As soon as I had written my last blog I went out into the garden and immediately saw plants that I might have included amongst my Autumn marvels. I do not intend to list them all but there is one that is worth mentioning if only because I suspect that it is not very well known. Pseudocydonia sinensis may not get into one's 'Top Ten' but it is certainly worth a place in a Gascon garden. In our garden at least more shrub like than tree it has various pluses including when it reaches any size flaking bark similar to that of a Plane tree. Its leaves which according to Hilliers are semi-persistent, though not with us, are a quite shiny green. In April it has solitary pink flowers which I have to say do not make a huge impact but are attractive enough, these then followed by large fruits not unlike grapefruit to look at, though I do not think that one can make anything of them. But for me it is in the autumn that it becomes a real star as its leave turn a lovely mixture of reds and oranges with also some green remaining and this over quite a long period. Hilliers does not mention this feature and if you read the entry you would not be tempted to buy the plant. Many reference books and catalogues do not include it. On the other hand the marvellous Adeline catalogue - mine for 2008/9 and I think no longer produced - calls it a "Plante splendide", and I agree.
Another plant that caught my eye was a Cotoneaster franchetii if only because it usually does not! Readers of these blogs will know that I am quite a fan of C. lacteus especially at this time of year, this not because of 'autumn colour' but because the combination of rich dark green leaves and red berries is very striking. Its 'cousin' is for me something and nothing; neither its leaves nor its berries being especially striking. But just at the moment that I saw it the mix of leaf and berry when caught in sunlight was attractive, this largely because there was a combination of red, orange but also green leaves. So I am going to be a bit kinder about C. franchetii in future. Moreover it is also a reminder that in the garden it is the 'moment' that is all important, since there are so many variables - light and shade, wind and rain, changes in the plant itself - that will effect the look.
Meanwhile a plant that did not catch the eye but arguably should have was Euonymus alatus, famous for its brilliant autumn colour, this because mine is struggling to survive. Moreover having been seduced by descriptions of E.hamiltonianus Indian Summer with its 'reliable,crimson to purple autumn foliage' I acquired one only for it promptly to die. This is all the more surprising since the wild euonymus or Spindle tree pops up all over the garden, and where it is not in the way I am very happy for it to do so.
There has been rather a long gap in the writing, perhaps permissible in a 'scrapbook', but what I was going to mention was that there were quite a lot of roses in flower, despite the frosts, many of them the China and Tea roses favoured by John and Becky Hook at La Roseraie du Désert (www.frenchtearose.com), and this gives me a chance to note that though they are still anxious to move to sunnier climes they are still in business. Over the years they have managed to build up an outstanding collection of roses that many of us have never heard of. It will be a tragedy if this collection has to disappear, so let us hope that in the end someone will be found to take it over. In the mean time do visit their website, or even better visit them though December is perhaps not the best time to do so, so that you might buy one or two roses that you would have difficulty finding anywhere else.
Wednesday 27 December 2017
Monday 20 November 2017
Late Autumn Marvels
At this moment the views from our house could hardly be more beautiful, especially in the early evening light. There exist more stunning views of the Pyrenees, though we do have a long vista towards the Pic du Midi, but it is with the middle ground that we gain. The house is situated at the end of a small ridge enabling us to look up and down a valley through which snakes a small but persistent stream.On either side of the stream has grown up a variety of our most common trees and shrubs. These include a number of large oaks, alders, hazels, Lombardy poplars, and Field maples. In fact the alders do not colour at all well but come into their own in the Spring. Our local oaks will late on - here they have only just begun to turn -take on a rather rusty gold, and cannot compete with the North American cousins for Autumn splendour. But the stars of our Autumn are the Lombardy poplars (Populus nigra Italica) which early on and sometimes rather briefly go a lovely yellow, and equally yellow, but over a longer period the Field maples (Acer campestre).
If your garden is of any size, and probably even if it is not since it can often be found as a bush, you will almost certainly possess at least one,Field Maple so no need to go out and buy, but it is a attractive tree/bush at all times of the year, so well worth having. I keep looking out for any that colour red, or at least have a reddish tinge to them. and I have finally acquired one or two seedlings, though I am not quite sure whether this colouring is inherent or derives from what in human terms one would call nurture, by which I mean the conditions in which it is growing. The most recent Hilliers does list one Field maple with orange/red colour in Autumn, A.campestre William Caldwell, but I suspect that it would not be easy to find. What does have orange/red colouring and which can be very easily confused with a Field maple is Sorbus torminalis, otherwise known as the Wild Service Tree. In the countryside it does not make quite such an impact as the maple, but it is certainly attractive enough to have in ones garden for, along with the autumn colouring, in Spring it has bunches of whitish flowers followed by fruits of an admittedly rather dullish red.
To get strong reds in a Gascon garden is a bit more difficult since a lot of the trees and shrubs which provide this are not too happy here - too hot and dry in the summer and our soil often too heavy and not acidic enough. The Japanese maples (A.palmatum) with outstanding Autumn colour come into this category,as indeed do some of the 'Red Oaks'. As mentioned in previous blogs, I have found that Acer oliverianum, which much resembles a Japanese maple, copes pretty well;- admittedly mine are in shade but on a dryish southern slope. On the other hand two acers that are often recommended -_ A.saccharum and A.tataricum - have failed with me. Not so A.truncatum and Acer discolor. But undoubtedly the star of our garden at this moment is A.Pacific Sunset, a blaze of red over quite a long period, and, acquired over five years ago from the excellent tree and shrub nursery, Ets Spahl near Jegun,it seems extremely happy in I guess not altogether ideal conditions.
Other ''Reds' would include my much mentioned favourites Prunus Autumnalis Rosea and Pyrus calleryana Bradford and Chanticler, both the 'pears' incidentally colouring late in the season, and being perhaps rather more maroon than red. Less known, at least as far as I am concerned is Pistacia chinensis. With its quite large pinnate leaves it resembles an ash, a family which I increasingly feel we should have more of, since they seem to cope well with sécheresse. Hilliers says that the Pistacia is often found as a shrub, but our two are definitely trees, and just beginning to turn as I write this. We also have one Parrotia persica or Persian ironwood, often rightly strongly recommended for its autumn colour. It has taken a long time to get established, for reasons I am not sure of, and ours is more golden than red, but for the first time this autumn it has begun to make an impact.
