Virtual Garden Tour 2000-2021

Maximum security N. Just need floodlights and guard dogs, Lol. But with the wild animals you have in your garden, every precaution has to be taken. Well done!!!

 

I didn’t realize Katsura have apple toffee leaf scent

I don’t have this tree so maybe I will mask-sniff if I see one at garden plant store !

I sure like Nik photos above - fascinating detail combinations.

 

@Georgia Strait good evening Georgia, I would really recommend a Katsura tree, the caramel / toffee apple scent increases as the leaves get ready to fall. Not a great deal to look at all Summer, but Autumn it comes into it's own.

 

Hi D, interesting fact about this plant is that two flowers produce one berry. Check out the two dimples on the fruit, remnants of the 2 flowers from the same node.

 

Yes, I was walking back home this morning from downtown and was overwhelmed by such a wonderful smell. I'd forgotten what it was, didn't notice anything it could have been until I realized I'd been standing under a katsura.

 

@Nik I did not know that, yet another new thing learnt today. Expanding the photo makes it very clear. Thankyou for showing this N.

 

7 October 2020

This may be the last nice day we get for a while. Clear and sunny. High temperature forecast up to 21 degrees Celcius.
So I went in the backyard and took a photo of a Comfrey plant. This is a Bocking 4 hybrid, which I specifically sought out and started this Spring. (I ordered a couple root divisions intending the plants for erosion control.) I was told not to expect flowers in the first year after starting a plant from root division but, lo and behold, one of the plants has flowers! Wonderful! I am very happy to see these beauties! A bit late (October) but still welcome. I had expected some bees to visit, since these are the only flowers still around, but so far haven't noticed any bees alight on them.

 

@DavidB52 good morning David, what a brilliant plant to grow for a natural fertiliser. Some prefer nettle tea, but Comfrey has the edge IMO and I have tried both.

 

Good afternoon, just took a couple of photos of my Cryptomeria Japonica 'elegans' in my garden and as they looked quite nice I thought I would share them..

 

3°C here this morning and in my garden the dew is everywhere, nearly a first frost but not quite. Can't be too long now!! Here is my Lonicera Strawberries and cream that looked very Autumnal.

 

Good morning, the days are getting forever short now, so I wanted to show my Ginko biloba Maidenhair fern just before it turns to the bright yellow. I was asked recently how long does the green last, well here on the 12th October in Southern England, it is still holding on.

 

Just before the sun went in just now, I went out in the garden to quickly take this close up photo of my Davidia Involucrata Handkerchief tree leaf. Just thought it was the essence of Autumn.

 

Morning everyone,loving the tour.It's funny there's a garden that opens to the public here that on it's 'things to see' page says...'see if you can find the Katsura tree'.I went there....a large garden,well spaced out and could certainly smell the burnt toffee smell.....but damned if I could track it down ha.
Acerholic your Cryptomeria looks like a frosted christmas tree...beautiful.That's one conifer that's very easy to grow from cuttings as I found out....I'm now trying to sell the plants as got too many of 'em.
I've only had Davidia this year...would you agree it's the most ridiculously sensitive plant on leaf out?...mine's the Sonoma variety,kept it up by the house over winter.Moved it out to a still sheltered area and was horrified to see all the leaves blackened and shrivelled.I didn't even think we had a frost that day,it must've been only slight and brief if there was.I was looking forward to the flowers as it's big enough but gotta wait until next year now.

 

@Houzi good morning to you also J . I have two Handkerchief trees and neither have flowered yet, but they are only 7 years old from seed ( granddaughter collected them, 'very' special to us), so another two years and we should see something. Regarding hardiness, I have not had a problem and I do live in a bit of a frost pocket. It sounds like you had a late rogue frost. This can cause havoc for new shoots and where you live I bet they leaf out early. (The garden of England and all that).
Thanks for the comments about my Cryptomeria, we do love it all year round. An easy grower as you have mentioned, Lol. If you want to use my photos to help you sell your cuttings, then please go ahead.
So glad you managed to smell the Katsura tree, it is such a wonderful and lovely scent that reminds me of childhood and especially when you brush up against the leaves. It must be well hidden for the garden owners to set the challenge to find it, Lol.
What garden was it you visited ? Do they have a web page link that you could attach on the 'Out and about thread' or do you have any photos yourself from the visit ? It's really quite difficult to visit anywhere this year, so the forum really is a blessing.
Very cloudy here at the moment with rain forecast, hope you get a little more to help your garden.
Have a lovely day J.

