Tag: blooms

Bug-eyed

Its been a while since I have had a chance to write and blog about my garden. Work has been taking up all of my time and before the sun sets, I dash out and take some photos or just play with the chickens in the garden (they always need supervision nowadays – no free run of the place!) This is the time I can really look closely at whats happening in my garden. I can really see the difference and September brought some strange growths – remember the fungus? – and the bugs have started to come out in full force. It is midge season – argh!!! They are small gnat-like flies that bite like the dickens! They come out as the sun is setting and jump all over you. Once they crawl under your sleeve they are more than likely looking for a bite! The chickens’ feather are full of them…I have to give the girls a real rub down to dislodge these critters…. they are worse than mosquitos!

But lets rather look at the interesting bugs in my garden, shall we?…….

[one_half]Shiny armour – not sure if friend or foe[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Looks like he is made of gold![/one_half_last]

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Not a fly nor is it a bee ….any guesses?? A fly in bee’s clothing?? A bee in fly’s clothing ??

[one_half]Here’s the real bee! Not an imposter![/one_half]

[one_half_last]The bees love the blue flowers![/one_half_last]

[one_half]Butterflies everywhere![/one_half]

[one_half_last]Enjoying the sun’s rays![/one_half_last]

Whats bugging you in your garden?

xxxx

Tags bees, blooms, Bugs & Pests, butterfly, flowers, gardening

Christine's garden Gardening Home page features

Gardening from my window

My apologies that I have been so “quiet” on the blog and also in visiting the blogs of all my gardening friends. The last ten days have been no fun. I’ve been holed up inside with a bad flu, spent a couple of days flat on my back in bed and finally feeling better, yesterday I decided it was time to get my hands dirty again. The weather was great, the sun was shining and there was no wind so I set about getting a few new plants positioned, pulled up a lot of weeds, composted all my plants that are in pots, did some pest control (snails, slugs and aphids!) and did a general clean up of the garden.

The roses were pruned (according to all my books the last week in July is cut off time for rose pruning in the Cape), my battle with the mole continued, plants that have not over-wintered well were cut back, other plants that need it were pinched back and when the sun started to disappear, I made a list of everything that I would do today, Sunday. I was full of enthusiasm for getting down to the actual fun part of gardening, that is the laying out of new beds, composting and preparing the soil and then planting of new plants – and I woke up this morning feeling as grotty as I did a few days ago. So unfortunately it’s back to looking out of my windows and wishing I could be outside …

Apart from feeling grotty and very sorry for myself, there is some pretty in the garden. All the Azaleas are in bloom (I’m almost sure last year they flowered much later than this?) and lots of the new bulbs are showing signs of life.

Here is what I am seeing …

[one_half]Azaleas and new Liliums[/one_half]

[one_half_last]I love the foliage on these plants[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Alliums not so great[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Lots of Tulips coming up[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Hellebore bud … is it a pink?[/one_half]

[one_half_last]The first snow-drops open![/one_half_last]

[one_half]More lovely foliage[/one_half]

[one_half_last]And the ugly – Lots to be done![/one_half_last]

[one_half]There’s work to be done …[/one_half]

[one_half_last]More unfinished business![/one_half_last]

Now I’m going to bundle up warm and spend some time visiting all the gardening blogs to read the posts I’ve missed this past week.

Then I’ll make another of my endless “To Do” lists – top of the list is ‘hope for good weather next weekend’.

Happy gardening
xxx

Tags blooms, garden

Annuals Barbie's garden Christine's garden Gardening Home page features Miscellaneous Perenniels

Autumn in two Gardens for Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day in May

Post author By Barbara
Post date May 15, 2011
34 Comments on Autumn in two Gardens for Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day in May

Our third combined post for the monthly Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day, here’s whats happening in our Gardens in May. We hope you enjoy our “May blooms” and then join Carol and friends over at May Dreams Gardens to see what other gardeners around the world have blooming in May and then pop over to ‘Garten Blogger Blüten im Mei‘ over at Seepferds Garten for the German version of Garden Bloggers Bloom Day! Enjoy!

