Sonnie's Garden

dry, dry, dry

2011-11-11T12:43:00.000-08:00

Dry, dry, dry. And warm. Last week, November 5th, we sat in the sun outside and had lunch. I am sure it was 20 degrees in the sun. Amazing. There is a high above Letland and it keeps the Atlantic rains at bay.

So, the flowers keep growing in the backyard: Chrysthemums, of course. But lots of others too: Pelargonium, Verbenum, Herfst stijl, the roses. And the colors of the trees last for weeks! Amazing. And great.

Alchemilla

2011-10-23T11:59:00.000-07:00

I like the Alchemilla. I bought several variations this summer, this one too. I even pulled one from the street curb, a plain white one. But I am sure a tough one.

Nice effect when zooming into the photo! And flowering into October, albeit a warm one.

Pear harvest this year?

2011-08-21T12:35:00.000-07:00

Anemones

2011-08-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

This year the anemones have really taken off. And they are flourishing, nearly so much that they are weed. Well, not quite, but aren't they cute.

Anemones

2011-08-21T12:31:00.000-07:00

Obedient Plant

2011-08-14T12:29:00.000-07:00

What a name for this plant: Obedient plant or Physostegia or scharnierplant. You can turn the flower, as our friend Brian showed us.

When it is dry in spring, as it was this year, they don't grow high. Last year they hardly flowered: the rain must have come too late. But this year they flower nicely. And being a bit shorter is actually nicer.

Purple nettle

2011-06-06T04:15:00.000-07:00

As I am blogging this in June, I have already forgotten that these purple nettles were there. They are natural, I think, and I like them for it. I hope I haven't removed them in my re-modelling!!! Awell, if they are natural, then they'll return.

Anemones

2011-06-06T04:12:00.000-07:00

Wow! They are back. And doing well, expanded from last year. I must say, I do take great care of them, and weed out anything that overwhelms them. And that is a lot with these little plants! But they reward me early in the season.

Lis

2011-05-09T04:06:00.000-07:00

I see these in the fields and waterways outside our town. So a natural. But a beautiful one!!

purple large field flower

2011-05-09T04:05:00.000-07:00

The field flower seeds that I threw in last year, gives lots of surprises this year. Also these purple stalks. No idea what it is, and a disappointing amount of bees and bumblebees on it. But they last long!

field flower

2011-05-09T04:02:00.000-07:00

Self-seeded field flower, again name elapses me (pregnancy???). It is funny it grows in the 'forest'.

Name?

2011-05-09T03:53:00.000-07:00

The name elapses me right now, but I like it. It stands right behind the Dicentra in what is now to become my vegatable patch, as you can't see the part of the garden from the house, and is thus useless for the visual part. When it is finished flowering (and I am not pregnant anymore), I'll dig it out and put it in the middle of the garden. It will nicely brighten up the early spring. I hope.

A weed? but beautiful! Ah, it is Geum

2011-05-09T03:49:00.000-07:00

It stands in the lower lawn, just near the steps. Evidently self-seeded. But bright, and keeps well in a vase. Whatever it is....

Swiss Mountain Primula

2011-04-02T04:17:00.000-07:00

Perhaps a bit illegal, but I guess they are not that rare. I took this from the garden in Morgins, Switzerland. And it took here! In Switzerland it stands next to the running rivers in the forest. A typical Primula environment: forest and wet. I placed it here also in 'our' forest. My little Switzerland in the garden.

Daffodils again

2011-03-24T12:38:00.000-07:00

Winter Salad

2011-03-18T12:15:00.000-07:00

This is a winner!! I put the seeds last autumn in the ground. And all through winter there is salad!!

Easy and such a nice treat!

A few spring flowers mingle in.

And look what a nice salad it makes!!

Daffodils

2011-03-16T12:36:00.000-07:00

These daffodils are the small type, small and delicate. Much nicer than the large ones, really

Ces' Prunus

2011-03-16T11:58:00.000-07:00

We got this little tree from Saskia and Mariet, when Ces was born. It flowers around her birthday. This is its first year in our garden, transplanted from the holiday home, which was sold last year.

I was afraid it hadn't survived the transplant (in August!!), so much moss growing on the branches.... But look how it flowers! Actually, after this photo, the flowers became even more abundant.

Hazelnuts

2011-02-05T12:13:00.000-08:00

The last of this year's hazelnuts. Last year I had made a mistake: I had peeled them and kept in an air-tight plastic container. They molded soon. This year I did it better. We made cookies and a vegetarian meal.

The tree

2011-01-20T12:03:00.000-08:00

I made this picture, so I could compare the size with a picture I took two years ago. We could not find much differences, or growth. Now we are looking at thinning the inside a bit, for our neighbours and the sun. It will have to wait untill after June according to the tree man.

