Tag: creepers

The 30 Day Challenge – Day 19

Post author By Christine
Post date November 21, 2011
1 Comment on The 30 Day Challenge – Day 19

Today I am grateful for Creepers! Creepers are such versatile plants that we use to cover unattractive walls and spaces and for vertical interest. I love watching the Star Jasmine in my garden as it fills the wallss and emits its heady perfume. I enjoy the challenge of getting my two small Clematis plants to grow and I love watching the Pandoea jasminoides (Bouwer vine) slowly fill up the trellises around the pool. My newest creepers are Jasminum polyanthum – the rate at which these creepers are growing up their trellises is quite remarkable. For these and all the other creepers in my garden, I am grateful.

Photo: Pandorea jasminoides “Charisma” -I love these creepers that are planted against the wall around our swimming pool. They are growing at a steady rate (not very fast) and up until now I’ve mostly enjoyed the variegated foliage as they have not flowered profusely. I am looking forward to seeing them in full flower which I’m hoping will happen soon – so far this season we already have more flowers on them than in previous years.

Pandorea jasminoides “Charisma” – Evergreen twining branches hold glossy bright green leaves with cream edging creating a perfect background for the flowers. Soft pink trumpet-shaped blooms have rosy purple throats for a lovely effect. Grow on a trellis to cover walls or fences.

About the 30 Day Challenge

Cat of The Whimsical Gardener, has invited Garden Bloggers the world over to join her in the 30 day challenge of posting a photograph and sentiment that you are thankful for – every day for 30 days. Find something you are thankful for every day, for 30 days, can’t be too difficult, can it? See all Barbie’s and my posts filed under “30 Day Challenge“.

Tags 30 day challenge, creepers, pandorea jasminoides

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I get my ‘Chameleon’ Plants!

Post author By Christine
Post date March 7, 2011
16 Comments on I get my ‘Chameleon’ Plants!

I have to compliment Ferndale Nurseries on their service. As I mentioned in my post of last week, when Barbie and I were at Ferndale I saw this gorgeous plant – Trachelospermum jasminoides ‘Chameleon’ – growing at the nursery and wanted to buy one. Long story short, they phoned me on Friday to tell me they had got the plant in for me. I hot-footed it off to the nursery straight away and I’m so glad I did because they only had ten, of which two had been booked by someone else. So I promptly bought six of them. They are still quite small plants and were fairly pricey, but I love them and think they will be perfect in my garden.

All six have been planted. I’ve planted them in amongst their “relatives”, Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides – Star Jasmine). They’ve been planted in this very new bed which was planted in December and is already becoming one of my favourite spots in the garden. I managed to find some “before” photos to share with you. There used to be two huge trees in this area and it was impossible to grow anything here because it wasn’t just shady, it was dark! Real, midnight-dark – seriously! The trees had to come out because they were damaging the retaining wall and I was told they would eventually damage the pool walls. So it was either the trees or the pool … we chose to keep the pool because we didn’t like the trees much and as you will see from the photos, already have plenty trees in that area.

So here are some “before” and “after” shots and then a bunch of “now” shots.

After the first tree had come down …

Still dark behind the remaining tree …

Newly planted after the trees had been removed (date of photo, 10 December 2010). I planted the annuals just to get some colour going here.

Photo taken from the side view – 10 December 2010.

And here is how it looks now three months later.
(I know, the wall needs to be replastered – it is on my “To Do” list!)

And from the side view – can you spot the “Chameleon” plants?

I am really starting to love this area … it’s still very shaded because of the willow tree and the other large trees on the other side of the wall. But we have lovely Camellias, the Makaya Bella and lots of Star Jasmine planted here with ornamental grass (Carex Evergold) and now the “Chameleon” plants as ground cover – its going to be beautiful and I love it!

