ABC Wednesday - E is For...

...Exceeding Expectations

A lot of the plants in my garden early on were grown from seed, including this Monarda 'Panorama Mixed', which scents the top terrace bed at this time from July onwards. It disappeared for a couple of years, but last year's wet summer revived it to make a reappearance, and it's a welcome sight for me and the bees again this year. So this lovely cottage garden flower has well exceeded my expectations.

And so have you. I have some further donations to report for my Open Garden fundraiser. Anna, one of my regular commenters has come up with a very thoughtful idea. I'll let her tell you what it is in her own words:

I would love to contribute something towards your fund raising activities. As I am not a crafty soul and you already have some books, I would like to donate a membership to The Cottage Garden Society for a year if you think that this would be appropriate. It is an organisation that has given me pleasure and inspiration over the years. I have especially enjoyed their seed distribution scheme. I imagine that you may well be familiar with the CGS but if not they have a website which gives information about the benefits of membership : http://cottage-garden.org.uk/

Also Patient Gardener has donated some choice seeds saved from her garden - a selection of: white foxgloves, Primula japonica (which incidentally makes her 'desert island' plant choice over at Blogging from Blackpitts), Carex elata 'Bowles Golden' and Mathiasella. I hadn't come across the latter plant before, so it's great to make its acquaintance.

Last but not least, there was so much gnashing of teeth and rending of garments over R. Pete Free's winning of Matthew Wilson's book on Monday, that Matthew has kindly agreed to donate another signed copy. So dry your eyes everyone, especially EmmaT - the game's still on! Incidentally, Matthew and his garden should be making an appearance on Gardeners' World this Friday - should be well worth a look. Friday is also the day for my next prize giveaway, so get donating if you haven't already - you have to be in it to win it!



Do hop over to the ABC Wednesday blog for more pictures on the theme of E.

Comments

  1. magiceye20 August 2008 at 10:12

    nice interpretation...

    Check out my Engine here

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yolanda Elizabet Heuzen20 August 2008 at 11:18

    What fun that the Monarda decided to come back into your garden, it looks wonderful. Does it suffer from mildew? Here that's a big problem with monarda's espcially in wet summers like this one. There seems to be a new generation of Monarda's about that don't suffer from mildew, must check that out.

    You must be very happy that you've reached your target right after the first weekend! Upwards and onwards!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sol20 August 2008 at 11:31

    I am hoping that next year my garden is going to look fab. I have a question about grass... I seem to have 2 varietys going on in my lawn, one very dark green, with thicker leaves and a lighter coloured one that doesnt grow as fast. I have been cutting my lawn every 3 days!!! Is that normal? I did put on some evergreen weed and feed. I now have black patches where clover was and grass that is growing like crazy. Do you have a full proof way of making your grass lush and green?

    Also you know we should meet up. I am not that far away from you! Sounds all stalkery doesnt it!

    ReplyDelete
  4. AphotoAday20 August 2008 at 13:15

    That's a really beautiful Monarda plant... Wonder how long I can remember that name...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bear Naked20 August 2008 at 15:16

    Exceeding Expectations is a very clever idea for ABC Wednesday letter E.

    Bear((( )))

    ReplyDelete
  6. Helen/patientgardener20 August 2008 at 16:57

    Hi - I'm a member of CGS, my local group are very friendly and my monthly posts on garden visits are generally as a result of club outings. I have also enjoyed their seed distribution scheme - many of my unusual plants come via this way.

    As for the Mathisella - its like the one that Monty raved about on GW when he was doing his green garden. It has gorgeous leaves abit like Angelica and sort of cowparsley flowers but its all green.

    The CGS will be mentioned on this week's GW as it is on a cottage garden scheme and I understand that some of the gardens featured are members gardens - but not mine, I suspect you had to be on the national committee!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. emmat20 August 2008 at 17:15

    argh, (gnashing of teeth) now I'll have to give you another fiver...

    ReplyDelete
  8. Gerald (Ackworth born)20 August 2008 at 18:07

    i think you must have extraordinary patience and energy to maintain such a garden - things I don't have.

    ReplyDelete
  9. HappyMouffetard20 August 2008 at 18:15

    A great 'E'.
    I'm still enjoying popping over to visit your garden - there's so much that it takes several visits to really appreciate.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Leslie:20 August 2008 at 20:16

    What a unique take on the E today. And a gorgeous flower! Congrats on getting more donations - hope it all goes well.

    ReplyDelete
  11. The Garden Monkey20 August 2008 at 22:10

    Isn't Matthew Wilson a great guy?

    Much more of a pussycat than The Tiger.

    Meow.

    ReplyDelete
  12. VP20 August 2008 at 22:19

    Hi everyone from ABC - I'll check out your posts and comment there.

    Yolanda - it did when I first planted it. It's been OK the past 2 years - I think it's because we've had so much rain.

    SOL - we cut out grass once a week at best. Lush and green is a hit and miss affair here, though someone did compliment us on the state of our lawn the other day - in spite of the moss and clover we know's in there! Wherabouts are you then? I thought you were in Cornwall...

