A wander round my garden

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Adam D
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Joined: Tue Jul 14, 2009 10:47 pm
Location: Scotland

A wander round my garden

Post by Adam D »

After a relatively benign winter the weather over the last few months has been very poor only broken by 2 weeks of good weather, but some plants have still managed to grow okay.

Here is essentially the view from where I am sat at the moment looking out onto the decking in the back garden - when the weather is good we put the garden furniture out and pretend we are somewhere warmer and sunnier than Scotland.

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Let's walk out slightly

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I used to have a Yucca thompsoniana here to the right of the Agave in the blue pot, but it rotted out and I replaced it with a Daphne odora auroeomarginata. Paulownia has not grown very well this year.

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Turn around 90 degrees and you can see over to the bottom right hand corner

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Down in the bottom left hand corner of the garden is a bench where I often chill out. It is partly shady down here. The Acer japonicum vitifolium to the left was hit twice in two months by harsh frosts and suffered quite badly and it had a lot of die back. Thankfully it must have dormant buds under the bark and it has grown back a bit. Should look better in a few years time.

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Let's sit on the bench and look straight ahead. I trimmed the Ph. bissetii and F. rufa up this summer. The culms look cool.

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Look to the right. This was mainly grasses before, but I dug a wide strip out last year and I have planted it with other a mixture of other plants.

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If you keep going through the bamboo you end up here

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Turn around 180 degrees and you can see the bench through the gap in the bamboos.

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Keep walking backwards and there is that monster Rodgersia again!

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Turn around 135 degrees and walk back out into the lawn

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Brunnera and Astilboides look good together

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This is the border running along the bottom of the garden. The Eurporbia has done really well. It was planted out 6 or 7 years ago and was cut down to the ground twice in Dec 09 and Dec 10, but came back from the roots and now look at the growth in 2 years!

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Pan around to the right and this border is looking quite full again this year

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Out to the front of the house and the Dryopteris wallichiana have performed really well this year. I have underplanted them with various low-growing groundcover, let's see how this performs over time.

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Over the other side of the path and the other ground ferns have loved this summer

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Looking at the front garden from the road. That lamppost was half knocked down in Dec 09, I think it saved our front garden! No flowers from the wedding cake tree this year as they were burnt off in the harsh late spring frosts.

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View from in behind the front border

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Border running alongside the hedge. All seem to be doing well - Daphniphyllum and Hydrangea suffered badly with the late frosts.

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Rodgersia nepalensis was planted out last year. Can't wait to see it bulk up over the years :)

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Trainer John

Re: A wander round my garden

Post by Trainer John »

Lush, green and undamaged by slugs and snails. What's not to like :D

That Rodgersia podophylla looks superb. I am really considering getting one to replace a Hydrangea 'Blue Wave' at the back of my little pond. With leaves like that I don't care if it doesn't flower (the hydrangea doesn't!).
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Dave Brown
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Re: A wander round my garden

Post by Dave Brown »

Very lush and jungly icon_thumright , and as John said, no evidence of slugs and snails. Love the Bamboos in your gardenThey run amok here :lol:

I am finding that some American plants, sold as shade plants, like Podophyllums are hacking a fair amount of sun here, due to non continental weather, and can take -25C so no problems with hardiness. Might take full sun up where you are :?: Brunnera 'Jack Frost' is one of my favourits.... wouldn't be without it. :D

Another tree I would not be without, that might do well for you, is Purple Hazel. It retains it's colour all season, and can take ruthless coppicing or stooling, to fit in with the size of the garden. Makes a really good backdrop for green plants :wink:
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Dave
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kata

Re: A wander round my garden

Post by kata »

Whoooooooooooa Adam,

That is some garden...you been holding out on me........ :lol: I love all of it and something I aim for next year.

Flowers have been a failure this year so I have decided to go the jungle direction.