What’s Blooming in Barbie’s Garden in May 2011

With the weather changing and the days bringing unusually warm temperatures and then turing icy cold the next, brings the most interesting flowers. I had little hope of anything exciting. With a busy work schedule, I had little time in the garden this past week so when I stepped out with my camera I found flowers in the smallest of places. Hidden in the tomato patch and high up in the protea bush… enjoy my garden selection!

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Lets check out whats happening in Chrisine’s Garden in May…

What’s Blooming in Christine’s Garden in May 2011

With cooler temperatures and a fair amount of rain, growth in my garden has been great resulting in lots of lush green growth, but very few “spectacular” type blooms. The Camellias are flowering, some Azaleas are putting on an early show and the Murraya Exotica (Orange Jasmine) are blooming. Looking around for blooms to give you a good show, here is what’s blooming in my garden in May; lots of pink and white, but the overwhelming theme in my “May Garden” is Green!

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The last photograph is not a “bloom” as such, but I wanted to show the beautiful variegated leaves of my Chameleon Plants – Pretty, no?

Tags blooms, chameleon, flowers, garden bloggers bloom day, Trachelospermum Chameleon

Christine's garden Gardening Home page features Perenniels

Month-end blooms or non-blooms

Post author By Christine
Post date April 30, 2011
12 Comments on Month-end blooms or non-blooms

There is lots of new growth in my garden but sadly, no exciting blooms. The wetter, colder weather has produced masses of lush green growth but there is very little “bloom-worthy” going on in the garden. We’re mulching, composting, weeding and generally just dreaming up new ideas for the future Spring Garden and enjoying the Camellias at the moment. And spending time visiting the garden blogs of our friends the Northern Hemisphere to get my “flower fix”.

Here are the few bloomers in my garden at the end of April …

[one_half]Mona Lavender[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Marigolds in veggie patch[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Camellia[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Iceberg Roses[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Guara and Lobularia[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Heliotropium and Alyssum[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Tibouchina[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Pink Camellias[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Acorus graminex and Lamium[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Nandina berries & leaves[/one_half_last]

The last two photos, not blooms, but lovely and making me happy, especially the Nandinas with their redddening leaves and big bunches of berries that provide a lot of colour in the garden right now.

I’ve added this post to Helen’s meme: End of Month View over at her blog, The Patient Gardener.

Happy gardening!
xxx

Tags blooming plants, blooms, nandina

Barbie's garden Christine's garden Gardening Home page features

Two Gardens in April for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day

Post author By Christine
Post date April 15, 2011
28 Comments on Two Gardens in April for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day

Our second combined post specially for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day, here’s whats happening in our Autumn Gardens. We hope you enjoy our “April blooms” and then join Carol at May Dreams Gardens to see what she and other gardeners around the world have blooming today – the Spring Gardens in the Northern Hemisphere are looking stunning so please go and take a look! And then also take a look at ‘Garten Blogger Blüten im April‘ over at Seepferds Garten – A stunning garden in Berlin, Germany, who hosts the German version of Garden Bloggers Bloom Day! Then join us all by showing whats flowering in your garden – we’d love to see.

Come on SA Gardeners, there are so few South African Gardens on display at Garden Bloggers Bloom Day and we want to see more! (If you want see another beautiful South African Autumn Garden, visit Diana’s garden at Elephant’s Eye. Its looking spectacular in Porterville).

What’s Blooming in Christine’s Garden in April, 2011

Well and truly into Autumn, there is little to show you that you haven’t already seen. Camellias are in full bloom and looking quite lovely and the Mona Lavender are still providing plenty of interest with their understated little purple flowers. Autumn it may be but my garden is all pink, white and violet … very pretty, and I’m working hard at preparing my Spring Garden, deciding when and where to plant which bulbs, getting everything ready and prepared, its lots of fun! For today, here are my most show-worthy Blooms (Tibouchina is my favourite flower right now. Does anyone else have one of these?)