    PG - thanks for the forther info on the CGS. We seem to be getting all sorts of insider info on GW this week!

    Emmat - no you've already donated so you're definitely in...

    HM - so glad you're enjoying it and thanks for your donation :)

    GM - Meow indeed ;) And yes, he's one of my faves :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Rose20 August 2008 at 22:49

    Beautiful Monarda. I planted some "petites" this spring, but so far they've been rather disappointing. I do hope they come back strong next year.

    Congratulations on all the success you've had so far on your fundraiser, and the kindness of friends who've donated some great prizes. Wish I was eligible for those seeds! By the way, I put in a plug for you on my last post; hope some more U.S. bloggers drop by.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anna21 August 2008 at 21:59

    I have just tracked down the Matthew Wilson book in our local library -it looks as if it would be a great addition to anybody's bookshelf. Good to see a fellow CGS member here :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. emmat22 August 2008 at 14:49

    i don't know if i can be bothered with monardas. Ha ha! Finally one plant you haven't managed to convert me on!

    ReplyDelete
  16. VP22 August 2008 at 22:07

    Rose - they're a lovely late edition to the garden aren't they. Thanks for the link over at your place - I've added you to the links list

    Anna - you're right, worth tracking down. And I'm glad to make the aquaintance of the CGS

    Emmat - I'll just have to work that bit harder then won't I ;)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

I love hearing from you and welcome thoughtful conversations :)

Comments aiming to link back and give credence to commercial websites will be composted!

Your essential reads

That blue flower: A spring spotter's guide

Image
Spring is a prime time for blue flowers and my daily walks currently have several from the same plant family* lining the local footpaths. As I walked past the Donkey Field the other day, I overheard some children ask their parents** what the pictured blue flower was. It reminded me it's often mistaken for those other familial blues and this time was no different, as they said it was forget-me-not, instead of the green alkanet it actually is. As well as similar flowers, most of these plants are hairy in their nature, flower around the same time, and favour damp, shady places. Many of them are great for pollinators too, especially bees and this week's warm weather has certainly drawn them to these flowers. This makes it even more likely for these plants to be mistaken for each other and it's a great opportunity for me to put together a spotter's guide in case you find the same flowers on your outings. Staying with green alkanet, the key features which set it ...
Read more

Jack Go To Bed At Noon

Image
Last year this rather exotic looking flower appeared on mine and several other allotments for the first time. Having been stumped (again) by Mr Allotment Warden as to its identity, I rushed home to find out what it was. It's salsify, aka the marvellous Jack Go To Bed At Noon - named as such because its flowers always close by midday. Here you can see both open and closed flowers - making it seem even more exotic and alien than in the first picture. I think this must be the cultivated version because the flower in my Francis Rose Wild Flower Key looks exactly the same in form, but is bright yellow in colour and called meadow salsify . Its other common name is Goatsbeard, which must be a nod to the fantastic dandelion-like clock which forms the seed head. With 'parachutes' like those shown above, who knows how far our plotted plants came from. I rather like the photographic dissection of the seedhead found in this link . Salsify is edible: its lateral shoots and fl...
Read more

Red Nose Day - Gardening Jokes Anyone?

Image
The nation goes ever so slightly bonkers on Red Nose Day - hurrah! Previously, it's been very easy to join in - usually via a dress down day at work plus lots of people up to mad things at the station and in the office. Everyone smiling for once - it's a real feel good day and all in a good cause. This year's different - every day's a dress down day for me now - my friend L suggested yesterday that perhaps I could have a dress up day instead and whilst that's a good idea, I confess that ballgowns and tiaras don't really feature in my wardrobe: scruffy student's always been my favourite look. So my Red Nose Day contribution for this year is to compile a list of gardening related jokes. For each one (clean ones only please) you leave in the comments below, I'll make a donation of 50p to the cause. Here's a few for starters just to get you warmed up: Q Why do potatoes make good detectives? A Because they keep their eyes peeled. Q What did the grape...
Read more

Salad Days: Mastering Lettuce

Image
I've decided one of my salad challenges for this year is to grow as many lettuce varieties as I can, ready for the publication of my planned Factsheet* later on. The idea is to grow as many of the Tried and Trusted lettuce varieties last year's Salad Challengers helped compile, then provide a visual guide and as many lettuce facts as I can muster. So far I've found around half of those listed**. Then naturally whilst I was out searching - because such is the way with seeds - a number of other varieties found their way home too ;) A couple of weeks ago I sowed 22 varieties***. Just the simple act of sowing them has me intrigued. Why are some lettuce seeds black and others white****? They split into about half white to half black in my sample and as far as I can tell it's nothing to do with whether they're a type of cos, iceberg, or whatever. I sowed them indoors and popped them into a propagator on the windowsill. The soil's too cold outside for sowing ...
Read more