As for shrubs the stars of the Gascon countryside in Autumn are the common dogwoods (cornus sanguinea) and the so-called Wayfarer Tree (Viburnum lanata). Both have good autumn colour, but especially the former since its leaves go a very rich maroon, almost purple, but their many 'cousins' are even more spectacular. Both Cornus mas and Cornus officinalis, very similar in Spring with their little pom pom yellow flowers, have good reddish, purple autumn colour, perhaps especially the latter, a shrub I increasingly think is a 'must' for a Gascon garden. As for the many viburnums - I am thinking especially of the various V. carlesii and burkwoodii types, amongst the latter Mohawk, a great favourite of mine - all are good. Moreover their leaves appear to stay on for a longer period than for instance many of the Acer palmatums, which is a great advantage, even if they lack the elegance of the latter.
No doubt I have left out various other 'stars', and for instance I have not mentioned the Liquidambers, quite spectacular but in my view welcoming a little more moisture than in this garden we can readily provide. But I hope I have mentioned enough to convince you, if that is you needed convincing, that a Gascon garden, even if it has to make do without the moisture and the acid soil of the more famous Woodland gardens of the West coast of England, is in a different way a 'Marvel'.
If your garden is of any size, and probably even if it is not since it can often be found as a bush, you will almost certainly possess at least one,Field Maple so no need to go out and buy, but it is a attractive tree/bush at all times of the year, so well worth having. I keep looking out for any that colour red, or at least have a reddish tinge to them. and I have finally acquired one or two seedlings, though I am not quite sure whether this colouring is inherent or derives from what in human terms one would call nurture, by which I mean the conditions in which it is growing. The most recent Hilliers does list one Field maple with orange/red colour in Autumn, A.campestre William Caldwell, but I suspect that it would not be easy to find. What does have orange/red colouring and which can be very easily confused with a Field maple is Sorbus torminalis, otherwise known as the Wild Service Tree. In the countryside it does not make quite such an impact as the maple, but it is certainly attractive enough to have in ones garden for, along with the autumn colouring, in Spring it has bunches of whitish flowers followed by fruits of an admittedly rather dullish red.
To get strong reds in a Gascon garden is a bit more difficult since a lot of the trees and shrubs which provide this are not too happy here - too hot and dry in the summer and our soil often too heavy and not acidic enough. The Japanese maples (A.palmatum) with outstanding Autumn colour come into this category,as indeed do some of the 'Red Oaks'. As mentioned in previous blogs, I have found that Acer oliverianum, which much resembles a Japanese maple, copes pretty well;- admittedly mine are in shade but on a dryish southern slope. On the other hand two acers that are often recommended -_ A.saccharum and A.tataricum - have failed with me. Not so A.truncatum and Acer discolor. But undoubtedly the star of our garden at this moment is A.Pacific Sunset, a blaze of red over quite a long period, and, acquired over five years ago from the excellent tree and shrub nursery, Ets Spahl near Jegun,it seems extremely happy in I guess not altogether ideal conditions.
Other ''Reds' would include my much mentioned favourites Prunus Autumnalis Rosea and Pyrus calleryana Bradford and Chanticler, both the 'pears' incidentally colouring late in the season, and being perhaps rather more maroon than red. Less known, at least as far as I am concerned is Pistacia chinensis. With its quite large pinnate leaves it resembles an ash, a family which I increasingly feel we should have more of, since they seem to cope well with sécheresse. Hilliers says that the Pistacia is often found as a shrub, but our two are definitely trees, and just beginning to turn as I write this. We also have one Parrotia persica or Persian ironwood, often rightly strongly recommended for its autumn colour. It has taken a long time to get established, for reasons I am not sure of, and ours is more golden than red, but for the first time this autumn it has begun to make an impact.
As for shrubs the stars of the Gascon countryside in Autumn are the common dogwoods (cornus sanguinea) and the so-called Wayfarer Tree (Viburnum lanata). Both have good autumn colour, but especially the former since its leaves go a very rich maroon, almost purple, but their many 'cousins' are even more spectacular. Both Cornus mas and Cornus officinalis, very similar in Spring with their little pom pom yellow flowers, have good reddish, purple autumn colour, perhaps especially the latter, a shrub I increasingly think is a 'must' for a Gascon garden. As for the many viburnums - I am thinking especially of the various V. carlesii and burkwoodii types, amongst the latter Mohawk, a great favourite of mine - all are good. Moreover their leaves appear to stay on for a longer period than for instance many of the Acer palmatums, which is a great advantage, even if they lack the elegance of the latter.
No doubt I have left out various other 'stars', and for instance I have not mentioned the Liquidambers, quite spectacular but in my view welcoming a little more moisture than in this garden we can readily provide. But I hope I have mentioned enough to convince you, if that is you needed convincing, that a Gascon garden, even if it has to make do without the moisture and the acid soil of the more famous Woodland gardens of the West coast of England, is in a different way a 'Marvel'.
Saturday 21 October 2017
Unsung Heroes
I am not sure that the Gaura is entirely 'unsung', since it has become quite a popular plant, but what I have in mind is the fact that one gaura on its own is not going to make much of an impact, in fact you might not even see it - it is rather spindly plant with smallish white, pink and now even red flowers. However en masse or as a background to other more glamorous plants it is attractive. Moreover it seems to like our climate, enjoying our hot, often dry summers, and perhaps more surprisingly our wet springs. You can now buy them in all sorts of shapes and sizes with such names as Cherry Brandy, Siskiyou Pink and Whirling Butterflies,but actually I prefer the bog standard G. lindheimeri: I am not against the pink or red but what I am not so keen on is what I think the catalogues call 'compact', not to say squat, since for me the whole point of the plant is its airiness.
