NEWS FROM MY GARDEN

And here we are at the end of August and you can feel the warmth of the sun is not as it was in July and the days have become quite a bit shorter but the days are beautiful, in a weeks time the children go back to school. We know it is possible to get the first frost in September but it is also possible we get the first frost in November or December. Summer was short but nice, and September can be quite good. We still have our holiday in France to look forward too ! We are going to visit a lot of gardens, I’ll tell you all about it when I’m back, ok ?

Meanwhile in my garden all is well and I made some changes here and there and I am happy with it.

I PLACED A FEW MIRRORS IN THE NEW GARDEN, I AM PLANNING TO GIVE THEM A LIFE FRAME OF SMALL LEAVED IVY

HERE IS THE OTHER MIRROR AND I HAVE ROOM FOR MORE……

THESE BUTTERFLIES ARE CRAZY ABOUT THE BLOOMING SEDUMS AND I HAVE A LOT OF THEM IN THE GARDEN AT THE MOMENT

SEDUM SPECTABILIS

THIS IS ANOTHER SEDUM BUT I DON’T KNOW ITS NAME, IT WAS A GIFT FROM MY NEIGHBOUR

I FINALLY MANAGED TO TAKE A PICTURE OF ONE OF THE MANY FROGS THAT ARE LIVING IN THE GARDEN, THEY DON’T MAKE A LOT OF NOISE, ONLY A SOFT PRRR PRRR AND THEY LOVE OUR POND

THE WHITE LANTANA CAMARA IS ALSO POPULAR  AMONGST THE BEES AND BUTTERFLIES

ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLANTS : VERBENA BONARIENSIS, BLOOMS FOR A VERY LONG TIME AND GETS A LOT OF VISITORS

DAHLIA AND  WHITE ECHINACHEA

MY RESCUED AEONIUM IS THRIVING, IT DIDN’T LOOK GOOD WHEN I BOUGHT IT, I FELT SORRY FOR IT, IT WAS IN A TINY POT AND IT WAS ONLY 2 EURO’S (3 DOLLARS) FOR A BIG PLANT, IT COULDN’T EVEN STAND UP AS THE PLANT WAS FAR TOO HEAVY FOR THE small POT

FUCHSIA MAGELANICA , ONE OF THE EASIEST SHRUBS I KNOW AND VERY WINTERHARDY

FUCHSIA GARTENMEISTER BONDSTEDT

CLOSE UP OF THE GARTENMEISTER BONDSTEDT, THESE TYPE OF FUCHSIA’ WITH THE LONG NARROW FLOWERS NEED MORE WARMTH THAN THE OTHER FUCHSIA’S AND THEY LOVE A PLACE IN FULL SUN

ANOTHER VIEW IN THE MIRROR

LACE CAP HYDRANGEA AT THE POND

ANOTHER HYDRANGEA, NORMALLY THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN HALF DRY BY NOW BUT THEY STARTED BLOOMING VERY LATE THIS YEAR

HYDRANGYA AND THE FAST GROWING RUSSIAN VINE (polygonum aubertii)

AUCUBA JAPONICA AND ANEMONE JAPONICA WITH A FEW POTTED PLANTS IN THE FRONT

THE MOTHER OF ALL MY JADE PLANTS, CRASSULA portulacea OR MONEY PLANT

Have a great week all and enjoy your garden ! Thanks for visiting my blog, it is much appreciated !

END OF THE SUMMER HOLLIDAYS

Today is the end of the summer holiday and the end of the school vacation. Children have 2 full month’s of summer vacation here, July and August. Normaly schools start on September 1st but that is a saturday this year so schools start next monday. This marks officially the end of Summer although real Autumn starts on September 21st ofcourse. But as of September 1st everything changes, new tv programation, more traffic on the roads, more people everywhere and all of a sudden life is back to normal. The days are already a lot shorter, the sun lost a lot of it’s power and the garden starts looking tired…

A BUNCH OF AFRICANS (TAGESTES) IN A POT BETWEEN THE TIRED LOOKING GERANIUM MACRORHIZUM

A CLOSE UP OF THE TAGETES, YOU CAN SEE HOW MANY BUTTONS IT STILL HAS, IT WILL BLOOM UNTILL THE FIRST FROST, I LIKE THE COLOUR OF THIS ONE, SOFT YELLOW WITH A BIT OF BRIGHTER YELLOW IN THE MIDDLE, THEY LOOK A BIT LIKE ZINNIA’S TO ME

ONE OF MY SEDUMS

THIS CLEMATIS HAS BEEN BLOOMING SINCE MAY AND IT STILL HAS NEW BUDS

ANEMONE JAPONICA HONORINE JOBERT, MY FAVORITE ANEMONE

THIS IS THE AUTUMN COLOUR OF MY LILAC COLOURED HYDRANGEA

A CLOSER LOOK

I THINK THIS TAGETES LOOKS PRETTY AMONGST THE PURPLE GERANIUM ANNE THOMSON

I’M ALLWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR GARDEN DECORATIONS, I FOUND THESE 2 IN AN ORDINARY SHOP

THIS BIRD I FOUND IN THE SAME SHOP LAST YEAR, NONE OF OUR VISITORS CAN RESIST TO TOUCH HIS HEAD AS HE STARTS TO NOD THEN, AT EASTER HE GETS AN EASTER EGG ARROUND HIS NECK AND FOR CHRISTMAS I DECORATE HIM WITH CHRISTMASDECORATION