Happy gardening!
xxx

Tags Cameleon, chameleon, creepers, star jasmine, Trachelospermum 'Cameleon'

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Something very special: Trachelospermum Chameleon

Post author By Christine
Post date March 1, 2011
15 Comments on Something very special: Trachelospermum Chameleon

Today at the nursery something caught my eye – the most gorgeous plant. Planted in a rather large planter was a tall bright pink bougainvillea under-planted with something that looked vaguely familiar, but not quite. I looked, I admired and moved on … but I couldn’t stop thinking about it and I had to go back. After looking at the hundreds of plants available for sale, I HAD to have this one plant that is not! On closer inspection I discovered it is a Trachelospermum ‘Cameleon’. “Chameleon” has the most exquisite colouring … gorgeous variegated leaves but instead of only flowering, the leaves change from green to white to pink. Variegated white and pink leaves – heavenly. Oh, and I have to mention that this photograph simply does not do this gorgeous plant any justice. It is so much more beautiful in reality.

After deciding that I really “Needed” one of these, I called over the assistant and pointed it out offering to purchase two or three. He went running around the nursery and eventually came back to tell me they don’t have any for sale and didn’t know if or when they would get them again. He kindly took my name and number and will call me if they get them again.

At Ferndale they had it as a ground cover (i.e. not creeping). I liked it that way although from what I can tell it would probably do very well as a creeper too.

A search on Google for this plant brings up very limited information but the words “rare” and “unique” come up in reference to Trachelospermum ‘Cameleon’. RHS Nursery Finder have no info, just a mention of it in a plant list. Gardeningexpress in the UK list is as: Trachelospermum jasminoides Chameleon – Rare Pink and White Variegation; Unique new evergreen Trachelospermum with bright green, white and pink leaves. Makes an unusual ground cover, or stunning, compact climber. Produces masses of fragrant white flowers in the summer, doing best in semi-shade to shade. (See, it needs shade! It would be PERFECT in my garden!)

Now I’m thinking … if they don’t call me soon with the happy news that they found me one of these plants, I am going back there and asking them to dig one of theirs up for me … I have to have at least one of these!!

Is anyone familiar with this plant? I would so love some credible information about it.

Happy gardening!
xxx

UPDATE TO THIS POST:
Ferndale Nurseries contacted me on Friday morning (11 March 2010, i.e. 3 days later) to tell me they had my plants! Hows that for great service! I went there to get them – they got ten in, another person had ordered two of them, so I took six. They were quite small and pricey (quite a bit more than I normally spend on a plant this size), but I really love them and believe they are going to be a great addition to my shade garden. Here is my follow-up post.

Tags Cameleon, creepers, ground cover, pandorea jasminoides, Trachelospermum, Trachelospermum 'Cameleon'

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My Pandorea Jasminoides

We planted Pandorea Jasminoides “Charisma” against the wall around the pool against the trellises in August. When they were planted they were these small plants that are apparently going to creep up the trellises and give a fabulous display. One Day. When they were planted they looked pretty enough – variegated leaves, nice creeper. I left it at that and forgot about them.

One day when I was going through one of my plant books I came across a creeper I thought looked absolutely stunning – variegated leaves, clusters of little white or pale pink flowers – very pretty and the book says they are fast growing and sounds ideally suited to the areas described above – against the trellises around the pool. So I was on a mission and thought “I gotta get me some of those”. And then I had a look – they are the exact plants Kathryn chose to plant … against those trellises – around the pool! Now if they will just GROW!! But I am excited because one of them has at last decided to flower. Looks very pretty, I love these plants. Here are some photos for you to see …

Pandorea Jasminoides Photos

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My Pandorea Jasminoides

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When it grows up …

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Some notes about Pandorea Jasminoides:
Pandorea Jasminoides or ‘Bower of Beauty’ are a tough native evergreen climber. Pandorea flower from early summer through to autumn with nice pink flowers with a red throat and attractive green foliage. Full sun to semi shade is best for Pandorea Jasminoides where it will develop into a dense screen and is ideal as an evergreen climbing screen. Pandorea or ‘Bower of Beauty’ also comes in a variegated form. Pandorea Jasminoides is susceptible to heavy frosts, water well when establishing but pandorea jasminoides is generally drought tolerant once established.

I can’t wait for mine to be growing full and wild like the ones I see on Google when I do a search for “Pandorea Jasminoides”. They look stunning! I wonder how long it will take?

Time-line photographs of the three creepers

December 2010:

April 2011:

October 2011 (with new Lavender):

27 November 2011:

28 February 2012:

Tags creepers, pandorea jasminoides