dry, dry, dry

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

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?

Anemones

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

Obedient Plant

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

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

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

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

purple large field flower

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

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

Name?

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

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

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

Winter Salad

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

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

Ces' Prunus

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

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

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

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

Snow!

Lots of snow this year in December.

Kiwi

Picked and un-picked sides.

Rose in November

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

Aster

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

No grapes

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

Rock garden bloom

The pond still with reed

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

Malva and Coreopsis

Pink climber rose

The new Jasmin

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

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

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

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

Salvia

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

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

farmer Jasmin

Rock garden in bloom

Anjer, Armeria and other flowers.

Pink Malva

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

White Malva

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

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

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

Pulsatilla

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