M was here for a couple of hours yesterday and in that time dealt with most of the new plants, and made a start on the weeding and the general tidying up. It looks much better already. The tomatoes, sweet peas, and Angel's Fishing Rods won't be planted out yet so they are being pampered indoors for now.
One aspect of the garden I don't think I've mentioned before is that there is selection of plants bought primarily for their foliage. Most of these are in pots and, although they may produce flowers, it's the foliage that earns them a space in the garden.
The photo below shows a couple of the new plants with dianthus memories at the back and spirea magic carpet in the front, making a colourful statement. It does have bright pink flowers, which are pretty, but it's the leaves I love.
Below, at the front is a zeblid leucothoe which isn't looking its best at present. It's in the middle of transitioning from the winter deep burgundy leaf colour to the summer leaf colour of green/yellow. I love the winter colour best but the summery shades do provide a good background for some of the showier annuals (which I still have to buy!).
In the photo above you can see a dark leafed plant in the pot on the left at the back. This is one of the new ones, Coprosma City Knights, and the photo below shows a close up of the leaves. I'm hoping it retains all the different colours throughout the year.
The hebe in the photo below has earned a reprieve. It's looked very washed out until a couple of weeks ago but has picked itself up and is finally displaying the strong pink colour I was expecting. Please ignore the grass growing through the fence; M didn't get as far as this bed in the time available, but it's days are numbered!
One bit of good news is that M is going to sort out the grouting on the patio. I asked her if she could recommend anyone and it turns out that it's a service she offers. She wants to wait for the better weather which is fine by me, and it's one less thing to worry about. We've already decided that we'll leave a few spots where the grouting is missing to plant with low growing thyme and chamomile to soften the edges.
It's all looking lovely. Your gardener M sounds like a real treasure.
ReplyDeleteThanks Eileen. Yes, she's a real treasure and I'm lucky to have found her.
DeleteHow lovely it all sounds/looks. I love foliage too. The pink of the hebe is particularly lovely. xxz
ReplyDeleteThanks Joy. It's much brighter than it looks in the photo and gives a flash of colour where the planting is currently a bit sparse.
DeleteYour foliage plants all look so colorful! They'll keep the garden colorful even when there aren't many flowers blooming. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Bless. Yes, that's what I'm hoping for.
DeleteLooking good x x
ReplyDeleteThanks Joy. You can see it tomorrow if you'd like 😊
DeleteThey all look lovely, I'm planning some pots of green shrubs and flowering shrubs when we move as at the moment the garden there is just grass and hedging.
ReplyDeleteThanks Chris. I'll be interested to see what you choose 😊
DeleteSuch a lovely variety of leaf color. I've considered trying creeping thyme where my patio grout is missing. I hope it works for you. That'd be an encouraging thig :)
ReplyDeleteI'll let you know how it goes!
Delete