The garden gods are smiling…
Posted on | August 6, 2010 | 4 Comments
EDP article for Saturday 7th Aug 2010
The garden gods must have been smiling last weekend as we had lots of happy visitors to the Exotic Garden on its annual charity open day for the National Garden Scheme. Today is overcast though, with steady drizzle, giving a very jungle-like feel to the day, perfect for rejuvenating the garden ready for this weekend. While the rain is gently pattering on the foliage outside my window, Dweezal, one of my Devon Rex cats, is sitting on my right shoulder as I write – I think he was a parrot in his last life! Before it started to rain, we both had a slow walk around the garden to get some inspiration for this article, pulling out a few weeds here and there that were poking up above the foliage – there are always a few that get up to full size lurking below the foliage!
Although visitors think the garden is almost weed free, my eye sees weeds popping up everywhere – one of the joys of being a gardener! The rains have certainly benefited the garden as no amount of watering can compare to a good soaking from the heavens; you can almost hear all the trees and shrubs rejoicing after such a long dry spell.
Despite having had the coldest winter in decades with permafrost that went into the ground to a depth of about 5cm (2ins), some plants seem to be growing at an exponential rate compared to last year even after having their upper roots frozen. My large clumps of Hedychium forrestii for instance are already 2.5m (8ft) tall with no sign of a flower spike yet – I think this is going to be a record year for some plants! Other gingers like Hedychium densiflorum ‘Assam Orange’ and ‘Sorung’ are starting to bloom, promising a good show over the weeks and months to come.
Hedichium densiflorum 'Sorung'
The foliage of Hedychium gardnerianum the Kahili Ginger is looking very lush and verdant with an under planting of Impatiens niamniamensis Variegata with its delicious green leaves edged in bright creamy yellow with small red parrot–like flowers lurking underneath the foliage – an excellent bedding plant.
Impatiens niamniamensis variegata
Dozens of the hardy ‘Voodoo lily’ Typhonium venosum (formerly known as Sauromatum guttatum), are pushing up everywhere in the border with their strange hand-like leaves on 60cm (2ft) long fleshy green stems mottled with random dark brown patches, looking like some strange alien invasion of the border.
Typhonium venosum (formerly known as Sauromatum guttatum),
Close to these, under an old, long dead pear tree covered in a mixture of Honeysuckle and Clematis Montana lurk a mixed bed of Bromeliads interspersed with Tradescantia ‘Maiden’s Blush‘. This delightful Tradescantia unexpectedly came through the winter and is now a 30cm (1ft) tall with green leaves that have prominent pink to white splashes, delightfully illuminating a shady corner of the garden. Also nestling up to the bromeliads are the rich purple tones of Tradescantia palida with its luxuriant 10cm (4ins) long rich dark purple leaves. Another version with greyish leaves that I haven’t been able to identify as yet, but equally attractive is thriving, though slugs and snails also find it rather alluring!
Bromeliads interspersed with Tradescantia 'Maiden's Blush'
Nearby is a large terracotta pot of Canna ‘Cleopatra’, a very desirable though difficult to obtain Canna. It is a highly variable chimera with green foliage randomly striped with solid areas of dark purple-brown topped with yellow spotted flowers with solid red areas, though occasionally an entire shoot can come up maroon with red flowers – a quite magical Canna.
Canna 'Cleopatra' foliage
Near the south end of a rusty old pergola (originally built by Bolton and Paul in Norwich) at the bottom of the garden is a large clump of Clerodendrum bungei, a handsome plant that always attracts attention when in flower. It is shrubby in character, with very large heart-shaped dark green leaves, creating a big bold clump. The rose-pink flowers open from deep violet buds in big domed heads at this time of year, with a deliciously sweet fragrance. However, if you damage the leaves there is an unmistakable smell of burnt rubber, a rather unexpected combination! This high summer flowering plant grows to around 2m (7ft) or more tall with a spread of about 2.5m (8ft). Unfortunately it has the habit of coming up where you don’t want it, such as in the middle of a path or through the middle of another plant!
Clerodendron bungei flower detail
A large drift of naturalized pink flowered Anemone japonica is coming into flower around the base. Although considered a traditional cottage garden plant, it fits in well with its local planting. This beautiful Anemone has never been moved from its current position having been in the same spot since I moved in 28 years ago and always flowers profusely with little attention.
Clerodendron bungei flower detail
Although I usually say that I don’t grow any vegetables, I can see three edibles growing in this corner of the garden. The tallest is a large clump of the giant thistle Cynara cardunculus more commonly known as Cardoon. It is a very statuesque perennial growing to about 2.4m (8ft), with very architectural greyish, silver-green leaves up to 1.2m (4ft) long which look stunning against a deep blue sky. The flowers are typically thistle-like, reminiscent of small globe artichoke heads with intense lilac-purple stamens much loved by bees. I also have a group of ‘Swiss chard’ with their green Spinach-like leaves and a dazzling range of stalk colours from bright yellow to orange and purple to pale pink giving a wonderful splash of colour to the border. A friend of mine determined that I should have something to eat in the garden secretly secreted some courgettes into the border in the spring which now have huge 30cm (1ft) wide leaves with a few bright yellow courgettes at the base – yum!
I even have fruit growing in the garden in the form of a large sprawling self fertile Kiwi which has produced myriads of tiny fruit on the north end of the pergola. These must be thinned out to produce good sized edible fruit in the autumn. There you go – I do grow some edibles after all…
Kiwi Fruit - Actinidia deliciosa Jenny (Self fertile) these will be thinned out to two or three, otherwise the fruit will be small...
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4 Responses to “The garden gods are smiling…”
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August 6th, 2010 @ 5:38 pm
Wow. I am in love! Everything is just gorgeous, and of course now I must find that canna…Magical indeed!
August 7th, 2010 @ 7:50 am
the glorious garden of ‘Will’s World’.
Every type of gardener would enjoy the beauty of the plants and the experience of this living fantasy.
Anyone who has not visited this garden should make the effort. You will not be disappointed.
Keep it up Will.
August 9th, 2010 @ 6:01 pm
Wow, the gods are not only smiling, they’re cheering you on! That impatiens is very striking, but so are all the other plants you’ve profiled. So glad your tour was a success.
August 17th, 2010 @ 1:06 pm
Hi- Loree, Jane and Denise. Comments like these make it all worth the effort – thanks.