One disadvantage of the gaura is that, like say the cistus, by the end of its day it loses its petals, so what in the morning was a haze of white or pink, is no longer. This is not the case with the plant I have, as mentioned in these blogs, fallen in love with, Erigeron annuus, or Eastern daisy fleabane. Like the gaura, this is not a 'gosh factor' plant,indeed in the USA where it hails from,it is often considered a weed, but it performs the same role as the gaura in providing a lovely in its case, only white background to other plants, but with the great advantage that it does not lose its petals on a daily basis. After a long dry spell it can look a little tatty, but a bit of deadheading will soon get them going again, so that one has flowers really from June to November, which cannot be bad news.
Both the above plants perform the same role as the now more famous Verbena bonariensis in providing an attractive background to other plants over a long season. My only problem is that I cannot grow it, or rather it will not stay the course with me. In fact it is never a long lived plant, but when happy will self-seed in some quantity, which is what one wants. I guess the reason for my failure is our wet Springs and lack of drainage, but where you can grow it it is a very useful plant, and famously much enjoyed by butterflies and other insects.
A modest plant family that I used to rather look down on is Amsonia. There are various varieties on the market all I think hailing from North America. They are of medium height with some might say rather wishy-washy light blue flowers, but for me there are three good reasons for having them in one's garden. They do not require staking. Their foliage remains attractive after flowering. In the Autumn this foliage goes a very attractive yellow. Incidentally Rhazya orientalis is very similar and I see that Piet Oudulf calls it Amsonia orientalis, as indeed does my now very out-of-date RHS Plant Finder, though I should perhaps add that it does not hail from across the Atlantic..
Finally the Sedums which I believe are in the process of having a name change, since some of them should now be called hylotelephium. Here I will stick to sedum and will not consider the low growing varieties, of which there are very many. These could certainly be called 'unsung heroes' but the reason I am leaving them out is that to my shame I have had very little success with them, even with an old favourite, S.sieboldi, yet again the problem, or perhaps the excuse, being winter wet and poor drainage. The taller varieties - 40-60cms - flourish, with the exception of S.Mr.Goodbud . This is a recent variety that I bought from Le Jardin de Taurignan which incidentally has a very good selection, and allowed it to die, on this occasion the fault being entirely mine. I will certainly try it again for it has all the qualities that I admire in this family. It comes into its own in the second half the year when other plants may begin to look tired, and puts up well with our secheresse. It does not need staking, and en principe looks after itself. Bees and butterflies enjoy it. Above all it has a certain presence which shows up well amongst the grasses and rather frothy perennials such as asters which also come into the own in the Autumn. Some of you may have already got S. Matrona, which it is similar to, though the flower heads are more impressive, one catalogue suggesting that they resemble a cauliflower, which may or may not warm them to you.
When I started gardening in England, now many years ago, the common varieties were S.Autumn Joy/Herbsfreude and S. spectabile Brilliant and both are still readily available and worth having. In recent years there has been a spate of varieties with purple leaves and flowers with names such as S. Chocolate Drop and S. Purple Emperor, but in this range the one that I like most is S. Jose Aubergine, whose name says it all both as regards its colour and the slightly shiny, almost florescent, appearance of its foliage. This I bought from my favourite nurseryman, Bernard Lacrouts, though it seems sadly that he no longer supplies it. But all these sedums are worth considering. They may not get into one's 'Top Ten' but they provide a lot of pleasure over a long period.
One disadvantage of the gaura is that, like say the cistus, by the end of its day it loses its petals, so what in the morning was a haze of white or pink, is no longer. This is not the case with the plant I have, as mentioned in these blogs, fallen in love with, Erigeron annuus, or Eastern daisy fleabane. Like the gaura, this is not a 'gosh factor' plant,indeed in the USA where it hails from,it is often considered a weed, but it performs the same role as the gaura in providing a lovely in its case, only white background to other plants, but with the great advantage that it does not lose its petals on a daily basis. After a long dry spell it can look a little tatty, but a bit of deadheading will soon get them going again, so that one has flowers really from June to November, which cannot be bad news.
Both the above plants perform the same role as the now more famous Verbena bonariensis in providing an attractive background to other plants over a long season. My only problem is that I cannot grow it, or rather it will not stay the course with me. In fact it is never a long lived plant, but when happy will self-seed in some quantity, which is what one wants. I guess the reason for my failure is our wet Springs and lack of drainage, but where you can grow it it is a very useful plant, and famously much enjoyed by butterflies and other insects.
A modest plant family that I used to rather look down on is Amsonia. There are various varieties on the market all I think hailing from North America. They are of medium height with some might say rather wishy-washy light blue flowers, but for me there are three good reasons for having them in one's garden. They do not require staking. Their foliage remains attractive after flowering. In the Autumn this foliage goes a very attractive yellow. Incidentally Rhazya orientalis is very similar and I see that Piet Oudulf calls it Amsonia orientalis, as indeed does my now very out-of-date RHS Plant Finder, though I should perhaps add that it does not hail from across the Atlantic..
Finally the Sedums which I believe are in the process of having a name change, since some of them should now be called hylotelephium. Here I will stick to sedum and will not consider the low growing varieties, of which there are very many. These could certainly be called 'unsung heroes' but the reason I am leaving them out is that to my shame I have had very little success with them, even with an old favourite, S.sieboldi, yet again the problem, or perhaps the excuse, being winter wet and poor drainage. The taller varieties - 40-60cms - flourish, with the exception of S.Mr.Goodbud . This is a recent variety that I bought from Le Jardin de Taurignan which incidentally has a very good selection, and allowed it to die, on this occasion the fault being entirely mine. I will certainly try it again for it has all the qualities that I admire in this family. It comes into its own in the second half the year when other plants may begin to look tired, and puts up well with our secheresse. It does not need staking, and en principe looks after itself. Bees and butterflies enjoy it. Above all it has a certain presence which shows up well amongst the grasses and rather frothy perennials such as asters which also come into the own in the Autumn. Some of you may have already got S. Matrona, which it is similar to, though the flower heads are more impressive, one catalogue suggesting that they resemble a cauliflower, which may or may not warm them to you.
