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SPRING

Nancy Knupfer asked:

>One of the neat things of seasons past has been the
>description of our gardens at various times of year.
>Are we all so busy digging, planting, feeding, that
>we don't have time to share the beauty?

Oh well, you asked for it! <G>

Well here in the far south west of the UK, spring has been hi-jacked
by what appears to be an exceptionally early summer and with the
daffodils having browned off, the magnolias giving their shortest
season for years, it's time for summer bedding-out already.

An all-too rarely planted oddity that appears to like it here is the
scandent Diascia patens - a South African native which covers a 6 x 6
foot fence panel with me and has been a mass of crushed strawberry
pink flowers since the end of February.  The sun partially
bleaches-out the flowers, creating a highly effective bi colour
effect.  Its neat, grassy foliage and elegant style of growth make it
an excellent climbing plant for any sheltered garden.  This Diascia is
supposed to be frost sensitive, but my plant has withstood up to -3C.
(28F.) for at least two successive nights on several occasions and
despite being wind-whipped by viciously cold, easterly winds over
several weeks in December and January, was barely burnt with even the
embryonic flower buds surviving.  One side, a stone wall is planted
with Helleborus corsicus which seems to enjoy the arid conditions and
at the moment, the Diascia's flowers have tumbled down and garlanded
the yellowish cream saucers of the Hellebore - a most telling
combination.

Clumps of the cactus Echinopsis multiplex, have once more withstood
the rigours of winter and already, fat, furry, flower buds are
starting to emerge.  These plants grow on top of a dry stone wall and
get overgrown with seedling annuals such as gypsophila and petunias
during summer.  Despite this, their tall, whited-pink trumpets emerge
with great regularity during throughout the season.

We've had the coldest winter for twenty years down here yet, a 3 year
old clump of Hedychium spicatum is already producing stout, new
shoots.  The Japanese Geisha orchid - Bletilla hyacinthina has around
20 fat, green growths each with as yet, tiny flower spikes and the
Mexican daisy - Erigeron mucronatus clothes every wall in a cascade of
pink and white daisies.

As far as work is concerned, this weekend has seen me having to
finally plant out a root-bound Canary Date Palm - Pheonix canariensis
which has sat outside in a tub for the past 5 years.  Finally it is
forcing itself out of a 30" container and needs the open ground to
make more headway.  A young plant of the blood banana - Musa sumatrana
has been hardening-off for the past few weeks and is now sitting in a
sheltered corner planted on a pit of well-rotted manure, it will be
protected with hessian wraps during winter and should survive well.  

A recently acquired plant of the deliciously scented, brown Boronia -
Boronia megastigma has just been placed at the base of a sunny wall.
The past few days of warm sunny weather have encouraged its flowers to
open and despite the evening chill, the spicily citrus fragrance was
especially noticeable as I came indoors from the garden.

I hope to take delivery of good sized plants of the Mexican Blue Palm
- Brahea armata, Jelly Palm - Butia capitata and the Petticoat Palm -
Washingtonia filifera within the next few weeks and can barely wait to
plant them out.  These palms are know to be good "do'ers" in this part
of the world and for my mind, are infinitely more attractive than the
Trachycarpus and Chamaerops that seem to be everywhere.

David Poole
-- 
                        dave_poole@ilsham.demon.co.uk
                        http://www.ilsham.demon.co.uk        
                                      TORQUAY  UK
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