Hamamelis hamamelis

2011-01-16T11:57:00.000-08:00

I bought this last year. I wanted it, because it flowers so brightly early in the year, in the winter. It is not much yet, it was overgrown somewhere in autumn, so that may have stopped the flower growing.

Asters in the snow

2010-12-04T11:42:00.000-08:00

Snow!

2010-12-04T11:38:00.000-08:00

Lots of snow this year in December.

Kiwi

2010-11-20T12:09:00.000-08:00

Picked and un-picked sides.

Rose in November

2010-11-20T12:07:00.000-08:00

The things that flower in November.... In the background the Persicaria.

Aster

2010-10-14T11:24:00.000-07:00

They look nearly dead all year, but when the flowers appear!! Due to the rainy weather they wilted fast.

No grapes

2010-10-08T12:23:00.000-07:00

The grapes are horrible this year. Moldy and shrivelled. Too much rain no doubt. We've not had a beach day since mid July, for example. I have not eaten any grape. All for the sparrows this year!! We pruned the plant, and cut off the first branch, the one that is out of reach. With a bit of sunshine next year...

Yucca

2010-07-11T11:53:00.000-07:00

Rock garden bloom

2010-07-11T11:52:00.000-07:00

The pond still with reed

2010-07-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

This picture can't be made anymore. Peter has removed the reed. I found it blocked the view too much, and it is hard to keep under control. There is still some free growing stuff. Let's hope it doesn't overtake the pond...

Rock garden

2010-07-10T11:41:00.000-07:00

Malva and Coreopsis

2010-07-10T11:39:00.000-07:00

Pink climber rose

2010-07-10T11:34:00.000-07:00

The new Jasmin

2010-07-10T11:28:00.000-07:00

The new Jasmin looks happy. While in Greece on holiday, I saw many Jasmin varieties and large bushes. It obviously loves heat, this is a hot spot.

I was looking for a Kalamata olive tree, but that was not possible: not the time of the year.

Robin Hood

2010-07-09T11:19:00.000-07:00

I have no idea what plant this is. It just came up after we had removed the hosta wilderness, it must have been there all the time. This year for the first time there is a flower: purple cover with a near black spike. It lasted for a couple of days and then whithered.

Bottle Brush

2010-07-07T11:23:00.000-07:00

My Australian pride, the bottle brush. Bought in Switzerland at the Coop. I have learnt in Australia, that Australian plants always have their toes in the underground wet layer: that is how they survive the dryness. So, I ensure this plant is always in a wet layer. I failed sometimes last winter, when it was upstairs. So, this winter it will be in the living room, even though that is a warmer spot.
But the winter harsness has not harmed the flowers.

Violet

2010-07-01T13:18:00.000-07:00

Dry, dry, dry, but the Violet keeps going.... and not in a dry spot...

Salvia

2010-07-01T13:16:00.000-07:00

New Salvia. I am not sure if she stands in the right spot: not visible from the house. And so abundant! She stands in the new curved area.

Pink Rose

2010-07-01T13:13:00.000-07:00

This Rose stood under the Elderflower tree, and was wasting. Now she stands in a sunny spot with space. Interesting colour.

farmer Jasmin

2010-07-01T13:10:00.000-07:00

Rock garden in bloom

2010-07-01T13:07:00.000-07:00

Anjer, Armeria and other flowers.

Pink Malva

2010-07-01T12:17:00.000-07:00

This pink malvais more like the wild one. It is abundant and great.

White Malva

2010-07-01T12:07:00.000-07:00

White Malva near the gold fish pond. Nice effect of the shade on this photo. Ever since I saw the first white Malva here two years ago, I have tried to propagate it. With good succes: it is now a good bush.

Eggs in the nest

2010-06-17T13:20:00.000-07:00

Peter is once more attacking the Ivy, this time because the neighbour requested it. But we find these eggs, little green eggs, haven't seen a bird near it for ages....

Garden in flower

2010-06-10T13:32:00.000-07:00

Flowers everywhere, and lots of growth everywhere. Are some too large after three years?

Pulsatilla

2010-06-03T13:12:00.000-07:00

The Pulsatilla was beautiful when it flowered, but it is still nice - as the book said - just as seed fluffy things.

Lis

2010-06-03T12:44:00.000-07:00

Isn't this a beauty? It is common in the little canals, but still, who cares?

The black background is the water of the pond. It doesn't appear muddy, but visibility is very low. I suppose that sounds contradicting..... It definitely looks different than last year.

Cotton gras

2010-06-03T12:32:00.000-07:00

In the pond's shallow grows the cotton gras. My mom recognised it immediately, right after we moved into the house. Last year it was not much, but this year it is splendid. Would it be the low water level last year? Or the high level this year?

