coup de coeur et coup de foudre

browsing on the net I found this lovely garden window...

 

and then... I found THIS! have to have it some day!!!...

magenta - are we affraid of colour?

 an eye catching batch of Drosanthemum Hispidum at the Villa Hanbury in Italy, used as a magenta flower carpet. the efect is bold and rather impressive

 a Piet Oudolf lanscape that comments itself...

 I dressed the feet of my white oleanders with purple and magenta mesembrianteums

and the purple bougainvilia with white convolvulus cneorum -the huge "ball" here not yet in bloom

something to read during this summer

 

Dai Diamanti non nasce nulla ( storie di vita e di giardini), Serena Dandini, Rizzoli 2011

 

In Defense of Nature's Most Unloved Plants, Richarld Mabey, 2011

southern inspiration

interesting wall idea at the Le Pre de Mer hotel in St Tropez

My rose family

Finally I took the time to present some of my best loved rose babies! To make their "web society debute" so to speak. There are a couple more who do not have their portraits yet, lovely Nahema and Golden Celebration among them, so I will have to wait for the next blooming season.... 

 Crimson Globe, Hybr. Muschiata, non repeating, terribly thorny - I really got to know it in my own flesh since I had to moove it twice - and it was a bloody afair !!  a bit inclined to oidium but otherwise spectacular, very generous ( on this pic it's her first blooming year!) and scented

 Veilchenblau ( or at least so I think? ), non repeating, seems to behave like a short climber, thin arched branches, medium scented, magenta turning to faded lilac and mate grey green pointy leafs

 R. Rugosa

 Hot Cocoa, I gave in for the rich velvety red with a hint of brick brown, otherwise a verrry thorny thing and leggy like most moderns ( on this picture the colour seems much more orangy than it really is...)

 Not identified climber - rised from cutting ( if anyone has any idea about what it can be??) seems to rebloom a second time, but it's behaviour in the first years is not quite reliable, not scented and pure white, very late bloomer

 Not identified, a non labeled pic at a local nursery, prooved to be a lovely and very reliable girl.... not scented, generous clusters of very tightly packed pink flat rosettes, rebloomer

 Very reliable mini roses( ones you can get at supermarkets), non stoppers from march till november ( at least in Barcelona) have been with me for quite some years...
I think it is allways worth to give them a try if one likes the shape and colour - and by now there is quite a choice. A pity they never label them with their proper name! they prooved to be incredibly reliable.
Theese bright orange ones now share their pots with some violet Campanula Portenschlaghiana and the result is quite pleasing

 Climber Papi Delbard, very vigourous and long blooming, but here the flowers last very short time, maybe because of the heat...

 My pet love Chinensis Mutabilis, I'm fond of it's light nodding, simple flowers and besides that it is a real warriour - behind it's slender looks there lurks the force of a wildling
Any trimmed branch roots in a couple of weeks if stuck in a pot!

another unidentified cutting born baby... tall climber, unfortunately it stayed in the old house...

 R. Rugosa "Therese Bugnet", a re blooming, reliable rugosa with burgundy red canes and nice hips in winter

 R. Fortuniana, huge inspite of beeing grown in a pot, cascades it's giant canes over the balcony
Once bloomer in very early spring, pure white, silky flowers that last for more than one month, very pointy,  glossy, dark green leafs - like the Banksias she is related to. It is said to be quite frost tender, but hardly a problem here. Anyone tried it in areas below - 10 C ?? I would like to plant it in a cooler area and still have doubts about it....
this year it was her first blooming season - so happy birthday  ;-)

 Suppert & Nothing, lovely rose fragrance, candy pink ruffled rosettes, though with me it refused to re bloom ?!

Tuscany Superb, in a very unflattering picture... since it's dark burgundy and very velvety petals are quite a show, nice rounded and sturdy bush without the unsightly leggy canes, alas quite short blooming period here

a very beautiful and usefull website

http://www.nybg.org/plant-talk/2011/04/tip-of-the-week/top-tips-for-designing-with-azaleas-in-the-home-garden/

Fierce and beautiful - Cacti Garden in Blanes

 Actually I'm not a cactus friend,  ( when it comes to spines I'm totally devoted to roses) but this display of magestic thorny sculptures is quite impressive.

 Agave ans yuccas

 Ferrocactus divided by colour of thorns

an impressive crowd of Echinocactus Grusonii ( here also called "mother in law's cushion !?! )

About the use of colour red...

 The colour red is often quite problematic in gardens, but a fierce explosion like this aloe booms makes it worth to try. Here are two examples from the Pinya da Rosa botanical garden in Blanes, Spain.

 

The Red Garden at the extravagantly beautiful Jardin de l'Alchimiste near Avignon in France

Red peonies. astrantia and bronze fennel at Chelsea Flower show

A Garden not to miss - Le Manoir d'Eyrignac

Even if still relatively young, this part of the arch famous Eyrinac gardens is a masterpiece of french garden lay out.

 I particularily loved the red oriental acent od the gate...quite bright in colour but great against the very dark folliage

the windows open to a lovely panorama - a perfect "chambre de verdure"

The gardener's little prayer by Capek

Since more rain is anounced for ths weekend we might just as well pray for the best...

O Lord, grant that in some way

it may rain every day,

Say from about midnight until three o'clock

in the morning,

But, You see, it must be gentle and warm

so that it can soak in;

Grant that at the same time it would not rain on

campion, alyssum, helianthus, lavendar, and other which

You in Your infinite wisdom know

are drought-loving plants-

I will write their names on a bit of paper

if you like-

And grant that the sun may shine

the whole day long,

But not everywhere (not, for instance, on the

gentian, plantain lily, and rhododendron)

and not too much;

That there may be plenty of dew and little wind,

enough worms, no lice and snails, or mildew,

and that once a week thin liquid manure and guano

may fall from heaven.

Amen.

when it rains...

It's been raining almost every day this week.... so no need to water or do any gardening! As a revenge, I browsed all gardening book sites and ordered some goodies! Can't wait to get them... in the mean time, here is a marvelous Piet Oudolf garden...

Personal sweeathearts

 Rosa Hemisferica Persiana, once blooming ( portrayed by Redouté)

 R. Jaqueline Du Pré, repeating ( I still don't have, but adore the magnolia like flowers)

 R. Chinensis Mutabilis, in constant bloom from april till november ( personally I think every rose lover should grow)

Nahema, repeating, marvelous perfume but alas quite short lived blooms in my experience... no one is perfect)

More Pretty in Pinks on my terrace

 My first trial with Campanula Takeshimaniana "Elisabeth" was a real "coup de foudre"! Makes me think how I could live without it for so long??

This French girl ( I brought a cuting from a trip to Mazamet) is a sure bet. Never ever failed to do a perfect job, and she bakes in full sun !!!

Pink Delight on my balcony