Ah, your garden is beautiful, well done Adam!!

icon_cheers icon_cheers icon_cheers
Jo A P

Re: A wander round my garden

Post by Jo A P »

Love it. Really pulls you along to see what's next. I love that Rodgersia! I suppose you get plenty of rain and have a moist soil?
(Wishful thinking of rain)
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Yorkshire Kris
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Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:59 am
Location: Rural South Wakefield, Yorkshire Lat 53.64 Long-1.54

Re: A wander round my garden

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

Adam your garden is gorgeous. Love the lushness of everything. The bamboos, ferns and under planting is spot on.
flounder

Re: A wander round my garden

Post by flounder »

It looks good Adam. Everything seems to blend nicely, not too busy and very relaxing. I know how much work is involved in keeping that volume of planting at its best, you're rightly well chuffed icon_thumleft icon_thumleft
jezza

Re: A wander round my garden

Post by jezza »

You must have a very good neighbourhood, as that ornament in your front garden was in my front garden it would disappear very quickly.
pdid

Re: A wander round my garden

Post by pdid »

Everything looks really happy and growing away nicely.

I`m think I remember you having a yucca linearifolia but can`t spot it? I`m hoping it hasn`t gone the way of the Thomsoniana?
GoggleboxUK

Re: A wander round my garden

Post by GoggleboxUK »

Fantastic garden and I love the walkthrough style tour photos.

Your garden is even more impressive considering your geographical location, certainly an inspiration to anyone up North.

Your planting choices work really well together, I particularly love the view from the bench and your ferns out front.

;)
Delboy

Re: A wander round my garden

Post by Delboy »

Stunning, if you can achive a garden like that in scotland then it gives me some hope lol.
Everything blends in so nicely, i love all the bamboo and cant wait till mine are bigger.
Mr List

Re: A wander round my garden

Post by Mr List »

looks great, i love the idea of a photo tour icon_thumleft icon_thumleft

can yuo post some more pics of the fargesia rufa?
it looks bigger than the labels make it sound.
gabriel

Re: A wander round my garden

Post by gabriel »

Very Very nice garden Adam icon_thumright
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redsquirrel
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Re: A wander round my garden

Post by redsquirrel »

blimey Adam,you said you were going through the change,if i get to go through that with those results,i will be well chuffed icon_thumright icon_thumright
mars ROVER broken down. headgasket faillure
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Adam D
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Joined: Tue Jul 14, 2009 10:47 pm
Location: Scotland

Re: A wander round my garden

Post by Adam D »

Thank you for the kind comments :)
pdid wrote:Everything looks really happy and growing away nicely.

I`m think I remember you having a yucca linearifolia but can`t spot it? I`m hoping it hasn`t gone the way of the Thomsoniana?
It's gone to the great compost bin in the sky unfortunately. Two really harsh winters and then 2011 being the wettest year on record up in Scotland saw it rot away and die.
Mr List wrote:looks great, i love the idea of a photo tour icon_thumleft icon_thumleft

can yuo post some more pics of the fargesia rufa?
it looks bigger than the labels make it sound.
I will see what I can do. It has grown more than I thought it would. If you are going to grow one then make sure you site it well.
Dave Brown wrote:Very lush and jungly icon_thumright , and as John said, no evidence of slugs and snails. Love the Bamboos in your gardenThey run amok here :lol:

I am finding that some American plants, sold as shade plants, like Podophyllums are hacking a fair amount of sun here, due to non continental weather, and can take -25C so no problems with hardiness. Might take full sun up where you are :?: Brunnera 'Jack Frost' is one of my favourits.... wouldn't be without it. :D

Another tree I would not be without, that might do well for you, is Purple Hazel. It retains it's colour all season, and can take ruthless coppicing or stooling, to fit in with the size of the garden. Makes a really good backdrop for green plants :wink:
I will have a google about Purple Hazel.

Some of my Podophyllum are sited in the sun and seem quite happy. My spotty dotty sent up some lovely leaves back at the end of March, but they were cruelly cut down by the horrible frosts. They have come back again though :)
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