It has a beautiful pearly shine, that I was hoping to catch on the photo.

Banana's in memoriam?

2010-05-29T13:54:00.000-07:00

This is where the banana's were.... I see some big holes with rotten roots. I doubt it will come back, but I won't dig for a while yet.

Alium

2010-05-29T13:40:00.000-07:00

These came back great! About six of them. One of them I cut to give to my mum for a vase. Well, perhaps that saves the bulb and gives more flowers next year??

Apparently Alium is great for bees, that is important too!

Aquilegia, winter Aconite and Campanula, who wins?

2010-05-29T13:31:00.000-07:00

Here the Campanula is winning! But perhaps they are all winners in their own season. First the winter Aconite, then the Aguilegia, and later the Campanula. Do you see the seeds on top of the Winter Aconites? Good harvest!!

Flower garden

2010-05-29T13:26:00.000-07:00

I haven't done much work on this spot yet, it more or less grows like it does. There is the Polemonium caeruleum ('Jacobsladder'), red Varian, Aquilegia (in dark pink) and some first yellow spots of Alchemilla mollis. The Dicentra just stopped flowering.

I planted some small tomato seedlings (bought) in here. It is a sunny spot, let's hope they give some fruit! The cucumber didn't make it, and the tomato is getting quite overgrown by now....

The row of trees

2010-05-29T13:19:00.000-07:00

I have not made this picture yet, while it gives a good view of the row of trees. On the left, barely visible, the cherry tree, then a bird cherry, unvisible a prunus squeezed in between the bird cherry and the pear tree. Then a pine and that is all.

In the Summer they block the view of to the houses of the neighbours. Their houses are standing quite close, as there are on small gardens in between. The trees are quite necessary for the privacy in the garden! But the tricky thing is their distance to our border of course. As they are quite old, they are undisputed, but we will have to keep them moderately trimmed. Some task....

Aguilegia

2010-05-29T13:13:00.000-07:00

Forest Aguilegia, it is the Aguilegia, that I planted in the 'forest' area. It is definitely surviving.

Click on this picture and zoom in: it's got great resolution and definition.

Azalea

2010-05-24T13:25:00.000-07:00

We have just watered the garden because of the drought. This azalea stands in teh most sunny place of the garden. That doesn't seem right, but it surviving.... And flowering beautifully.

Anemone, they are back

2010-04-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

They have survived, and well too. Lots of babies, too, seedlings.

Dotter

2010-04-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

The first leaves of spring!

2010-04-10T12:42:00.000-07:00

And suddenly they are there: the fresh green leaves!

And a spring visitor to go with it.

Surprise

2010-04-10T12:39:00.000-07:00

What's this in the garden!

Daffodil

2010-04-10T12:35:00.000-07:00

A gorgeous daffodil with lots of petals. It is so heavy, it hangs to the floor!

Land scaping

2010-03-18T13:35:00.000-07:00

I want make a path here, so that Ces can run circles and so that visually the garden becomes more one whole, and not two halves.

But after an afternoon of digging, it doesn't look like much. I am a bit disappointed, but perhaps it will get better in spring. It needs more work.

Crocusses under the Jasmine

2010-03-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

Crocusses under the Jasmine near the house.

Crocusses

2010-03-18T12:24:00.000-07:00

Another nice clump.

Crocusses

2010-03-18T12:22:00.000-07:00

With a first bee. Good to see that some are alive after all the stories about viruses with bees.

Akonite

2010-03-18T12:17:00.000-07:00

They are back and have really opened up. I will need to move the campanula's - they are too close. But what a joy that they have settled. I have seen the place that I dug them out from, further down our street from a derilict house, or the house from the water management association. The mothers there are still there, I saw, under the Magnolia tree. But hidden behind a pile of cut shrub.

Crocusses

2010-03-18T12:06:00.000-07:00

Flowers!

Crows in the trees

2010-03-13T12:38:00.000-08:00

Ces wanted me to take this picture. I have been trying to get birds on the photo, but it is not easy.

Blackbird

2010-03-13T12:35:00.000-08:00

We also get some birds, here a blackbird close by the kitchen window.

Campanula in the stone pot

2010-03-04T13:26:00.000-08:00

Another survivor of this winter.

2010-03-04T13:19:00.000-08:00

Nice with the sun shining though the white drops.

Snow drops have green painting

2010-03-04T13:17:00.000-08:00

See the cute green lining?

Heather

2010-03-04T13:03:00.000-08:00

Heather just doesn't stay alive in pots. But here under the pine trees it goes just fine!!

Snow drops

2010-03-04T12:43:00.000-08:00

They are now a real field, lovely.

Winter akonite

2010-03-04T12:41:00.000-08:00

They are back! And definitely one of the first to show after the winter.

