GARDENER'S WORD

Lewisia tweedyi 'Rosea' is an alpine plant that has such lovely flowers in summer and dazzling coloured leaves in autumn.  This is an unedited photograph I took yesterday of the leaves.  Lewisia tweedyi 'Rosea' leaves in autumn Below you can see Lewisia tweedyi 'Rosea' in summer flower. Note that the leaves are simply a dull green in summer. Lewisia tweedyi 'Rosea' Lewisia tweedyi 'Rosea' 

Months ago I planted sweet peas (lathyrus odoratus) that I bought as small plants from the RHS garden centre in Harlow Carr.  Although the number of flowers produced has been disappointing and probably down to yet another disappointing summer here in West Yorkshire, they have steadily given me enough blooms to put into a small vase in my kitchen.  Those small blooms, perhaps no more than half a dozen, can fragrance a whole room.  They grow on a south facing fence (right next to the Wisley Magic runner beans), and I am still picking them so it's worth growing them even for just a few flowers.  The more you pick, the more flowers are produced.  I took this photo yesterday.  Sweet Pea - Lathyrus odoratus

For those of you who read my blog regularly (if there is anyone who does) you might be thinking 'Oh, no, she isn't on about her Polka raspberries again'.  Well, yes, I am.  I am trying to persuade wannabe a raspberry grower how great this plant is.  After having a fantastic crop this summer, in this mostly miserable British summer we have just had, I am now getting an autumn crop of raspberries and even I am surprised at just how big the raspberries are.  I have long slender fingers and just look at the size of this raspberry.  Whatta Whopper!  Sadly, since the taking of this photograph, the subject raspberry is no more. Polka raspberry 28092015 Polka raspberry 28092015 More about Polka raspberries (internal link)

Autumn's on the doorstep and here, on the Pennine Mountains of West Yorkshire, it feels very much like winter is nearly here some days.  The weather is mercurial.  This morning we had sunshine, so I did the washing, hung it out, and dark clouds came over.  So I brought the washing in, dried it indoors, and the sun came out.  I went outside to read, on the swing, and the sun went in.  Anyway, you get the picture.  The way I feel must be how the garden plants are feeling as nothing has been as it should be this year weatherwise.  I'm picking the tiny alpine strawberries as they ripen, about one every three days!  They are worth growing, you know.  They have an almost sweet perfume to them.  So different to ordinary strawberries and great for putting with breakfast cereals, if you have enough.   It's taken what seems like forever for the Wisley Magic runner beans to get going—but got going they have.  I don't think I'...

What a relief!  We've had a lovely sunny day here on the Pennine Mountains of West Yorkshire.  It has been warm but not too warm.  The breeze has been gentle and not too cool, yet strong enough to blow my washing straight and dry.  For the most part, I have been sitting on my hammock/swing (lolling, actually), reading "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" by Stephen King, and watching Alfie while he snoozed in the dappled light of the penstemons and the hebe.  Ragdoll cat, Alfie, snoozing amid the penstemons and hebe Life really doesn't get any better than this. 

It was a busy day in the garden today with birds of many kinds arriving to have a free meal at my expense.  There were finches, and Coal Tits, Blue Tits, Robins, the lot.   This morning I was watching them through my kitchen window.  I have two seed feeders.  One has two perches and the other, a taller one, has four perches.  I alternate them and when one is empty, I clean it (if you don't keep them hygienic, disease will spread among the birds) and hang the other out.  Today the two perch feeder was out there and a little Blue Tit was impatiently waiting for two finches to get off the feeder and let it have a chance.  It was so funny.  It was hopping around from the shed roof to the water feeder.  Having a little drink, then hopping around, all the while checking out the seed feeder.  The finches, however, didn't plan to move so the little Blue Tit started flying close to one finch to try and make it shift.  Eventually the fin...

I saw this wonderful display of Laurentia (aka 'Isotome') axillaris 'Blue Stars' today when I visited the RHS garden centre at Harlow Carr.  There were six of these containers spaced out along the entrance walkway and, to be honest, I didn't recognise the plant at all.  A little bit of investigation revealed the name to me.  What strikes me is how neatly it grows, when many are planted together in a container, forming neat mounds of green and mauve with hundreds of buds yet to open.  It reminds me very much of the way some campanulas grow and it does, indeed, belong to the campanulaceae family.  It's a half-hardy evergreen perennial and is best grown as an annual, but otherwise seems unfussy.  Laurentia (a.k.a. Isotoma) axillaris 'Blue Stars' It has a plant hardiness rating of H3 (internal link)  Laurentia (a.k.a. Isotoma) axillaris 'Blue Stars' Laurentia (a.k.a. Isotoma) axillaris 'Blue Stars' Laurentia (a.k.a. I...

This is one type of hardy perennial that I have never grown or been tempted to buy, but which never fails to make me stop and admire it when I see one.  It's obvious why Physalis franchetii is commonly known as Chinese Lantern.  I saw these for sale yesterday when I visited a favourite garden centre of mine: Gordon Rigg's in Walsden.  Apparently, they are easy to grow but can be invasive, like mint.  Further information can be found at the link below the images.  Physalis franchetii - Chinese Lantern Physalis franchetii - Chinese Lantern Physalis franchetii - Chinese Lantern  Further information can be found about Physalis franchetii at Gardener's World (external link).