winter garden update

Here is one of the agapanthus plants that were divided.  It's looking healthy, though not yet a thing of beauty.


Blue fescue is complemented by self seeded Love in the mist.


Tiny pink buds on the bare branches of the crab apple tree give a hint of spring flowers to come.  Growing underneath and nearby, bearing winter flowers are the pink flowers of Australian natives Correa Dusty Bells and the paler pink of Thryptomene saxicola F.C. Payne. You can also see the lime green self seeded hellebore in flower.


N gave me some Canna indica from his garden, which is much more showy and tropical looking than mine. I stuck it in a corner because I couldn't think where to plant them. More than a decade later they are still there. During this rainy year they have become statuesquely tall. Impressive I think even without the red flowers.


The violets do need to be culled every so often but they always come back. 


You can see why these are called fish bone fern. Weedy and common they may be, but they are welcome here.


 A diamonded drop of dew carefully held in a Derwentia perfoliata leaf-cup.


 Re-arranging has meant that the Alygyone shrubs were moved at least 6 times. I have placed arrows to identify them - when they grow taller I think they will look good. This is unlikely to happen before the spring garden opening, so viewers will need to exercise their imaginations.

Other plants in this unestablished, immature garden bed include perennial artichokes and biennial echiums.   I think they will look wonderful together, but the full effect will not be seen for some time.

Comments

  1. Such lovely plants - and a good time to sort out new combinations.

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  2. Hi catmint, you have really caught my attention. I am so intrigued as to why we see three of the same picture of your Agapanthus leaves.

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  3. You must be very busy to get ready for the open garden.

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  4. Not agapanthus leaves, they look like my cymbidiums.

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  5. thank you Hermes for your visit and comment.

    Dear Alastair, looking at my blog from another browser caught my attention too. Weird things happening with Firefox. Hopefully corrected now.

    Dear MKg, yes I'm thinking about it a lot, not actually doing that much.

    Dear Diana, they're a particular agapanthus species, I forget the name, dark blue flowers, tall.

    cheers, catmint

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  6. Is that a large agapanthus or a dwarf one? The large ones have been banned in New Zealand because they become so rampant. But they are beautiful when in full bloom, and the foliage always looks so fresh and green.

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  7. The blue fescue is really pretty. I like it. Attractive structure :-D

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  8. wow, that fishbone fern is really pretty!

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  9. Hi Lynnifer, it is a larg-ish plant, I think it is called Streamline. I know that some agapantuses (agapanthi?) are bad weeds, hopefully these are OK. They haven't spread in my garden.

    Thanks for the comment, Stephanie.

    Dear Wendy, I just love all ferns particularly when they are naturalized.

    Cheers, catmint

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  10. Nice garden. My favorite is the purple flower. I love it.

    Lisa from Acoustic Guitar Lessons

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  11. For a winter garden, you certainly have a lot of interest.Our Agapanthus is flowering at the moment, my favourite one is the darkest blue, wonder if it is the same as yours. Keep up the good work towards your opening !

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  12. The Violet is a very intense colour and the Fishbone Fern is very attractive too. I like the ridgid structure. Sometimes common plants get overlooked while our eyes focus on the rarities :-)

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  13. Hi Catmint, It wasn't so very long ago (a year or so?) that it was hot and dusty-dry there and you were having to conserve water and garden quite differently!! It's so nice to see your green plants and the way you're planning and arranging! Happy Winter gardening (something of which I cannot conceive)! ;-)

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  14. dear pauline, my favourite agapanthus is nearly black, I had it once but it seems to have disappeared. Thanks for the good wishes - the time is looming closer to the Big Weekend.

    dear eg, thanks for your interesting thought provoking comment. I think i love planting ordinary common plants with the focus on the whole picture they make in combination with other (ordinary) plants.

    dear shady, lovely to catch up with you again. I have noticed that for many of you northern hemisperians winter is downtime for gardening. I think it is my favourite gardening season, and I think the garden looks at its best in winter. I never cease to wonder at the differences in our climates and the effect that has on our gardening practices.

    Cheers, catmint

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  15. Hi Cat, I should do as you and spend the winter far more productively than I do. I am such a slug in winter! We planted our first ferns a few years ago and love them as well. Makes everything seem so woodsy and natural. Enjoying my little walk through your garden!

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  16. Your garden is giving more promises, let's see in a little while! Those ferns or ferns looking like yours become weeds here, and i often pull them off.

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  17. Dearest Catmint,

    You have quite a lovely variety and how beautiful you captured that dew drop!
    Upcoming spring is one of the most interesting awakening in any garden; enjoy it!
    Lots of love,

    Mariette

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  18. I like your crab-apple, Catmint. Sometimes, the fruit is delicious, if tart. I wonder if you do anything with your fruit?

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  19. Dear C and S, it's easy to be productive here in winter, it's usually mild and there are lots of flowers.

    Dear Andrea, those ferns are weeds, but I find them easy to pull out and they provide a lovely green show.

    Thanks for the comment dear Mariette, I love that dewdrop photo too.

    Hi Faisal, this crab apple has only fruited once, this damp year. There were only a couple of fruit and they were so beautiful I couldn't bear to pick them. But I am not usually a whiz in the kitchen, I prefer being in the garden or sitting at the computer blogging. The result of this is a husband and two now adult children who are all extremely competent in the kitchen!

    cheers, catmint

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  20. Beautiful garden beds! I can't wait until all my beds are finally created so I can really focus on plant combinations. I love that fish bone fern! Wish I could visit during the open garden!

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  21. Dear tvf - I wish you could too! thank you for your warmth and friendship. cheers,cm

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  22. So much prettiness. I have plants that have been moved 6 times, I bet. Someday they'll get settled in the perfect place and stay there :-)

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  23. dear vw, sometimes some plants really do get settled in one place, others are just gypsies, what can we do?

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  24. I think those fishbone fern is perfect with those violets. What do you think? I might try that one. Thanks for the idea. I am really learning lots of things in your every post.

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  25. For a winter garden, you certainly have a lot of interest. Where I'm from winter is mostly snow and negative temperature!

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  26. Hi! Thanks for touring us in your garden! What I like most is your fish bone fern. It’s my first time to see such unique kind of fern. Where did you buy that fern?

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