Thursday 1 January 2009

Colour in the garden on New Year's Day

Today, I went looking for colour.
First I looked in the Conservatory. This cyclamen I have had for a number of years, forget how many.



This one was given to me by the staff at the School at the end of term. They seem grateful for the small amount that I do for them
Then I went to the Greenhouse. the Azalea is the one that I took 2 years running when I started my blog. It gets ever bigger but does not flower as well as it used to.

Very much the tail end for these Fuschia. They will have to be cut hard back soon.


These Streptocarpus (is that the right name?) have been in flower since spring but are tailing off now. I shall remove the leaves that have had flowers growing from them soon. Many have gone already
Now we veture out into the gloomy day. (The sun came out later but I couldn't be bothered to go out again!) This Hebe appears in the last blog but it is looking a bit part worn after the long cold spell and snow.

You do not need flowers to give you colour. These pictures show evergreen foliage, some variegated, some gold and some stem colour. Also a different Hebe with small white flowers in the second picture.


And lastly, gold and green

8 comments:

Westerwitch/Headmistress said...

Amazing colour. Wow Withy I thought I had green fingers when it came to house plants - but for some reason I struggle with Cyclamens and have never managed to keep one for more than a year. I also kill Poinsettias. I have Cape Primroses and mine produce an abundance of flowers, but they stopped a while ago - so hats off to your green fingers.

Wizzard said...

what is the plant in the 6th picture down?

lovely display - ours are all white and frosty today

Wx

Cait O'Connor said...

You certainly have the green fingers Withy! All the plants and your garden are amazing. Like WW I can't keep cyclamen long either and I kill poinsettias too. I have green fingers outdoors but not so good indoors.
(I could have copied WW's comment!!)
It was lovely to look at such colour at this time.
PS Feel free to give your brother my blog address.

Cait O'Connor said...

You certainly have the green fingers Withy! All the plants and your garden are amazing. Like WW I can't keep cyclamen long either and I kill poinsettias too. I have green fingers outdoors but not so good indoors.
(I could have copied WW's comment!!)
It was lovely to look at such colour at this time.
PS Feel free to give your brother my blog address.

TIGGYWINKLE said...

What lovely colours surrounding you Withy. I too am not good with indoor plants. I have a wall of pink geraniums still blooming away outside. We are pretty sheltered here. Time to get out and do a bit of work in the garden again. Isn't it lovely to see the bulbs peeping through with the promise of Spring.

Norma Murray said...

Oh you have so much colour. My garden is an overall brown, partly because the borders are covered over with a good 2inches of well rotted cow manure....hoping for a colourful summer.
Happy New Year love Lampie

Frances said...

Withy, inside and outside you certainly understand how to encourage plants to thrive.

About how cold does it get where you are in the depths of winter? In my trips to the UK, many made in November, December, February or March, I was always amazed by how mild the winter was and what could bloom. Always saw lots of cyclamens. Hereabouts, they would not last over two weeks in my apartment.

So, I delight in seeing what can grow beautifully elsewhere.

xo

CAMILLA said...

Oh gorgeous flowers you have growing Withy.

I always used to be unsuccessful with Fuschia's, but then my daughter bought me two in pots three years ago, and they still flower, maybe the soil?

Only this morning when I looked out of the window I could see some tiny pale lemon petals blooming, look like tinkerbells, have no idea what flowers they are, cannot even remember planting them, perhaps they have seeded. They are obviously are a winter flower, it's freeeezzzing here in Norfolk.

xx