How does your garden grow?

[funkychick]

Latest post of the previous page:

Two years ago I pruned a NZ bottlebrush plant to within a second of its life as it was looking very dead and dying Everyone told me I had killed it but last year it had some new shoots on it and this year it is springing up green I think it may take another year or two to flower but I m glad its still there and showing some signs of fighting back

[Gary]

I have a large buddleia davidii (butterfly bush) that I always prune hard to within an inch of its life. It always comes back with very fast growth and ends up even bigger than the previous year!

[Suffolkboy]

I have planted two buddleia bushes myself although very small,hoping they will grow and flower this year. I have many good memories of my childhood when I would ask a dear old lady in Irex road Pakefield if she would let me go into her garden and let me catch butterflies from her Buddleia bush. In those days the bush would be teaming with many butterfly species and I would catch many with my butterfly net.
Peacocks, tortoiseshell,Painted Ladies and many more butterfly species.
They fascinated me even in those early days with their wonderful colours and wings constantly opening and shutting. Ahh those childhood memories when I began to learn and experience the wonders of nature.

[funkychick]

Spent another couple of lovely hours in the garden clearing , sorting, tidying, then an hour on the beach just wandering what a lovely way to spend an hour

[boatbuilder]

I spent most of the day, from about 10 this morning until about 4-30, repainting my fence panels. I had already done five on Thursday afternoon and have got four more to do which I hope to get done in the morning.

[boatbuilder]

Managed to get the rest of my fence painted this morning. Then noticed my Camelia had started flowering.

[funkychick]

Nothing as magnificent as your camellia BB but a pot of humble crocuses

[boatbuilder]

There's nothing wrong with your crocuses, FC they're lovely. Mine in the garden are now past their best.

[funkychick]

It may be that I am so close to the sea I usually find my flowers come out a week or two later my daffs are out in my front garden but only in bud in the back

[boatbuilder]

A few pictures taken this afternoon of miniature daffodils and of the new shoots of one of my Crocosmia plants. The pictures were taken with two different cameras as shown. The ground is now starting to look dry.

[boatbuilder]

The garden never ceases to surprise!

Two years ago I planted a number of the half-hardy annual - 'Mesembryanthemum'. These did extremely well and as I had so many I also planted a number of them in a trough. After the season I removed all the dead plants.

Last summer I never used the trough in which these had been planted the previous year and it was just left in the garden with the compost in it. and a few weeds grew in it which were subsequently removed.

During this last autumn and winter I noticed more growth in the tub and what was growing appeared to be - the Mesembryanthemums! I left them there and they continued to grow.

I have just noticed that some of the plants now have flowers on them - although today they will not open as there is no sun. What is even more strange is these plants flowering period is June to September, as stated in this link:

http://www.thompson-morgan.com/flowers/ ... wgodqJAAzQ

Here are a couple of pictures I have just taken of them.

[funkychick]

I used to have a lot of Livingstone daisys but not got any now don't know where they all disappeared too

[boatbuilder]

Livingstone Daisies are the same plant, FC so as they are only Half-Hardy Annuals they shouldn't really come up every year. That's why I was so surprised to see mine reappear - some two years on after they were initially planted.

[Suffolkboy]

The seasons seem to have lost the plot,today we spotted a field of rape seed in bloom the other side of Dereham,rape usually doesn't flower until May normally and now I find you posting a photo of Mesembryanthemums. Last year our one Camellia shrub was loaded with blooms and this year there isn't any blooms at all. I noticed yesterday we have buds on the rose trees just hope we do not get any severe frosts.

[funkychick]

I know they are the same flower BB that's why I mentioned it although I learnt Latin at school I usually stick to the generic name, LOL, much easier Mine must have been like yours and come through a couple of years then disappeared Loads of things appear and disappear in my garden a lot of little crocuses have sprung up where I had some potatoes last year ???? My lily of the valley haven't pooped through yet don't know if they are late shooting or not. I don't usually take much notice of times just when I see things I remember them being there I m a bit wild in the garden ( no not me personally my planting I mean)

[boatbuilder]

Sorry, when you called them by another name I thought you were referring to what you thought were a different plant.

I hope the following doesn't happen though -

My lily of the valley haven't pooped through yet .....

Could be rather a mess for you to clear up ...... and you used to blame the local cats!