When I started gardening in England, now many years ago, the common varieties were S.Autumn Joy/Herbsfreude and S. spectabile Brilliant and both are still readily available and worth having. In recent years there has been a spate of varieties with purple leaves and flowers with names such as S. Chocolate Drop and S. Purple Emperor, but in this range the one that I like most is S. Jose Aubergine, whose name says it all both as regards its colour and the slightly shiny, almost florescent, appearance of its foliage. This I bought from my favourite nurseryman, Bernard Lacrouts, though it seems sadly that he no longer supplies it. But all these sedums are worth considering. They may not get into one's 'Top Ten' but they provide a lot of pleasure over a long period.
Tuesday 15 August 2017
High Summer
It has been a funny old year in the garden so far,which I guess makes it much like any other year! Still what for me has been the feature has been the changeability if such a word exists. It was a mild winter but with two very cold spells, one late which is what no gardener wants. Then we have had some very hot spells with temperatures well over 30.c which along with a dry spring and early summer is a great worry since our main rainfall falls in this period. But then came a wetter than usual July with colder temperatures and this weather has so far continued into August. And what a difference a drop of rain makes both cheering up the garden and myself. The result is an unusual air of optimism, this despite the usual crop of weeds - the other day a visitor, I think intending it as a compliment, exclaimed:"oh I do like your wild garden. " - a bad back which makes all gardening more difficult, and far too many visitors which limits gardening time.
I guess that what is pleasing me most is that after just over ten years of activity the garden is at last taking on an air of maturity. Shrubs and trees have grown and are beginning to fill their allotted space, paths look meant, and there are not too many dead areas. Looking best at the moment is what used to be called a shrubbery, though the word at least has rather gone out of fashion. That said it also has one or two trees, the most important of which being Prunus x subhirtella Autumnalis Rosea. I have praised it often before so I will not go on about here, except to say that I consider it a must for a Gascony garden. For some reason the Malus Prairie Fire has not looked so good this year. I am hoping it is not the dreaded Fire blight to which the malus family is prone to but rather the dry winter and spring, because it is a very attractive small tree. There are a number of buddlejas, one essentially a tree rather than a shrub being at least four meters high. I think it is B.macrostachya but I have my doubts - foliage effective, flowers disappointing. Of the others I would particularly recommend B.alternifolia argentea with good lilac flowers in early summer but making an attractive bush at all times. Then there are one or two Vitexes - Vitex agnus-castus , I guess latifolia - with the small blue candelabras in summer. These do not last very long but the seed heads are quite attractive as is the foliage, and as it seems to be trouble free another 'must'.
Then there are one or two Lagerstroemia indicas in flower at this moment, as also Oleanders/neriums, and then what is perhaps making the most impact at the moment a Cotinus Grace. All cotinuses are good news. There candy floss flowers are attractive and whatever the colour of their foliage in summer they all colour well in autumn. C.Grace has soft purplish red leaves, not as purple as the more common C.coggyrigia Royal Purple, particularly attractive if back-lit. It is vigorous plant, but like I think all the shrubs so far mentioned can be heavily pruned in early spring, and is probably the better for that.
Two other shrubs are worth mentioning, though one I hope will eventually become a tree. I am not a great fan Arbutus unedo, the Killarney strawberry tree, though we have some in the hope that one day they might enable us to have a colony of my favourite butterfly, the Two-tailed Pasha which is such a feature of the Herault. It is evergreen, and the 'strawberries' look quite nice, but somehow it always seems to be rather scruffy. A.andrachne and A.x andrachnoides are much smarter, which is to say more tree-like, so that the cinnamon coloured flaking bark, a feature of the whole family, is much more prominently displayed. We have got a newer cross, A.Marina. This will eventually make a smallish tree, again with the attractive bark but according to the catalogues with slightly more showy flowers and fruits.
Into this mix add one or two different abelias, very common but for the good reason that they are trouble free and in flower for a long period, potentillas, very scruffy in winter but cheerful in summer, and quite a few shrub roses. Again I have said a lot about them in previous blogs, so I will just re-emphasize my love for the now in some cases almost hundred years old Hybrid musks. They are all good but for sheer flower power from early summer to late autumn Penelope is very hard to beat, while my love for Vanity only increases. Ours is now almost three meters wide by one and half high, sending out long sprays of single, strong pink/red flowers over a long period. Also starring in this mix is David Austin's Crown Princess Margareta, and Perle d'Or, another rose that flowers its heart out, this time with clusters of smallish pale apricot fading to pink flowers and dating back to 1884.
I guess that what is pleasing me most is that after just over ten years of activity the garden is at last taking on an air of maturity. Shrubs and trees have grown and are beginning to fill their allotted space, paths look meant, and there are not too many dead areas. Looking best at the moment is what used to be called a shrubbery, though the word at least has rather gone out of fashion. That said it also has one or two trees, the most important of which being Prunus x subhirtella Autumnalis Rosea. I have praised it often before so I will not go on about here, except to say that I consider it a must for a Gascony garden. For some reason the Malus Prairie Fire has not looked so good this year. I am hoping it is not the dreaded Fire blight to which the malus family is prone to but rather the dry winter and spring, because it is a very attractive small tree. There are a number of buddlejas, one essentially a tree rather than a shrub being at least four meters high. I think it is B.macrostachya but I have my doubts - foliage effective, flowers disappointing. Of the others I would particularly recommend B.alternifolia argentea with good lilac flowers in early summer but making an attractive bush at all times. Then there are one or two Vitexes - Vitex agnus-castus , I guess latifolia - with the small blue candelabras in summer. These do not last very long but the seed heads are quite attractive as is the foliage, and as it seems to be trouble free another 'must'.
Then there are one or two Lagerstroemia indicas in flower at this moment, as also Oleanders/neriums, and then what is perhaps making the most impact at the moment a Cotinus Grace. All cotinuses are good news. There candy floss flowers are attractive and whatever the colour of their foliage in summer they all colour well in autumn. C.Grace has soft purplish red leaves, not as purple as the more common C.coggyrigia Royal Purple, particularly attractive if back-lit. It is vigorous plant, but like I think all the shrubs so far mentioned can be heavily pruned in early spring, and is probably the better for that.