VPs VIPs: Derry Watkins of Special Plants

Image
Last week I had the pleasure of visiting Derry Watkins at her home, garden and nursery - the acclaimed Special Plants - just a few miles along the road from me. I first met Derry at one of her open garden days last year and was keen to find out more about her wonderful garden and running an independent nursery. She specialises in tender perennials and regularly goes on plant hunting trips to find new treasures, particularly in South Africa. As well as running Special Plants and opening her garden under the NGS scheme , Derry holds day courses at her nursery, hosts Special Tuesdays from April until September, lectures and has written a couple of books. How did you find your way from Connecticut to the UK? I'd started a biodynamic vegetable garden in Connecticut and we used to have people come along at weekends to help out. A particular young man turned up: he returned many times and at the end of the summer I married him. So it was all down to love? Isn't that the...
Read more

#mygardenrightnow: heading into summer with the Chelsea Fringe

Image
Ahhhhhh, that's better! I love walking through dewy grass in bare feet, not that there's much in the way of grass on my back lawn this weekend. My wild and woolly lawn has morphed into meadow of sorts this month, which even NAH admits looks attractive*. It's also proved a great source for my Flowers for mum project so far, yielding self-sown perennial cornflowers, lamb's ears, and lemon balm in addition to the blooms you can see. These originated from elsewhere in the garden, the ox-eye daisies must have blown in from the A350 nearby. * = he got very stroppy about the weeds aka self-sown foxgloves in the lawn one year, so he's come along a bit since then. Skimble's demanding to say hello to you too. He does enjoy the patio when it warms up. If the embedded video doesn't work try this link instead. The Nectaroscordum are a revelation. I planted the bulbs around 2 years ago, but it's only this year they've bloomed properly. The bee...
Read more

Make Use of Mildew

Image
On my garden patrol this morning I spotted some powdery mildew on a couple of my new Verbena bonariensis plants. I suppose it was almost inevitable as I prefer to grow my plants hard - this means no water for them unless they look absolutely desperate. This approach means plants root themselves more deeply and have a better chance of survival during spells of dry weather like we've had lately. However, it also means I run the risk of problems like today's, especially with any garden newbies planted late in the season. We've had a good drop of rain overnight, so this should help my plants survive. I'll mulch them later today to help lock in the moisture as it's water stress which encourages the mildew to take hold. I've also removed the infected leaves and sprayed the rest with a milky drink.* I'm also pleased to find there's a use for my infected leaves. Oliver Ellingham at Reading University has started a PhD - sponsored by the RHS - researchi...
Read more

The Resilient Garden

Image
  Part of Tom Massey's Resilient Garden at RHS Hampton Court I've been pondering VP Gardens a lot lately. Last year's drought conditions set me off initially, then our harsher than usual winter combined with this summer's flip and flop weather means the thinking continues. It's a huge topic which I freely admit I'm struggling to get my head around. Tom Massey's Resilient Garden  at Hampton Court recently  tackled this topic brilliantly and was a timely interlude which gave me much food for thought. There he encapsulated the detailed research he'd found which informed both his show garden and book of the same name. I think it's one of the most important show gardens I've ever seen. It's clear the way I garden needs to change so that I have my own resilient garden. I haven't worked out the exact details yet, but Tom's book plus a couple of others (see below), alongside the rainwater management handout from the show garden's  sponso...
Read more

Chelsea Fringe 2014: Shows of Hands - Episode I

Image
The gloves NAH used to build the raised bed . The effects are L to R, top to bottom:  Original photo, Warhol, HDR, Green tint, B&W, Posterize, Boost, Cross process and Sepia Welcome to Shows of Hands - my Chelsea Fringe project for 2014! As you can see I've been having a bit of a play around in Pic Monkey for my first contribution. You're welcome to join in between now and 8th June 2014. The idea behind this year's project is to highlight the tool most precious to a gardener: their hands. How do I take part? It's simple. All you need to do is take a photo of hand(s) in a gardening context and then share it via your blog or other social media (such as Twitter or Facebook), then make sure I know you've done so. I've set up Mr Linky below for your blog contributions. The Chelsea Fringe photo on the right sidebar links to this post, so you can easily find it again when you're ready to add your contribution. If you share your photo on Twitter, ...
Read more

Testing Times: Tomatoes

Image
  I've run a couple of tomato trials this year. The first is a revisit of the biochar trial with Oxford University I attempted some years ago (with a different organisation this time), and the second is a trial of a water gadget called Plantsurge which I was given to try at Malvern Spring Show earlier this year. Most of you have probably heard of biochar already and the claim that this inert, carbon-rich material can help soil fertility and plant health. The RHS information in the above link says results can be mixed, with reduced effects found in alkaline soils. This may help to explain the lack of difference I found in my previous trial as VP Gardens is on a lime-rich soil. Plantsurge is a different beast altogether. It's a strong magnet which is attached to a hosepipe as shown in the photo above. It's claimed that it softens water, with the result more like watering with rainwater. The higher nitrogen found in rainwater is thought to be beneficial to plants. Gardener...
Read more