Last year I was surprised, and this year I took it for granted that my rose bush flowers in winter. It starts in November and then, the weather permits, goes on till mid-January. Of course, the flowering is not as abundant as in May, but it does give me pleasure to see beautiful white buds with a pink hue in the cold season.
As it happens, I took these photos with a month’s interval, in early November, December and January.
#roses #garden #winter
It can be frosty in Como, oh yes, but snow is a rare occurrence. When it snows, though, it snows copiously. Like it did last night. Here’s how our white winter looks like.
The garden is hidden under a fluffy white blanket.
A palm exotically looking under snow
Too cold for this little spring fella.
Winter (left) and autumn putti seem to enjoy it
The herb patch, heavily blanketed by snow
Hard to tell that irises and violets are under here
Poor roses…
Wintersweet hasn’t lost is scent despite all this snow
Rosemary needles are frozen
Interesting patterns of the persimmon tree
The laurel branches are bending down like a willow
And, finally, the winter garden fairy
#snow #winter #garden
#garden #winter #december
#garden #autumn #november
First colours of autumn made me think of a fiery summer flower about which I never wrote in season. It is crocosmia ‘Lucifer’.
Crocosmia was chosen by our garden consultants in 2015 as one of the key plants for the upper terrace.
The British Royal Horticultural Society rates it as an AGM plant (award of garden merit).
This summer my crocosmia has grown to its full height, which is about 50-60 cm. It has sword-like opaque leaves which tend to dry and go brown. I think they get burned. They were planted in a spot with direct sun all day, probably too sunny and hot for them.
Lucifer’s moment of glory is in July-August, when it bursts with bunches of intensely red flowers. It also looks interesting after flowering, keeping dry stems.
On the picture above the crocosmia is in the late stage of flowering. You can see what the flowers turn into.
#crocosmia #lucifer #garden #summer
#garden #autumn #october
Orticolario garden show was upon us last weekend. I spent almost entire Friday there, admiring the installations, being in awe with Villa Erba, attending some seminars, and, of course, checking on plants and everything else that was on offer.
Stunning decorations for Villa Erba
This is what I bought.
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (2 pots x 5 euros). Lovely blue flowers which go perfectly on the lake. They are to decorate the planters with false jasmines. Got them at the same French stand where I bought salvia with velvety magenta flowers last year.
Salvia Mystic Spires (1 pot x 8 euros). To add colour to artemisia and lavender lawn, as well as to fill a hole between the plants. Striking effect!
Chrysanthemum (1 pot x 12 euros). Bought this gorgeous golden-orange specimen as a mood plant for autumn. Don’t know which variety it is. Want to keep it just for the season. If it stays longer, will consider it a good luck.
Both salvia and chrysanthemum were bough from the same nursery where I got gaura last year.
Heuchera (2 pots x 5 euros). There were different hues, I loved this pink one. Bought from a nursery from Impruneta. For a new plant arrangement next to microcosmia and geraniums on the top terrace.
At Villa Carlotta stand they were giving away nice little packets with bulbs of Anemone blanda Schott & Kotschy. These are now planted between armerias.
Last but not the least: bought a fancy pot ceramica di autore (30 euros), of which later.
#orticolario #ceratostigma #salvia #chrysantemum #heuchera #anemone
#garden # autumn #september
Butterfly bush is named aptly for the plant’s ability to attract butterflies. Its scientific name is buddleja, or buddleia.
I bought two buddleja shrubs for the terrace. This is Buddleja davidii ‘Nanho Purple’, a dainty performer with bright purple flowers and orange eyes.
Some botanical sources state that the butterfly bush flowers in August. Mine started flowering in July. I have flower clusters at all stages of development, they look gorgeous.
It starts as a cone.
First flowers appear at the bottom of the pyramid and then open all the way up.
The flowering clusters are heavy. They bend gracefully.
#buddleia #buddleja #terrace #summer
I am amused that this sun loving, essentially Mediterranean plant is described as English lavender.
I had several attempts of growing Lavandula Angustifolia, with various success. It was in pots, in a large planter on the terrace and in the garden.
This attempt is the most successful of all. After last year’s failure, when all plants chosen and planted by a gardener died within weeks, this year I started from very small lavenders. They were virtually cuttings with small roots. I planted them back in March.
Touch wood, they all took off well. They grow in a patch with armerias and artemisias. They attract lots of bees.
#lavender #lavandula #garden #summer
Crown&Tears 