The bicycle shed entrance

2010-02-21T07:40:00.000-08:00

Some of us don't mind the snow and swing on. The picture shows well the work done on the Ivy here, poison-Ivy!! The neighbours sawed down the hedge this summer. That was great work!! Now we are working on the ivy overgrowing the swing. Surely something nicer can cover it?!!

Seen from the neighbours

2010-02-20T07:39:00.000-08:00

Our neighbour sent this photo. Snow again! We have now more than two months of snow and frost. What a winter!!

Snow drops in the shade

2010-02-11T13:10:00.000-08:00

This is so cute! The snow drops stick their heads in the snow. Untill the suns shines on them, then they rear up! Perhaps it is warmer in the snow?

Snowdrops in the snow in the sun

2010-02-11T12:51:00.000-08:00

They are surely strong!

Snowdrops in the snow in the sun

2010-02-11T12:47:00.000-08:00

Snowdrops in the snow in the sun. In the back ground the mushrooms on the tree stump give it a nice mountain feel.

No more snow

2010-02-04T06:58:00.000-08:00

And all the snow is gone again! Amazing. On the left hand side you see the ice out of the pond: I took it out with my bare hands! Aaaahhhh! That hurts. It is because I red that this is part of proper care of a pond in winter: to take the snow off, so that the plants can catch the light and produce oxygen for the plants. Not sure if I am still in time.....

The new paths area

2010-02-04T06:55:00.000-08:00

Did I not notice the snow drops when I made this picture? Surely I must have. Else it is a drap area with a few plants just waiting for spring.

Sure I saw it! I cut down all the grey stakes with old plants. Just so that we would be able to see the snow drops all the way from the other end of the garden and even from the kitchen window!

Grape hyacinth in the snow

2010-01-31T06:48:00.000-08:00

They grow and grow, through the frost and snow.

Crows in the bare tree

2010-01-31T06:46:00.000-08:00

Fresh snow against blue sky

2010-01-31T06:43:00.000-08:00

2010-01-31T06:41:00.000-08:00

Like cotton balls this snows sticks against the Sage Cassis.

Fresh snow

2010-01-31T06:39:00.000-08:00

The street

2010-01-24T06:52:00.000-08:00

Not our garden, but our street. A nice effect still, like a fine needle work.

More snow

2010-01-24T06:38:00.000-08:00

Kiwi harvest coming up

2009-11-21T11:55:00.000-08:00

There is an abundance of kiwi's again. I am picking them in the last week of November and the last ones on December fifth, the kiwi's above our extension.

I pick about four fruit boxes full. The jam is still to be made (Dec 10)

Chrysant

2009-11-14T12:15:00.000-08:00

These chrysants are standing on the corner near the kitchen. The whole summer there was the promiss of what would come in autumn. In September I started to doubt whether it would every happen. But here it is!! Light purple with yellow harts.

I had bought this one last year. After it flowered, lots of little plants shoot up at the base. I should have separated them, but didn't. Now they are stalks , while I probably should have topped them for bushy look. So hard: topping!

Sedum

2009-11-14T08:06:00.000-08:00

We have too much of this stuff, but it is to be said: a beautiful color and nice flower. Just one plant would be enough....

The rear of the garden

2009-11-08T08:01:00.000-08:00

This picture gives a nice view of the rear of the garden. The sun shines through the Hazelnuts bush. The Conifers I will try to cut back a bit this winter.

More paving fun!!

Margrites and Cosmos

2009-11-08T07:58:00.000-08:00

The Margrites and the Cosmos keep on going. The Cosmos will finally give way to the rain in a couple of weeks.

Huge leaves of the Plane-tree.

My little helper in paving!

2009-10-31T07:54:00.000-07:00

We are building paths through the rear of the garden, to open it up more. It is more fun with her!

Bottlebrush in flower

2009-10-29T13:35:00.000-07:00

Amazing this Australian friend wants to flower after the dutch summer.

Green oasis

2009-10-29T07:48:00.000-07:00

What a green oasis this seems as I am posting this now in February!

In the foreground in the 'rock' garden, the red Valirian is still flowering. It likes it there, but it thrives anywhere, no need to take up the Sunny spot.

The guided trees in front of the shed still have their leaves, and the Maple is just loosing it's leaves, giving a bit more sun shine in the garden now that the Sun doesn't go as high anymore.

Helianthus

2009-10-29T07:47:00.000-07:00

We'll have to see if this Helianthus survives the winter - in the pot.... This insect was liking it so far!

Chrysanthum

2009-10-29T07:37:00.000-07:00

Chrysanthum with Sage

2009-10-29T07:35:00.000-07:00

Forest white flower

2009-10-29T07:32:00.000-07:00

This plant I have high expectations of. It is a forest plant, and should fit in, right there! So far it is doing really well.