[one_half]My newest favourite … Tibouchina[/one_half]

[one_half_last]The new Iceberg Roses[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Lovely Camellias[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Japanese Anemone (Wind flower)[/one_half_last]

[one_half]and a cute little bush violet[/one_half]

[one_half_last]White Mandevilla Splenens[/one_half_last]

That’s all from me today, lets check out whats happening in Barbie’s Garden…

What’s Blooming in Barbie’s Garden in April, 2011

I am quite amazed at all the beautiful blooms in Christine’s Garden. I have to say that my display is not so bold and colourful. Subdued and tame, my garden is starting to see the effects of autumn. The only real new flowers that are blooming are my indiginous proteas. But my never-failing lavender and my sweet-smetting roses are always ensuring that my vases in the home stay full :-)! The Lemon Verbena has the most delicate blooms and I had to add this small bush because she is trying so very hard. I have a few new-comers that seem to have stayed – the small violas. I do hope you enjoy what I can offer and I am looking forward to seeing all the spring gardens up there in the Northern Hemisphere! Happy Blooming Friday!!

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Tags blooms, flowers, garden bloggers bloom day

Christine's garden Gardening Home page features

End of Month View – Flowering on April Fools Day

Post author By Christine
Post date March 31, 2011
24 Comments on End of Month View – Flowering on April Fools Day

No its not an April Fools joke – Its well and truly Autumn in Cape Town now but I do still have a few blooms to share. The evenings are cool and we’ve had some rain, though not the non-stop goes-on-for-days rain we get in winter, just light showers. Real rain will follow in May, June and July. So there is not much flowering in my garden at the moment that is “Wow-worthy”, but I wanted to share the few blooms I do have, some because they are pretty, some because they are a first for me, and some … well just because they are flowering. I’ve spared you the Camellias though … I think I’ve shown enough of those for a while even though they are giving us a great show at the moment. Also flowering is one deformed Clivia (it shouldn’t be) and the Hibiscus are showing off their last few flowers!

So here we go … Flowering at the end of March (you can click to enlarge the photos)

[one_half]The new Potato bush[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Still flowering, the Petunias[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Nandina Sacred Bamboo flowers![/one_half]

[one_half_last]Mandevilla Splenens never stop[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Pretty Miniature Rosebud[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Miniature Rose[/one_half_last]

[one_half]More miniature roses[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Murraya Exotica[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Barleria obtusa ‘blue’[/one_half]

[one_half_last]I forget the name of this[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Unimpressive Azaleas[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Neighbours unwanted Oleander[/one_half_last]

The last two are big failures! The Azaleas don’t look great at all, very disappointing, and the last photograph is of my neighbours Oleander which is hanging over the wall into my back yard – not on my list of favourites!

So whats blooming in your garden?

Tags blooming plants, blooms, flowers

Barbie's garden Christine's garden Gardening

For Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – a combined show in March

Post author By Christine
Post date March 15, 2011
7 Comments on For Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – a combined show in March

Our very first combined post, today we celebrate “Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day” with all our new gardening friends from around the world by showing what is flowering in our gardens on the 15th. We hope you enjoy our “blooms” (or as we say here in South Africa, “blommetjies”), and then join Carol at May Dreams Gardens to see what she and other gardeners around the world have blooming today – why not join in by showing the blooms from your garden!

What’s Blooming in Christine’s Garden, (Claremont, Cape Town)

There’s not much happening in my garden as we are now heading into Autumn. As I took a walk around I was surprised to find any “photo-worthy” blooms. In fact, I’m overcome with the need to clean and tidy. Everything looks messy and in need of attention – not the pretty picture of just three short weeks ago. As this is a combined post, I will limit myself to showing just 6 blooms today. A lot of these I’ve already shown over the last few weeks and we are seeing the last of these before the Camellias wake up to delight us through the colder months.

[one_half]The star of my show – Lavender Dentata[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Pretty Annuals flowering[/one_half_last]

[one_half]One of my miniature roses[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Plectranthus Mona Lavender[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Do these ever stop flowering?[/one_half]

[one_half_last]And the first of the Camellias[/one_half_last]

That’s all from me folks, lets head over to Barbie’s garden to see whats flowering on the Cape West Coast …

What’s Blooming in Barbie’s Garden (Philadelphia, Cape)

Well – I don’t have many blossoms in my garden, seeing it is a functional and edible garden, but I do have my roses and lavender that never fail. I just bought a carnation, so this is exciting to see bloom. I also have a new comfrey plant with the most delicate flowers. To my surprise, my Protea is budding! This is something we all don’t see enough of! Hope you enjoy my variety of blommies!

[one_half]My new carnations[/one_half]