Re: Pics of my garden
Kurt wrote:
>I so much enjoyed the photos of your garden, and the narrative was my
>favorite part!
Many thanks Kurt. I was having one of those 'on' days and found it
easy to tap into that gushing enthusiasm I feel when I see everything
trying so hard and succeeding. There are mornings when I walk outside
and say "Oh wow!" and really cannot say any more.
>>< The bright blue flowered vine is the 'Blue Dawn Flower' - Ipomoea
>indica (learii) .....
>This vigorous vine is seldom seen here in the Central Valley, but is
>ubiquitous in the San Francisco Bay Area and along the coast. I love it and
>would like to try growing it, but I was afraid I didn't have room for it
>until I saw how you were able to squeeze it in. I think our winter frosts
>would cut it back to the ground every year, so that would probably help keep
>it under control.
Winding it back over itself is easily carried out. Here it is grown
along a 15 foot stretch of railings on the edge of steps going down to
the lower level and further along, steps coming up from the basement
to that level. On the other side, another set of railings carry a
non-productive grape which is clothed in a rambling form of pink and
cream Eccremocarpus. The grape is trained over the steps coming up
from the basement and from this side, the Ipomoea has grown over to it
forming a green tunnel beneath, shrouded in blue above. Have you
noticed how the colours appear to change according to light levels?
Heavy cloud and the flowers are almost deep pink, light cloud and hazy
sun brings out the rosy purple tones whereas brilliant sunlight causes
them to appear an intense rich blue.
>>Brugmansia insignis...
>I've only recenty started growing these, ......
>..... That said, I believe that the flowers
>of x insignis hybrids are usually "nodding," or somewhat outward-facing,
>while those of the plant in your photo are definitely "pendulous." Where
>that leaves you in its identification, I can't really say. Perhaps a
>versicolor hybrid?
Maybe, however as a young plant, the flowers were slightly smaller
(still huge by any standards) and tended to be halfway between nodding
and fully pendulous as did the buds. Now they are so large and heavy
they cannot do anything other than hang vertically. I measured one
over the weekend at 17.5" long and 11" across. It had been hanging in
the middle unnoticed and was just starting to fade. On Sunday, 103
open flowers were counted.
>There are so many hybrids and cross-hybrids out there.
>It's a beautiful plant, though.
It certainly is and the fragrance is like a combination of cologne,
pernod and mothballs. Now I know that doesn't sound too good, but
there is a heavy warm quality to it that prevents it from seeming rank
and boy does that perfume travel.
>Bananas can be grown out of doors here in the Central Valley, but they seldom
>fruit, and they freeze and look just awful every winter. Also, as you
>mentioned, the wind shreds the leaves pretty badly. I love the way they look
>and the tropical air they lend to your garden, though,
Actually, I don't mind them being shredded and feel they look more
tropical that way. We've had 14 days without the slightest breeze and
a new, entire leaf has opened revealing a perfect blade some 7ft. long
and nearly 30ins. across. It looks impressive, but will be better
when the inevitable splits appear.
>specimen of Musa Zebrina (sumatrana) "Rojo" at Orchard Supply Hardware the
>other day, I just had to have it! It only grows to 2 meters in height and
>has the most gorgeous leaves--red mid-ribs, maroon undersides, and green tops
>wonderfully splashed and mottled with maroon. I have it in a large
>terracotta pot on my patio, and I just love it. I keep going out to look at
>it, like it was a new baby, or something.
Bananas can have that affect on people - a new leaf starts to unfurl
and the sheer majesty of it as the thin dagger develops into a green
telegraph pole before unraveling into an immense green chintz tongue
that licks the sky - Oo-er -steady on, I'd better go and take another
pill! Seriously, I think they are a marvelous genus with many species
and varieties that can add so much if you are brave enough to give
them a go. I also have M. velutina with smaller leaves but nearly as
vigorous and rapidly clump forming to around 8 - 10 ft.. Its red
bracted,yellow flowered, erect inflorescence is very showy and later
carries fuzzy, stubby pink bananas. I'm all agog for M. hookeri which
has only become available as seed this past 18 months. My plant is
only a tiny thing so far, but already the leaves have a wonderful rosy
purple glow to their undersides and it would appear that this is both
vigorous and very hardy. Time will tell.
>Thanks again, Dave. Your garden is an inspiration to all of us who have to
>squeeze large garden ambitions into small garden spaces.
Thanks Kurt, I've had gardens of all sizes up to 6 acres and yet this
has been the most challenging and rewarding. It is easy for mistakes
to get hidden in large areas whereas here, they jump right up and bite
you on the nose every time you go outside. They refuse to be ignored.
I hated the way a shady border turned out after I planted a couple of
dozen white lilies. It ended up looking like some florist's
confection and it was all I could do not to rip out the offending
bulbs at the time. Next spring they will go into pots and can be
dotted about, the remaining plants will be lifted and the cool loving
Brugmansia sanguinea planted as a fan, together with Isoplexus
canariensis, I isabellina plus bronze-green Cannas in front and
underplanted with maidenhair fern - Adiantum trapeziforme. It is
cool, moist, slightly acid and lightly shaded, with only an hour or
two of direct sun so these should all succeed together well.
The second page is nearly finished together with the pic of the
offending border and will be up by the weekend at the latest.
Dave Poole
TORQUAY