Two other shrubs are worth mentioning, though one I hope will eventually become a tree. I am not a great fan Arbutus unedo, the Killarney strawberry tree, though we have some in the hope that one day they might enable us to have a colony of my favourite butterfly, the Two-tailed Pasha which is such a feature of the Herault. It is evergreen, and the 'strawberries' look quite nice, but somehow it always seems to be rather scruffy. A.andrachne and A.x andrachnoides are much smarter, which is to say more tree-like, so that the cinnamon coloured flaking bark, a feature of the whole family, is much more prominently displayed. We have got a newer cross, A.Marina. This will eventually make a smallish tree, again with the attractive bark but according to the catalogues with slightly more showy flowers and fruits.
Into this mix add one or two different abelias, very common but for the good reason that they are trouble free and in flower for a long period, potentillas, very scruffy in winter but cheerful in summer, and quite a few shrub roses. Again I have said a lot about them in previous blogs, so I will just re-emphasize my love for the now in some cases almost hundred years old Hybrid musks. They are all good but for sheer flower power from early summer to late autumn Penelope is very hard to beat, while my love for Vanity only increases. Ours is now almost three meters wide by one and half high, sending out long sprays of single, strong pink/red flowers over a long period. Also starring in this mix is David Austin's Crown Princess Margareta, and Perle d'Or, another rose that flowers its heart out, this time with clusters of smallish pale apricot fading to pink flowers and dating back to 1884.
Wednesday 14 June 2017
A Success and Two Questions
When visiting the famous Cornish Gardens some three Springs ago it was difficult not to notice amongst all the splendours provided by the stars of Cornish garden in Spring - azealeas, camellias, magnolias and rhododendrons to name the most obvious - a rather more modest shrub, Olearia x scilloniensis, or White Daisy Bush. It is a medium sized shrub with greyish foliage - imagine a ceanothus impressus but with grey rather than dark green foliage - with in the Spring masses of white daisy type flowers which makes an impact from a distance. In terms of garden use I guess it is slightly similar to Spirea Arguta also smothered in white flowers at the same time of year but the Olearia is evergreen, or rather evergrey. I was not sure how it would do here - Cornish gardens have rather more rain than we do and our probably milder in winter, depending on how close to the Atlantic you are, but mine have settled in well and I am encouraged to obtain more, not that they seem to be readily available here. I also acquired the rather more showy Olearia phlogopappa Comber's Blue but that is struggling and I am not sure that it is going to survive.
Also as a result of my Cornish trip I acquired Philadelphus maculatus Mexican Jewel. I was too early to see it in flower, and it is quite a new introduction, so I guess that there were not many to be seen. But it was given a very upbeat write-up in the Pan Global Plant catalogue with special praise for its fragrance. Something that distinguishes it from many Mock Oranges' is that the flowers hang down in what might be considered to be a rather dainty fashion, but 'weedy' is so far the impression that mine gives, so I have to admit that it has been a great disappointment. As so often with plants the fault may be the gardeners for putting it in the wrong place, and my Mexican Jewel must certainly be given a second chance elsewhere; If we had a slopeing rockery that might be ideal, but as we haven't . . . Incidentally Pan Global list a number of what appear to be exciting new philadelphus, but you have been warned!
My questions concern two of the stars of the Spring and Early Summer garden, Flowering Dogwoods (cornus) and magnolias, and what I would like to know is what success people have with them here? Of course 'here' in these blogs, given its title, 'Gardening in Gascony', covers a rather wide geographical area, and again I am quite sure that the nearer one is to the Atlantic the more likely they are to flourish. Our garden is situated in the East Gers so not on the right side. It contains its full share of what I call Gersois Clay, though there are some much more sandy areas, and I would not say that we are very calcaire. We have tried about half a dozen varieties of both of the two families, and I can only report that the results have not been very encouraging. Obviously they are expected to do well here since they are fairly readily available; for instance you will see plenty of them at Mirande's Jardin d'Embaloge, the nearest that I know of to an English Garden Centre. Moreover there is a nurseryman not far from Aire sur l'Adour, Pép. Vivès, who specializes in Flowering Dogwoods, and I have to say that his stands at the various plant fairs always look spectacular. Our Flowering Dogwoods do not, ditto our magnolias.
Of our half a dozen or so attempts at the Flowering Dogwoods I guess that C. Porlock has been the least disappointing, and this despite the fact that it has been moved. Amongst other things it has managed to flower every year which is more than can be said for the others. It is actually still in flower, though in fact what you see is bracts not petals, but somehow it manages to look stressed though given that we are enduring temperatures in the 30.Cs this is perhaps not surprising. The biggest disappointment has been C. Satomi. This should have deep salmon pink bracts but in seven years it has failed to produce any. Like so many of these dogwoods it should display very strong autumn colours but since the plant has struggled to survive this apsect of the plant has hardly been a feature. The one cornus that has in one sense flourished is C. kousa chinensis which is now well over two metres high but so far in about five years it has failed to be 'smothered in white bracts', indeed it has not produced one!
Our efforts with magnolias have been marginally more successful, which is to say that flowers have been produced on a regular basis but growth has been incredibaly slow. It is true that one at least had a battle with a deer and essentially lost. This was Magnolia Star Wars of which we seem to have ended up with two. It has lovely strong pink flowers and there are signs that they are at last getting away so cautiously I would recommend them. It is also the case that Magnolia stellatas, a much smaller variety, usually more a bush than a tree, but with masses of lovely white flowers, have done reasonably well.
It is clear that magnolias can flourish in Gascony. Driving around the Gers for example one comes across a few very fine specimens, very often I suspect M.soulangeana Rustica Rubra, a big tree with rosy-red cup-shaped flowers, but given the beauty of almost all magnolias not all that often. I suppose that as with the Dogwoods summer heat and drought is the main reason for this. They also suffer from what all spring flowers do in our region: if the weather is good the sun is very strong and the flowers very quickly pass over which is a little disappointing. Still if there is anyone out there reading this blog who has experience of growing successfully these two stars of the Early Summer season - Flowering Dogwoods and magnolias - do please let me know your secret.