THESE ARE SOME OF THE VEGGY’S FROM THE GREENHOUSE, THE COLOUR OF THE TOMATO’S IS RED AND GREEN SO THEY LOOK A BIT BROWN BUT THEY TASTE REALLY GOOD

THIS WAS TAKEN IN THE GREENHOUSE, AS YOU CAN SEE THEY’LL NEED MORE TIME TO RIPEN

I hope you are all well and happy, have a great weekend and enjoy your garden !

EVENINGSUN.

Yesterday was a beautifull summersday and in the  evening while I was sitting on our terrace enjoying the last of the sun  I found the light so beautifull that I took my camera and made a few pictures.

SEDUM SPECABILE AND A FEW POTS WITH SEMPERVIVUM

CLOSE-UP OF THE BUDS OF THE SEDUM SPECTABILE

LYTHRIUM SALICARIA (CATSTAIL) IS A PLANT FOR WET SOIL  CLOSE TO A POND OR EVEN IN MUD BUT IT IS SO STRONG THAT I CAN KEEP IT IN A POT

A BAMBOO WIND GONG

MY YUCCA, GIVES MY GARDEN A LITTLE BIT OF THE TROPICS

AUCUBA JAPONICA, VERY STRONG EVERGREEN BUSH WITH NICE GREEN LEAFS COVERED IN YELLOW SPOTS. WHEN IT FREEZES IN WINTER THE LEAFS ARE HANGING DOWN  SO IT LOOKS AS IF THE BUSH IS VERY THIRSTY BUT AS SOON AS THE TEMP IS BACK ABOVE 0C° THE LEAFS ARE BACK TO NORMAL.

A PINK HYDRANGEA MACROPHYLLEA, I RECEIVED IT AS A GIFT IN SPRING AND IT WAS IN BLOOM FOR A LONG TIME, I PUT IT OUSIDE AFTER THE FROSTS AND IT HAS SINCE GROWN QUITE A BIT AND AS YOU CAN SEE IT IS ABOUT TO FLOWER AGAIN. I AM GOING TO PUT IT IN THE GARDEN IN AUTUMN.

MY LITTLE GARDEN HELPER INSISTED I TOOK A PICTURE OF HER TOO FOR MY BLOG, SHE IS SUPPOSED TO BE WHITE BUT SHE RARELY IS !!!

ANEMONE JAPONICA WITH THE AUCUBA IN THE BACKGROUND AND AT THE BOTTOM YOU CAN SEE A FEW FLOWERS OF GERANIUM ANNE THOMPSON, THE IVY AND THE LITTLE SEDUM ARE USED AS GROUND COVER

ONE OF THE BIRDFEEDERS, IT’S FILLED WITH SUNFLOWERSEEDS, NORMALLY I MIX THE SUNFLOWERSEEDS WITH PEANUTS BUT I WAS OUT OF PEANUTS   SO I FILLED IT UP WITH SUNFLOWERSEEDS ONLY, THE BIRDS LOVE THE SEEDS, I ALSO USE FATBALLS THAT ARE MIXED WITH AL SORTS OF SEEDS. THE  PLANT YOU SEE IS A SELF SOWED SUNFLOWER, ONE OF THE SEEDS  FELL DOWN AND GOT THE CHANCE TO GERMINATE SO NOW I GIVE IT A CHANCE TO FLOWER.

 

Have a great day all and enjoy your garden !

 

FIRST SIGNS OF AUTUMN

Alas alas our Summer who was not really a Summer is starting to show the first signs of Autumn. I don’t like Autumn, the colouring of the leafs is pretty, yes, but it means we have to say goodbye to ALL flowers as they all die with the first frosts. And then the long long wait starts for the first signs of Spring which is given by the snowdrops, sometimes it is in January but this year it was February.

At the moment we are enjoying another 3-day mini Summer and it feels sooo good. Eating outside, sitting outside, work a little in the garden…..the birds are singing, the bees are buzzing, I can hear the frogs in the pond, there is a little bit of wind so that it is not too hot. This morning I gave all my plants a good drink and I can see they are gratefull.

Here are a few pictures.

MY ALBIZZIA JULIBRIZZIN IN FULL BLOOM

PINK ANEMONE JAPONICA

WE CALL THIS ONE TORTOISE PLANT ( CHELONE OBLIQUA) , YOU HAVE THEM ALSO IN WHITE, IT’S ABOUT 75_125 CM TALL AND NEEDS NO HELP TO STAY STRAIGHT UP

ONE OF MY SUCCULENTS

CONIFERS IN THE FRONT GARDEN

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND ALL !!! AND DON’T FORGET TO ENJOY YOUR GARDEN !!!