing a Camellia before and managed to kill it, but I have to confess I didn't have a clue what I was doing and just left it in the pot to fend for itself. Hopefully I'll have better luck this time. I've also ordered three Daphne transatlantica Eternal Fragrance (which smell delish) which will be ready for delivery some time in March ... They are going in three planters which currently contain Lavender which is past it's best. They apparently flower all the way through from April to October, so will be going near the patio doors so that I can smell them whenever the doors are open. I've put some trellis along the top of the fence where it drops down by the patio and am going to plant a couple of climbers to ramble over it - possibly a spring flowering fragrant clematis and a summer flowering honeysuckle so that I have flowers from March through to August. They've got big (55cm) plastic planters in Morrisons at the moment for a fiver, in either black or terracotta. They had half a dozen terracotta ones left so I bought all of them. I'm sure they'll get used up in no time I've also decided to rearrange the border down the right hand side of the garden by the fence. The three Rhododendrons I've got there are far too slow growing so will be going in the front garden. They will be replaced with a few plants I've already got and a couple of new ones. I can't wait for the weather to warm up because I'm itching to get started! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merledogs Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 I've bought some new Camellias for the north facing border so I'll have a row of five in various shades of pink and white (even one pink and white stripey one). Having decided that I need ever more height in the garden, I've bought several young climbers which were £1.79 each in Morrisons - mostly Clematis with one Ceanothus and one Honeysuckle. Haven't decided for definite yet, but I think two of the Clematis are going to go on trellis along the fence on the north facing border, either one or two are going on the side of the garage where I've chopped down the climbing rose - they will mingle with the Wisteria and between them should flower right through from April to September. Another one is going in a planter with an obelisk shape in for it to climb up - it's going next to the fence on the south facing side so that when it climbs high enough I'll fasten some wire to the top of the fence panels so that it can trail along there. The most vigorous one will be joining the Wisteria on the pergola, where the honeysuckle will also be planted. No idea where I'm going to put the Ceanothus, it doesn't even go with my colour scheme pinks, purples and reds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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