Saturday 27 April 2019

Firsts!




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Here's six firsts in my garden.

On a Saturday, of course.







1.  Alocasia Polly

Earlier in the week, this appeared in my Alocasia, which lives happily in the bathroom.



Little green hoodlum.

I've not had Polly a year, so this was definitely a first.  Then a few days later . . .


Unassuming beauty.

The little guy's overshadowed by those gaudy leaves, but I like him anyway.


2.  Germinating go-slow.

This is my first year growing ricinus.  Three weeks after planting - nothing, so I planted a new tray.  Then the very next day in the old tray . . .


Castor cometh.

And a coupla days after that.


Now there are two.

Twice the seeds planted.  Of this great, gargantuan jungle monster.  I don't think they're gonna fit in my garden.


3.  Rogue clematis.

A few years ago, we lived next door to this rampaging pink clematis that self seeded round other folks' gardens, & left chillen in one of my pots.

Well, this year the offspring bloomed for the first time & it's something better'n pink.



Clematis surprise.

The blooms are the size of a 50p coin.  When this vine gets serious about flowering, it'll be stunning.

Here's the back of the bloom . . .


Little pink stripes.

. . . and the bud.


Striped candy.

Ain't she great?


4.  Dog pool.

This year, I'm 'naturalising' Mlle DoodleFace's pool (i.e. making it less ugly) - perennials on the outside, water lilies on the inside.

There's a bamboo shaft in the pond, a sort of life raft for smaller pool visitors.  This week, I planted the part that sticks out of the water.


Bamboo life raft garden.

The section closest to the water has creeping Jenny in it.  I'd seen it used in a floating garden & the creeping Jenny spread across the water.  The top of the bamboo is planted with this succulent looking stuff:


Purloined plant, name unknown.

The blossoms will open into a daffodil yellow.

I discovered its ancestor when we lived next to the pink clematis.  The succulent grew in about half an inch of soil on a rock at our pond edge, which makes me think it could survive the shallow bamboo planter.


5.  Camassia

This is my first year growing camassia.  It's had the misfortune of being consigned to the fox garden, that site of much dog destruction.  Even so, it's strutting its stuff.


Camassia beginning to open.

It's supposed to bloom in June, but with so much trouble in this bed, early thriving is recommended.


6.  Anemone

These were an end of season sale item, bought last year when I knew we were moving.  I stuck them in the planter with Big Daddy Hosta, so they got a bit man handled once they arrived here.


Anemone coronaria Bordeaux

And still they bloom.  They also close up in the avoe, making me wonder if I'll see them again the next day.  So far, I have, which is good news.  Love their pretty faces.  Hope they spread like a certain rapacious clematis.




Bertha.


That's my Six for the week. 

Don't forget to drop in on the Spring Bulb King who still has quite a good display going.  In his comments section, you'll find links to other SoS bloggers from literally all around the world.

Thanks for stopping by.  Until next time, you take care of yourself, you hear?






18 comments:

  1. The garden comes alive and thanks to this post, I see better also the dog pond now ... Impressed by the flower of alocasia (I also have one in my bathroom since four years (and in the summer in the greenhouse) but it has never bloomed until now.

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    1. That's interesting, re: your alocasia. Wonder why that is - age or some other factor? I know little about house plants. As to pool, am wondering if I should get a plant that clears the water. Not the Mlle DoodleFace cares, but've been contemplating this.

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    2. On a small volume ( 250L) , I tried (Hippuris, myriophyllum) but no satisfying results...

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  2. Another Sos camassia! I think I'm going to have find space in the garden for one! The anemone is a stunner.

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    1. Not got to grips with my profile yet! Unknown is me!

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    2. I'm pretty tickled w/both & would heartily encourage you to get some. This is the camassia's first year for me & they come up in very slender spikes, not any wider than a single daffodil, so you've got room. Plenty of room!

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  3. Love the whitish clematis! You must be pleased. Your bordeaux A. coronaria is gorgeous. I've been adding to mine and now have four colors in different spaces... They're addicting.

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    1. I agree on all counts. I didn't expect the clematis to be so pristine white, but unfortunately, it doesn't seem to have a scent. As to the anemone, it's very understandable how they could be addictive. At the moment, I'm really taken w/the dark colours, but the others will soon follow, I fear.

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  4. That's a lovely anemone, mine are all a rather insipid, pale purple. Interesting Six!

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  5. Did your clematis self seed, or was it a cutting?

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    1. It was a volunteer, I thought from my neighbour's vine, but hers was pink. It appeared in one of my pots & really, could've come from anywhere.

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  6. Love that alocasia, what a splendid coloured leaf! I sowed some ricinus but only one monster has germinated, I wonder if any others will bother. Snap with the anemone, it is a beauty isn't it!

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    1. When the alocasia is shiny, it looks plastic, the colour is so vibrant. Hopefully your ricinus will germinate, but if they don't & all mine do, perhaps we can figure out how to safely send them through the post.. It's been a funny old spring, hasn't it?

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  7. I just hauled Boo's pool out and filled it yesterday. I have a piece of short wooden fence for a ladder. One drowned mouse was so upsetting, I never thought about it before that happened. It still's sad thinking about it only being thirsty...
    I love your top photo of the calycanthus. I grew up with it.

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    1. I saw or read something yonks ago about putting pebbles in the bee water dish, so that idea transferred to the dog pool. I also grew up w/a spice bush, which is why I have one now, tho it doesn't smell anything like the one we had then. Still, it's a gorgeous shrub.

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  8. Chiastophyllum oppositifolium is the name of your purloined plant. Its a very choice plant, and although a succulent, it is best in part shade with moist soil.

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    1. Thanks so much for that ID. It's a tough little beauty that multiplies like bunnies. I really love the stuff.

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