Also as a result of my Cornish trip I acquired Philadelphus maculatus Mexican Jewel. I was too early to see it in flower, and it is quite a new introduction, so I guess that there were not many to be seen. But it was given a very upbeat write-up in the Pan Global Plant catalogue with special praise for its fragrance. Something that distinguishes it from many Mock Oranges' is that the flowers hang down in what might be considered to be a rather dainty fashion, but 'weedy' is so far the impression that mine gives, so I have to admit that it has been a great disappointment. As so often with plants the fault may be the gardeners for putting it in the wrong place, and my Mexican Jewel must certainly be given a second chance elsewhere; If we had a slopeing rockery that might be ideal, but as we haven't . . . Incidentally Pan Global list a number of what appear to be exciting new philadelphus, but you have been warned!
My questions concern two of the stars of the Spring and Early Summer garden, Flowering Dogwoods (cornus) and magnolias, and what I would like to know is what success people have with them here? Of course 'here' in these blogs, given its title, 'Gardening in Gascony', covers a rather wide geographical area, and again I am quite sure that the nearer one is to the Atlantic the more likely they are to flourish. Our garden is situated in the East Gers so not on the right side. It contains its full share of what I call Gersois Clay, though there are some much more sandy areas, and I would not say that we are very calcaire. We have tried about half a dozen varieties of both of the two families, and I can only report that the results have not been very encouraging. Obviously they are expected to do well here since they are fairly readily available; for instance you will see plenty of them at Mirande's Jardin d'Embaloge, the nearest that I know of to an English Garden Centre. Moreover there is a nurseryman not far from Aire sur l'Adour, Pép. Vivès, who specializes in Flowering Dogwoods, and I have to say that his stands at the various plant fairs always look spectacular. Our Flowering Dogwoods do not, ditto our magnolias.
Of our half a dozen or so attempts at the Flowering Dogwoods I guess that C. Porlock has been the least disappointing, and this despite the fact that it has been moved. Amongst other things it has managed to flower every year which is more than can be said for the others. It is actually still in flower, though in fact what you see is bracts not petals, but somehow it manages to look stressed though given that we are enduring temperatures in the 30.Cs this is perhaps not surprising. The biggest disappointment has been C. Satomi. This should have deep salmon pink bracts but in seven years it has failed to produce any. Like so many of these dogwoods it should display very strong autumn colours but since the plant has struggled to survive this apsect of the plant has hardly been a feature. The one cornus that has in one sense flourished is C. kousa chinensis which is now well over two metres high but so far in about five years it has failed to be 'smothered in white bracts', indeed it has not produced one!
Our efforts with magnolias have been marginally more successful, which is to say that flowers have been produced on a regular basis but growth has been incredibaly slow. It is true that one at least had a battle with a deer and essentially lost. This was Magnolia Star Wars of which we seem to have ended up with two. It has lovely strong pink flowers and there are signs that they are at last getting away so cautiously I would recommend them. It is also the case that Magnolia stellatas, a much smaller variety, usually more a bush than a tree, but with masses of lovely white flowers, have done reasonably well.
It is clear that magnolias can flourish in Gascony. Driving around the Gers for example one comes across a few very fine specimens, very often I suspect M.soulangeana Rustica Rubra, a big tree with rosy-red cup-shaped flowers, but given the beauty of almost all magnolias not all that often. I suppose that as with the Dogwoods summer heat and drought is the main reason for this. They also suffer from what all spring flowers do in our region: if the weather is good the sun is very strong and the flowers very quickly pass over which is a little disappointing. Still if there is anyone out there reading this blog who has experience of growing successfully these two stars of the Early Summer season - Flowering Dogwoods and magnolias - do please let me know your secret.
Saturday 15 April 2017
Actualité
Readers of these blogs will know that I am really an 'Autumn Man' which is not to say that Spring is not an exciting time in the garden. After a dry start in January we have had plenty of rain, and despite one very cold week, plenty of warmth so that everything is bursting into life. My impression is that that the blossom has never been so wonderful, especially a little earlier Blackthorn (sloes), then peach, pear, plum and cherry, but may be one thinks that every year.
Am I right in thinking that in Gascony Mahonias are under used? Perhaps people are put off by the prickly leaves but in fact since they are evergreen, they make an imposing shrub throughout the year. Then starting in the Autumn, but in some varieties going on into early Spring, come the cheerful yellow flowers often with fragrance. The most commonly available are M. media Charity and Winter Sun, and there is nothing wrong with either. Surprisingly difficult to find in France is M.japonica. It is far less upright then the two just mentioned making a big bush wider than high with more drooping yellow flowers that for me are the most fragrant. With in theory rather beautuful glaucous leaves is M. freemontii, but I have never had much success with it. More recently there has come on the market M. eurybracteata with in particular 'Soft Caress' whose leaves are virtually free of prickles. It is one of what in a previous blog I have called 'Celebrity Plants' which for a year or two dominate a plant fair - Ceanothus Concha was one such plant - and then is often forgotten. Our M. 'Soft Caress' is still rather small and I have not yet fallen in love with it but maybe I will. It is incidentally autumn flowering.
What other plants are making a show? Our two ornamental pears - Pyrus calleryanna Chanticleer and Redspire - were a mass of white flowers while our various peach trees, which we seem to grow chiefly for their blossom as we seem to end up with very little fruit - ditto apple trees! - were a mass of pink. One way or another we have good selection of Viburnums all of which have done well this Spring. It is true that the flowers of what I call the smelly ones - V. burkwoodii, carlesii, and perhaps my favourite Mohawk which is a mixture of the two - are rather too fleeting, but one of the great features of almost all viburnums is that they have good autumn colour so they really are useful shrubs. And this year our V. plicatum Lanarth has proved my worries about its ability to cope with our hot and often dry summers unfounded by flowering its heart out. That said I am not sure that a south facing bank with very little tree cover, the conditions with which many of us have to put up with, is ideal but tant pis!
