J ACK IS A JUNKIE; KIWI VINES ARE HIS CRACK. He knocked down that little Clematis to his left in the process of capturing and subduing his desired prey: the young kiwi vine that’s now half-hidden beneath the subdued cat (above). Yes, some species of kiwi are like catnip, and though Jack thinks that’s the reason to add more to the garden, I’m high on other vines that are coming into their season, from vivid Clematis tangutica to (not yet, but soon) Codonopsis lanceolata.
Some favorites (both mine and Jack’s):The striking thick yellow tepals (the petal-like parts) of C. tangutica remind me of lemon peels, and though it usually blooms here in late summer-into-fall, I never cut the plant back this year (it grows over an old bed headboard used as a gate, above) so it’s happening earlier. Read its profile.Much woodier but still vining is Jack’s beloved kiwi (that’s Actinidia kolomikta, above, a male plant photgraphed in spring, loosely espaliered against the west side of the house).
The leaves appear dipped in paint, first just white splashes with pink ones following. It would get to 15 feet or so if I let it.
When a package of various young vines arrived for planting a month or so ago, Jack the Demon Cat had to have it, tackling the contents to get at the one little specimen of A. kolomikta ‘Arctic Beauty’ that was inside.
Weeks of rain has delayed planting of some of these babies, and I have to keep them hidden or you-know-who finds you-know-what. Go stalk some chipmunks, Jack, and leave the kiwis, planted and unplanted, alone.
The other Clematis here are getting going, like ‘Gravetye Beauty’ and ‘Polish Spirit’ and ‘Venosa Violacea’ and ‘Duchess of Albany’ (above). I grow them up various shrubs and trees here, as those of you.
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A fad in modern architecture and gardening or a necessity to bring back nature into industrialised densely built urban landscapes? Living green walls are becoming more and more popular, so we decided to explore the benefits, installation and maintenance process of these structures. Read on to find out how long they have been around, why so many buildings are having them, and how you can make one for your home.
In Yorkshire we are lucky to have several gardens designed using the theme of a Himalayan Garden. The Hut near Ripon at Grewlthorpe is  ‘The Himalayan Garden’ with all the plants you would expect in such a setting including
What can gardeners do in winter? The answer lies in the soil! but to old gardeners it is still ‘Beyond our Ken’. I often spent too long polishing my good intentions this includes planning to send my mower for servicing and sharpening’ a shame I do not plan to polish up my other important gardening implements.
Britain has some of the best gardens in the world. The choice of which to visit is far larger than this selective list but at least it gives you somewhere to start planning this years outings.
In the cold wet winter it is a good time to plan where to visit as the year improves. The South West is the obvious place to start your visiting tour of gardens containing exotic plants.
China is one of the great destinations for visiting gardens. The influence over garden design and the vast array of plants and flowers is secondary to the investment in time and dedication demonstrated in so many great locations. This is just a selection of those you may consider visiting if you can make the journey..
Peace is not just the absence of war it can be a reflection of a personal inner tranquility. To many gardeners peace may be a state of harmony with nature. It is a theme of several ‘hard landscape’ projects and sculptural works as shown by the selection of Peace gardens below.
Holland Park has some Zen like features but fails my Zen test. The classic elements of a successful Zen are stone, sand or gravel, water, plants and space. Then there is a question of balance between yin and yang. Cramped or cluttered gardens inhibit the flow of spirit so space is potentially the key ingredient of a Zen garden.
Some animals can be a real pest in the garden. Their crimes include eating the wrong thing, digging in the wrong area, turning grass brown with urine and leaving a dirty mess. Some chose your favourite plants to damage as I know from some aggressive over fed pigeons in my own garden. In my experience the worst offenders are rabbits, cats, mice, deer, pigeons and dogs including foxes. Rats cause concern but have not caused direct damage in my garden.