Sunday 19 August 2012

Late Winter blooms

Blossoms on the nectarine tree

 There is lots happening in my garden at the moment.  Lots and yet not much.  We are slowly decimating everything really.  Apart from the fruit trees and the bulbs.  I want more flowering plants.  I am all about pretty flowers.  So apart from a few small sections of colour out the front, our garden is actually looking a bit empty.  I've been looking for ideas on some nice shrubs to plant and we've planted a few ground cover plants that I seem to have killed already.  The rhoeo that you can see below behind the snowdrops looks great in blur, but actuality it is all dry brown tipped and has been since I put it in.  I don't know what to do with it?  Well, I do, pull it out again.  But I don't know how to make it look better so I don't have to pull it out.  I planted some flower seeds in early Autumn and of the three different varieties only one has sprouted.  Silly black thumb.

Gardening is not a natural talent for me, it is a bit of a struggle and I keep killing things.  I really love beautiful gardens though so I am determined to keep trying.  But I'm thinking I need a bit of help setting up.  What I really need is for MR to get motivated in the back garden and put in a new garden limestone edging instead of the yucky red curbing stuff you can see in the picture above.  (Hint hint honey!)  Then we can get started properly.  We also really need to re-edge the front garden beds too, as the bricks that currently are doing the job are loose and broken in many parts.



So in the meantime I am enjoying my bulbs.


My snowdrops have multiplied, much to my delight - I must be doing something right!

Some new bulbs this year - tulips, in white...

red and also in yellow and purple but they are yet to bloom


How did you go about planning your garden?  Did you get someone in who knew about soil types and conditions and what not and what would and wouldn't work or did you just wing it?  Do you have any advice?  I'm clutching at straws!

And I have a question for any green thumbs out there too... do you recognise this plant?  Its a medium size shrub.  I saw it down south and really liked it but I have no idea what it is called!  The flowers are a bit more purple than the picture shows.  Any help would be much appreciated!
 

 

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

There is something wonderful when bulbs start to spring.
Something I love about gardening, and that is the trial and errors finding what is best grown where. It looks like your garden could be in full sun. If so, that makes it easier to find nice flowering plants.
What sort of flowers do you like, English cottage, particular colour? If you like English cottage things like lavender, daisy, penstemon and roses always look very pretty, and are hardy as well.

Colleen said...

Hi Megan

I hope you're feeling much better!

I think the plant might be a Hebe? http://www.google.com.au/search?q=Hebe+purple&hl=en&client=safari&tbo=u&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ei=OC0wUNn2B46PiAfT-oHQDg&ved=0CFIQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=690

Bestest
Colleen :)

Margret said...

Wow, you got tulips to grow in Perth! I should try again with the chilly mornings we get here.

Michelle {Jarrah Jungle} said...

You have some gorgeous flowering plants there, you are doing pretty good I think for a black thumb! I have some annuals which are super hardy they dont need much love at all and even when not in flower they still grow well around the base of tree trunks so are a hardy one to have in the garden. I just go to Bunnings and pick the ones I like the look of that are hardy. I have been known to get tips off Better Homes and Gardens tv show as well :)

Baa-Me Kniits said...

I love your bulbs, we cant grow them here it doesnt get cold enough so I have to admire everyone elses. I cant help you much with the garden either as I am a terrible black thumb. I have lots of jade plants on the front porch because they are nearly impossible to kill and a few Bonsaii which seem to be hanging in there but only because they are on top of the shoe rack and I have to look at them every day which reminds me to water them! All the natives grew well in out garden without me doing anything to them and they have some pretty flowers. I'm pretty sure you can get dwarf varieties of most of them. Hubby would tell you that you need fertiliser and we use something called Nitrofosca which Mitre 10 sells....does a terrific job he said to tell you :-)

E. said...

Ooh, pretty. Enjoy your garden.

2paw said...

Dear Fellow Brown Thumb, I feel your gardening pain but look at all the beautiful things in your garden. The bulbs are beautiful so you must be doing something right!!