I cannot say that our spring bulbs are hugely successful. Of the many hundreds of snowdrops originally planted none after ten years have survived. Our crocus, chiefly C.tommasinianus, have survived but have not greatly increased, I am very greatful to Narcissus February Gold - small, elegantly formed yellow flowers, and as the name suggests early flowering - which continue to look good. Best of all for our conditions are the Cyclamen coums, which amongst other things no animal seems to want to eat. We do incidentally have resident badgers, which unlike Robin Lane Fox's do not seem very interested in our bulbs, perhaps because their quality is on the poor side.
One of the glories of our garden at this time of year are the Ceanothus with their marvellous blue flowers and in many cases dark evergreen leaaves so that even out of flower they can make an impact. Moreover coming from California it likes are hot summers and can cope well with drought, less well with our wet winters so I advise planting them on a slope. We seem to have ended up with many varieties including of course the almost ubiquitous C. repens. To my shame I am not sure that I can any longer identify them. Recently I know that I bought a newish C. Victoria which some consider to be the hardiest of the evergreen Ceanothus, while in the past I have certainly acquired C. Concha, Italian Skies, Skylark and Yankee Point but which is which now defeats me. They are in fact very similar. The blue may vary but mostly they are on the dark side, and the leaves look much the same, but the advantage of having different ones is that their flowering period will vary slightly so that the season is prolonged, though all the ones that I have mentioned are Spring flowering. But for me the outstanding ceanothus for the intensity of its dark blue almost purple flowers is C. Puget Blue. For a period C. Concha appeared to have pushed it into the background so that it was difficult to find, but it seems to be making a comeback, rightly so for if you are in search of a 'Gosh Factor' it is the one to have.
As mentioned in previous blogs we do have a number of early flowering buddlejas, including B agathosoma and B officinalis. They did not particularly like our very cold week this winter, down to minus 7.C, but all have flowered reasonably well despite this. But the real star is undoubtedly B. x Bel Argent with its wonderful strong purple drooping flowers and good grey/silver foliage. It is certainly in my list of top ten sbrubs, and something that everybody should have in their garden.
Am I right in thinking that in Gascony Mahonias are under used? Perhaps people are put off by the prickly leaves but in fact since they are evergreen, they make an imposing shrub throughout the year. Then starting in the Autumn, but in some varieties going on into early Spring, come the cheerful yellow flowers often with fragrance. The most commonly available are M. media Charity and Winter Sun, and there is nothing wrong with either. Surprisingly difficult to find in France is M.japonica. It is far less upright then the two just mentioned making a big bush wider than high with more drooping yellow flowers that for me are the most fragrant. With in theory rather beautuful glaucous leaves is M. freemontii, but I have never had much success with it. More recently there has come on the market M. eurybracteata with in particular 'Soft Caress' whose leaves are virtually free of prickles. It is one of what in a previous blog I have called 'Celebrity Plants' which for a year or two dominate a plant fair - Ceanothus Concha was one such plant - and then is often forgotten. Our M. 'Soft Caress' is still rather small and I have not yet fallen in love with it but maybe I will. It is incidentally autumn flowering.
What other plants are making a show? Our two ornamental pears - Pyrus calleryanna Chanticleer and Redspire - were a mass of white flowers while our various peach trees, which we seem to grow chiefly for their blossom as we seem to end up with very little fruit - ditto apple trees! - were a mass of pink. One way or another we have good selection of Viburnums all of which have done well this Spring. It is true that the flowers of what I call the smelly ones - V. burkwoodii, carlesii, and perhaps my favourite Mohawk which is a mixture of the two - are rather too fleeting, but one of the great features of almost all viburnums is that they have good autumn colour so they really are useful shrubs. And this year our V. plicatum Lanarth has proved my worries about its ability to cope with our hot and often dry summers unfounded by flowering its heart out. That said I am not sure that a south facing bank with very little tree cover, the conditions with which many of us have to put up with, is ideal but tant pis!
I cannot say that our spring bulbs are hugely successful. Of the many hundreds of snowdrops originally planted none after ten years have survived. Our crocus, chiefly C.tommasinianus, have survived but have not greatly increased, I am very greatful to Narcissus February Gold - small, elegantly formed yellow flowers, and as the name suggests early flowering - which continue to look good. Best of all for our conditions are the Cyclamen coums, which amongst other things no animal seems to want to eat. We do incidentally have resident badgers, which unlike Robin Lane Fox's do not seem very interested in our bulbs, perhaps because their quality is on the poor side.
One of the glories of our garden at this time of year are the Ceanothus with their marvellous blue flowers and in many cases dark evergreen leaaves so that even out of flower they can make an impact. Moreover coming from California it likes are hot summers and can cope well with drought, less well with our wet winters so I advise planting them on a slope. We seem to have ended up with many varieties including of course the almost ubiquitous C. repens. To my shame I am not sure that I can any longer identify them. Recently I know that I bought a newish C. Victoria which some consider to be the hardiest of the evergreen Ceanothus, while in the past I have certainly acquired C. Concha, Italian Skies, Skylark and Yankee Point but which is which now defeats me. They are in fact very similar. The blue may vary but mostly they are on the dark side, and the leaves look much the same, but the advantage of having different ones is that their flowering period will vary slightly so that the season is prolonged, though all the ones that I have mentioned are Spring flowering. But for me the outstanding ceanothus for the intensity of its dark blue almost purple flowers is C. Puget Blue. For a period C. Concha appeared to have pushed it into the background so that it was difficult to find, but it seems to be making a comeback, rightly so for if you are in search of a 'Gosh Factor' it is the one to have.
As mentioned in previous blogs we do have a number of early flowering buddlejas, including B agathosoma and B officinalis. They did not particularly like our very cold week this winter, down to minus 7.C, but all have flowered reasonably well despite this. But the real star is undoubtedly B. x Bel Argent with its wonderful strong purple drooping flowers and good grey/silver foliage. It is certainly in my list of top ten sbrubs, and something that everybody should have in their garden.