 

Hi D,well it was a few years ago when I visited so they've changed their website but here it is anyway.There are bigger & better gardens about but if anyone's down that way...
Autumn Colour at Emmetts Garden
Seems there may be a timed entry system during these strange times.
Do you think the Sonoma will still flower if I keep it up by the house without much sun?...the main features are modified leaves after all.
Thanks for the offer WRT cryptomeria.It's only a half hearted attempt to sell on F***book.Tried them on the 'Market Place' but so many time wasters.Apparently if you click 'more info' I automatically get a message of interest though in most cases the person was probably just browsing.Not worth the effort of chasing up all the messages so restricted to local garden pages.

 

@Houzi thanks for the link J, I enjoyed it and being a National Trust member it will be on our to visit list. But not this year !!!!
Re your Sonoma, it may take a while as these are definatly trees you have to be very patient with. Our friends have one that is 10 years old and it still has not given out those lovely leaves. One that I see regularly in the Lord Mayors garden at Winchester is over 80 years old and it took well over 10 years according to the old gardener to have the wonderful handkerchief leaves/ flowers. It is in full sun btw. If you are ever in Winchester in May when it's at it's best, it is adjacent to King Alfreds statue.

 

Good morning, my shrubs and trees are getting their Autumn colours. So I thought I would share a couple of photos of my Azalea luteum from this morning.
This is a highly scented yellow flowered shrub in the Spring and looks quite nice now also.

 

@Houzi good morning J, just went out and took a picture of my Katsura tree leaf so you can ID it next time you go to Emmetts garden. You can proudly say, "I know where it is" and impress everyone, Lol.

 

Ha ha,thanks D.I must admit I was unprepared for this having never seen one in the flesh,just knew it has orange/yellow colours.I bet people wondered what I was up to going around sniffing the trees.Wonder if the maple was named because of it's similar colours...though probably not...think it's an old word for fragrance,well known name for Osmanthus Fragrans in China.

 

Good morning, I wanted to show the transformation of my Ginko biloba, a few days ago it was dark green now it's a lovley shade of yellow. The blue sky behind always helps.

 

Lovely D,saw a large one at Sheffield Park a couple of years ago...took many photos of that tree,it was such a vivid yellow :)
Enkianthus campanulatus...You wouldn't think this was the same plant,yellow last year,bright red this year. E.chinensis yet to turn,wonder what colour that'll be?
Cercis Cinensis,are there many trees that flower on the same wood each year?

 

@Houzi Good morning J, there is a lot of colour in and around our gardens atm, I like the variety you have in your garden. I know we talk about maples so much, but it is good to have other trees and plants to compliment each other.
Sheffield Park is a delight, it seems a small world when you here of others on the forum visiting tbe same places, Lol.

 

I have a seedling from the Turner's Oak ( Kew) Quercus x turneri planted in 1798 that was collected as an acorn by my grandaughter when we visited 8 years ago. She planted it when we got home and here it is this morning in it's Autumn colours.
It will always be kept in a pot as I do not have the room for an Oak. So it's going to be a Bonsai. But it is very special to my wife and I.

 

It's been awhile since I wandered my gardens but did so this morning as I was trying to finish my Fall clean up. And they were calling for rain but so far all we've had is clouds with sunny breaks so I thought I'd take some photos.

Clematis 'Freckles' - the tag says it flowers from January to March but apparently it actually flowers from November to March.
Staghorn sumac
Zebra grass
Variegated cinnamon vine
Engleman Ivy
Weeping tree dahlia - I'm hoping the weather will hold off long enough for it to actually flower, this would be the first year it has done so.

 

Very heavy skies this morning and although my flash went off when taking this photo of my Ginko biloba, I thought why not post it, as it maybe the last time with the wind and rain on it's way..