The 2020 picture Diary

Post by **charlie** » Mon Jan 20, 2020 11:01 pm

Somewhere to put the odds and ends of pictures and happenings this year.Please feel free to add pictures and words as and when you get the chance.

Here we are chasing the end of January and its only just started to feel like winter so these rather poor snowdrops here need putting in their place by all of you who aspire to grow proper ones!

Snowdrops 007 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Mahonia 006 by charliepridham, on Flickr

This is a very useful plant if you want to cover any rough concrete walls

Tetrastigma objecta 005 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Coronilla gets mentioned every year by me! but this is the first day this year that the weather has allowed me to appreciate it!

Coronilla valentina 003 by charliepridham, on Flickr

These Crocus have a lovely honey scent if you have knee joints that will allow you to get down and back up (grow some in a pot!)

Crocus Snow Bunting 004 by charliepridham, on Flickr

I used to grow several of these tall iris species I japonica is the only one left, I think it looks the part during winter

Iris japonica 002 by charliepridham, on Flickr

As the year progresses so does the war on weeds, Liz hates Celandines (I actually dont mind them) however I think its a bit like holding the tide back, still it keeps her out of mischief :)

001 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Post by **charlie** » Tue Feb 04, 2020 10:40 pm

Recently took down a temporary bulkhead in the Conservatory now the new bit is wind and water tight, nice to see life goes on!

Hardenbergia violacea 001 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Hardenbergia violacea 002 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Iris stylosa 007 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Calceolaria pavonii 006 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Post by **charlie** » Wed Mar 11, 2020 5:36 pm

With the sunshine of Tenerife now just a memory I had a quick whizz around today in the sunshine. nothing at all special but welcome never the less

017 Coronilla valentina by charliepridham, on Flickr

Probably not the toughest rosemary but its a lovely blue

016 Rosmarnius Severn Sea by charliepridham, on Flickr

This is a bit of a variegated Pieris that reverted, the green bit survived the variegated bit did not. very slow growing, no idea which species

015 Pieris by charliepridham, on Flickr

If these came from the Himalaya we would all be desperately trying to grow them, as it is we have to weed out several barrow loads a year! can't deny they do look lovely at this time of year.

014 Primula vulgaris by charliepridham, on Flickr

Later in the season this become one of the best large leafed Bergenia, mine came from Chris Chadwell seed

013 Bergenia pacumbis by charliepridham, on Flickr

Blink and you miss them!

012 Chinadoxa Pink Giant by charliepridham, on Flickr

011 Camellia involucrata rubra by charliepridham, on Flickr

Moral here is never buy two plants with similar names on the same day, I can never remember which is which and they are only a few feet apart!

010 Camellia Jupitor or Mars by charliepridham, on Flickr

009 Camelia Levinia Maggie by charliepridham, on Flickr

A clump Liz hasn't spotted yet!

008 Lesser Celendine by charliepridham, on Flickr

007 Cardoon by charliepridham, on Flickr

006 Camellia by charliepridham, on Flickr

005 Tete a Tete by charliepridham, on Flickr

019 Holboellia latifolia by charliepridham, on Flickr

Post by **charlie** » Fri Mar 27, 2020 8:32 am

Had a whiz around in the rather nice spring sunshine today. I imagine ours wont be the only garden benefiting from extra attention during this Lock down !

This has been showing flowers for a while and seems to be shrugging off the frosty mornings

Tropeolum tricolor by charliepridham, on Flickr

Lovely though this is I have managed to get my hands on a deeper blue version, snag is I cant find somewhere suitable and dont want to replace this plant or build any more walls!

Teucrium fruiticans by charliepridham, on Flickr

Ribes x beatonii by charliepridham, on Flickr

Pittosporum Irene {attison022 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Its taken this Pieris 25 years to reach this size!

Pieris by charliepridham, on Flickr

Osmanthus by charliepridham, on Flickr

Our new garden assistant, had to rush off and fetch him early due to the Lockdown, hopefully Vets will be reopen before he needs anything, in the mean time trying to persuade him not to go on flower beds or chew our feet

Lewi by charliepridham, on Flickr

Some things have not enjoyed the frosty mornings

Frost damage by charliepridham, on Flickr

Fritilaria meleagris by charliepridham, on Flickr

Exochorda x macrantha by charliepridham, on Flickr

Chaenomeles moerloosei by charliepridham, on Flickr

Anemone blanda by charliepridham, on Flickr

Not in my view as good a plant as Akebia quinata, A. trifoliata does at least flower on bare stems

Akebia trifoliata 021 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Paul S · Post by **Paul S** » Fri Mar 27, 2020 4:36 pm

Luckily it didn't get any lower than around 1.5C here so no damage to new growth. I've lived here for 25 years and for the very first time about half of my garden has remained above freezing all winter.

So I can expect a -5C in April now :)

Post by **charlie** » Fri Mar 27, 2020 5:00 pm

Paul S wrote:Luckily it didn't get any lower than around 1.5C here so no damage to new growth. I've lived here for 25 years and for the very first time about half of my garden has remained above freezing all winter.

So I can expect a -5C in April now :)

Only seems fair!!!