Monday 20 February 2017
Plant of the Year 2016
But first a correction. In the equivalent blog for 2015 I strongly recommended Euphorbia Copton Ash. Now I am pretty certain that I should have written E. ceratocarpa. E. Copton Ash has much greyer foliage than my plant and is not nearly so imposing - mine was was almost 1 m. high by 1m wide - and I say 'was' because this summer it rather let me down . Much of it became woody and had to be cut back, this only in its second year. A section of it, which seems to have been a layer, remains and is beginning to make an impact, but nothing like it was in its first year. Renée Boy Faget grows it in her garden - Le Jardin d'Entêoulet - not all that far from here (see an earlier blog), and for her it appears to self seed; not alas here. She also writes that her first plant was a cutting from a friend. I have never thought of making cuttings from euphorbias: E.characias wulfeni is so generous with its seedlings, and anyway I would have thought that the milky excretion would have made cuttings difficult, but I am certainly going to try with what is left of my plant.
In my view all euphorbias are good news but not quite good enough to win this prestigous prize! The same might be said of the humble rue usually seen in the garden in its form Ruta graevolens 'Jackman's Blue'. I have grown this in previous gardens without being too excited by it, but it does have quite pretty smallish, almost clover like leaves which are persistent, making a small bush with smallish yellow flowers. When visiting two years ago the 'medieval garden' in Uzes I was very attracted by a largish shrub which I did not immediately recognize as a rue, but it turned out to be Ruta chalepensis, though it was on sale as Rue d'Alep. In English it is apparently called Fringed Rue. On close inspection it is not unlike 'Jackman's Blue - the leaf is more or less the same colour blue, and the smell is equally as strong which one may or may not appreciate - but to my eye at any rate it is a much prettier shrub, and one growing to about 80cms. Though I believe it is North African in origin my two plants appear to have survived our recent cold spell.
During 2016 I renewed my love of a fairly ordinary herbaceous plant, Achillea Moonshine. In size it is half way between the A fillpendulinas at around about a meter high, of which in my view A.fill. Parker's Variety is the most long lived, and the much shorter A. millefoliums, much hybridized in recent years with names such a A.m.Cerise Queen and Paprika, which are round about 50cms. These latter should be one of the glories of a Gascony garden, and no doubt in some gardens they are. Here, however, they appear to dislike our wettish Springs since I have failed with them completely in the so-called Gravel Garden. Achillea Moonshine is a slightly taller, or at any rate a slightly more solid plant than the millefoliums and the combination of a very luminous yellow and feathery silver leaves is very attractive. It is not in my experience very long lived but cuttings can be made quite easily and I strongly reommend it.
However my plant of the year is in fact a bulb. Tulbaghia violacea is a member of the Allium/onion family which any bruising of its leaves will quickly tell you. From a clumb of narrow grey green leaves, the pale lilac flowers grow to about 40cms, and one of the plants chief attractions is that the flowers appear throughout the summer. It has to be said that the plant lacks what might be called a Gosh factor, but over the years I have come to appreciate it more and more. It is said to self seed but so far not obviously with us. On the other hand the clumps can easily be separated to create more. There exists a variety with a silver edging to its foliage. It is said to be a little less resistant to frost, though it has survived here this winter, but I am not sure that the siver edge, and hence the name, T.Silver Lace', adds a great deal to the plant as to my eye it is not very noticeable. Smaller but very pretty is, I think, T.cominsii, which along with the others mentioned can be found at my favourite garden, La Corsiana
In my view all euphorbias are good news but not quite good enough to win this prestigous prize! The same might be said of the humble rue usually seen in the garden in its form Ruta graevolens 'Jackman's Blue'. I have grown this in previous gardens without being too excited by it, but it does have quite pretty smallish, almost clover like leaves which are persistent, making a small bush with smallish yellow flowers. When visiting two years ago the 'medieval garden' in Uzes I was very attracted by a largish shrub which I did not immediately recognize as a rue, but it turned out to be Ruta chalepensis, though it was on sale as Rue d'Alep. In English it is apparently called Fringed Rue. On close inspection it is not unlike 'Jackman's Blue - the leaf is more or less the same colour blue, and the smell is equally as strong which one may or may not appreciate - but to my eye at any rate it is a much prettier shrub, and one growing to about 80cms. Though I believe it is North African in origin my two plants appear to have survived our recent cold spell.
During 2016 I renewed my love of a fairly ordinary herbaceous plant, Achillea Moonshine. In size it is half way between the A fillpendulinas at around about a meter high, of which in my view A.fill. Parker's Variety is the most long lived, and the much shorter A. millefoliums, much hybridized in recent years with names such a A.m.Cerise Queen and Paprika, which are round about 50cms. These latter should be one of the glories of a Gascony garden, and no doubt in some gardens they are. Here, however, they appear to dislike our wettish Springs since I have failed with them completely in the so-called Gravel Garden. Achillea Moonshine is a slightly taller, or at any rate a slightly more solid plant than the millefoliums and the combination of a very luminous yellow and feathery silver leaves is very attractive. It is not in my experience very long lived but cuttings can be made quite easily and I strongly reommend it.
However my plant of the year is in fact a bulb. Tulbaghia violacea is a member of the Allium/onion family which any bruising of its leaves will quickly tell you. From a clumb of narrow grey green leaves, the pale lilac flowers grow to about 40cms, and one of the plants chief attractions is that the flowers appear throughout the summer. It has to be said that the plant lacks what might be called a Gosh factor, but over the years I have come to appreciate it more and more. It is said to self seed but so far not obviously with us. On the other hand the clumps can easily be separated to create more. There exists a variety with a silver edging to its foliage. It is said to be a little less resistant to frost, though it has survived here this winter, but I am not sure that the siver edge, and hence the name, T.Silver Lace', adds a great deal to the plant as to my eye it is not very noticeable. Smaller but very pretty is, I think, T.cominsii, which along with the others mentioned can be found at my favourite garden, La Corsiana
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