White 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 card December 2016

#garden #winter #december

Garden card November 2016

#garden #autumn #november

Garden card October 2016

#garden #autumn #october

Orticolario buys

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 card September 2016

#garden # autumn #september

Lamb’s ear

I fell in love with this plant the moment I saw it at Orticolario garden show  last October. The leaves had amazing fluffy texture. I bought a plant.

I was anxious. Firstly, it was fragile. Secondly, I read that it needed a warmer climate than what we have in Como. I planted it next to a wall terrace. It survived through the winter. In spring it was happily spreading around.

This is Stachys Byzantina, known as lamb’s ear. It is grown primarily for its foliage.  In the gardening literature lamb’s ear is described as requiring little maintenance, as long as it grows in well drained sites.

In June lamb’s ear has small light purple flowers.

I planted Stachys next to melissa. I overlooked that melissa was growing too rampantly and suppressed lamb’s ear. I removed the melissa that was in the plant’s way. Hopefully it will recover soon.

#lambsear #stachys #garden #summer

Delicate thyme

This delicate looking plant is one of the staples among Mediterranean herbs. Thyme grows wild in the Southern Italy. The climate on Lake Como is also warm enough to cultivate it without a problem.

There are several varieties of thyme. I grow two – the most common Thymus vulgaris, as well as lemon scented Thymus citriodorus. Here citrus thyme is flowering.

Thyme is not fussy. It grows slowly. Dry woody shoots can make it look unappealing, but one has to be careful enough when cutting them. Sometimes they appear dead, but in fact new growth can develop.

I normally use thyme for meat dishes. Citrus thyme is suited for fish, thanks to its refreshing  lemony aromas.

#thyme #thymusvulgaris #thymuscitriodorus #herb #garden #summer

A smile for camomile

I remember once buying a packet of dried camomile flowers which were grown in the mountains. That was the best camomile tea I ever brewed. Now I have a challenge to get camomile as good as that in my garden.

The name of the herb can be written in two ways – camomile or chamomile. It is formally presented as Chamaemelum nobile.

The most popular use of camomile is for tea. Everybody knows of its therapeutic properties such as relieving stress or aiding digestion. A recent scientific research found that drinking camomile tea helps women live longer. That will definitely encourage me to drink it more!

My camomile grows in the herb patch, among thyme and fennel. I am about to harvest the flowers which will be dried and used for tea. Here’s how it looks for now.

#camomile #garden #summer

Echinacea, the hedgehog flower

Echinacea, native to North America, is commonly known as coneflower. The Greek meaning of Echinacea is more amusing. It’s the hedgehog flower, the name inspired by the spiny central disk.

Coneflowers supposedly have super healing powers and protect the immune system, but views on that widely vary. I grow them for bright flowers.

Echinacea was introduced in my garden last year by garden designers. They are planted at the back of the herb patch, adding colour to predominantly green patch.

I have two varieties of coneflowers. One is ‘Cheyenne Spirit’, a hybrid with narrow rounded petals in vivid red colour. They normally start flowering in mid-summer, but mine are already producing a spectacular display.

The other flower is Echinacea purpurea ‘Julia’. The petals are more pointed, and it has a pink hue.

#coneflower #echinacea #cheyennespirit #julia #garden #summer