I worked out that after this week I only need to find another 72 things to get me to the end of the year. Creativity will be needed. Perhaps the cat will have to count in a future post.
One.
Malus domestica ‘Holstein’. I nearly included this last week, chose not to. Decided to photograph it today (friday), then pick it. Needless to say it fell off overnight. It had a soft landing but the slugs found it. I cut it in half and gave the intact half to the OH.
Back when I was working, I had a German colleague who brought a tree of this back from Germany. She gave me some scions which I grafted onto pot grown MM106 stocks. Must have been five years ago and it’s produced its first apple this year. It looked good and tasted even better. It seems to be highly resistant to scab, which in Cornwall few are.
Two.
Nerine bowdenii. Not the best performance we’ve ever had but these always put on a show at this time of year. They came from my sister’s garden in the north of Scotland, so hardiness isn’t an issue. There’s no angle to picture them from that doesn’t have something unwanted in the background, the polytunnel from here.
Three.
Stylophorum lasiocarpum. This was given me a couple of years back and has seeded about a little. I saw this opening pod and thought I’d collect seed and grow a few more to put where I want them to be. It almost always has a few flowers on it. Easy in shade or part shade.
Four.
Fuchsia boliviana. This species Fuchsia is not generally regarded as hardy but has been in the ground here for many years. It gets killed to the ground every winter and then takes so long to grow back up and flower it often doesn’t make it at all. It’s tangled itself up round one of my seedling Camellia reticulata’s. (Which will look stunning in spring)There were a couple of flowers open round the back.
Five.
Symphyotrichum Aster ‘Purple Dome’. I’d convinced myself this was a purchased Erigeron when it is in fact a purloined Aster. Fabulous colour that the camera never seems to quite get right.
Six.
Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald ‘n’ Gold’. Cheerful, dead easy compact shrub which we keep chopped back into a bit of a shapeless lump on an awkward corner. I don’t think I’ve seen fruit on it before this year. Doesn’t add much.
As ever, I’m eager to see what other contributors have going on in their gardens, Links from meme host The Propagator’s set of six.
Must get some nerines, a deficiency in my flower arsenal. How long do they flower till?
LikeLike
Looking at pictures from last year, they flowered a week or so into November, having started last week of September. Feb-Apr is planting time, I could send you some bulbs. They also produce bulbils as the flower fade, which take a few years to flower. I could collect some and send you them too. ‘Ostara’, which I have two pots of, is absolutely beautiful, flowering now, and I’m waiting for ‘Stephanie’ to open, so that seems a bit later.
LikeLike
Ooh that’s a tempting offer Jim. If you’ve a few spare in the new year would be great!
LikeLike
I have a clump that I want rid of; they now have your name on them, literally. Remind me in February.
LikeLike
Brill, thanks.
LikeLike
The Nerines are glorious! And Stylophorum lasiocarpum is new to me and quite attractive. Of course, I’m always a sucker for members of the poppy family.
LikeLike
I see that http://botanicallyinclined.org/ list two species of Stylophorum, including lasiocarpum. Incidentally your blogroll link for them doesn’t work, seems they’ve changed their URL.
LikeLike
Thanks for the heads up. I’ll fix that link.
LikeLike
Yes the nerines look great. And I also quite like the fruits on the Euonymus. I have the same (at least I thought it was) but it’s fruits are smaller and plainer than the ones on yours, they really don’t add much but I think yours do.
LikeLike
The fruits are scattered thinly across the bush, whitish with a bit of orange showing. They’re rather lost against the brightness of the leaves.
LikeLike
My nerines have uniformly come up blind this year. Well half have; no sign of the others. Only about a third of asters became that S-thing, Now trying to get my head around Stipa/Nassella. For next week, I’ll be Andrew. Might as well join in the fun.
LikeLike
I suppose if you’re a botanist and study a plant group intensively for years and it’s clear that name changes are needed, it’s going to be frustrating when everyone hates you for it, then ignores you. They rarely seem to put their heads above the parapet and explain in layman’s terms why particular changes are justified, which might help.
LikeLike