Another batch of garden goodies

Our gardens, both front and back, are small. This pleases us, as we find the maintenance of these plots easy. It also presents interesting challenges since we are limited in the size of plants we can consider.

Despite our efforts some large aquilegias find a temporary toehold, but are generally rooted out ruthlessly. This is a genus of promiscuous plants which will hybridise readily where possible, and we do not want our tiny Aquilegia canadensis plants to be 'contaminated'.



Our Oxalis 'Ione Hecker' is currently flowering delightfully It is a hybrid between O. enneaphylla and O. laciniata, both species from Patagonia. It revels in full sun and closes at night or in dull weather. The specific name enneaphylla means 'nine-leaved' and this is indeed about the average number of leaflets forming the compound leaves. Laciniate of course means 'cut into narrow lobes'.

Our plant of Ione Hecker is currently in a tub. 20 April, 2020

It is currently confined to a container but is flourishing to the point where I may risk removing one or two of the bulb-like rhizomes and placing them in the main rock garden.

I am not happy about a patch of Phlox douglasii in the front garden. It is of a garish colour but it does attract butterflies. Do I remove it? I'm not sure.

Garish, but attracting a peacock butterfly. 17 April, 2020

Having a small garden means that we must make full use of any walls, and this we are trying to do. Rosa xanthina is spreading nicely to cover a brick wall in the front garden.

Rosa xanthina covers un unattractive wall

Ideally we should allow it to cover the ugly meter box - but we would obviously create problems for ourselves.

 

 

The back wall now supports a number of climbers, but a clematis is currently stealing the show. I have labelled it twice - and twice the label has disappeared! However, I'm pretty sure it is Clematis macrophylla. I was pleased to see a bumblebee paying a visit yesterday. As far as I am aware no clematis species produce nectar, so it was purely a pollen-collecting visit.

Clematis macrophylla in a pendulous form is gradually spreading across a

back wall. 20 April, 2020

So, with restrictions of movement likely to be in place for some weeks yet, the garden will remain a focal point for blogs. So live with it!