The first are chosen, old favourites, such as the heliotrope below.... Sweet smelling, butterflies and bees love it but will it grow up here in Yorkshire?
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| Heliotrope - heliotropium Peruviana |
"A sweet-scented plant which is called Heliotrope because it follows the course of the sun. After opening it gradually turns from the east to the west and during the night turns again to the east to meet the rising sun. The Ancients recognized this characteristic of the plant and applied it to mythology."
The next, is mignonette, not chosen for its beauty but scent, I often get these two mixed up but scent is a theme this year. I mean to underplant the roses with lavender which will be quite a big job.
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| Mignonette - Resda Odorata |
There are three packets of nasturtiums, I love their bright colour all around the garden, so easy to grow just slip the seed into the soil and their bright oranges, yellows and dark red dance at your feet.
There is sweet rocket, Dame's violet or hesperis matronlis. considered a weed species in some American states, but again a sweet smell, though it is a biennal it can live as a short-lived perennial.
Lastly there is Clary Sage, just for the colour of their bracts, and apparently if you send off for its essential oils, you will save your teeth and hair plus a number of other things it is good for - never knew that!
Clary Sage
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What I have fallen in love with this morning is a fish painting by Jackie Morris, though the price is a bit steep!
We have a temple screen painting in the sitting room of carp. Fish are lucky in Japan, and here the screen would have been in front of the door of the temple keeping evil spirits at bay. at least that is what I like to think Paul may tell me different.
Here is a fishy painting repaired everything in life has a story.....
My new garden is on a steep slope and has been landscaped in tiers.
ReplyDeleteI now find that the top tier is heavily infested with mares tail so goodness knows what I am going to do with it. I am unable to go up to it myself and I have a man to garden for me. At present it is rockery and I was quite looking forward to restocking it, but now suspect it is a waste of time. Everyone I speak to tells me mares tail is impossible to eradicate or even manage. So what to do? Any ideas?
Well I would start by smothering it, thick cardboard, one of those black plastic mulches on top and then wood chippings on top of that. Ground elder used to be a problem in the Bath garden, but I tended to live with it because it was in a wild spot. Though I must admit a rockery is hard to smother unless you take it to pieces.
DeleteI love nasturtiums as they pop up everywhere and make me smile They are a gift, not a weed.
ReplyDeleteTrue, though we consider them 'proper' flowers not weeds ;)
DeleteSo do I.
DeleteOdd joint things. I was thinking of making a Japanese fish painting this spring if can find time...one of those where inked fish are pressed on rice paper? Also Hubby is buying seeds like crazy.
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ReplyDeleteThe trouble with having too many packets of seeds is the sowing of them all ;). Our two carp painting show the fish jumping over the dragon gate. The fish painting being worked on in the link shows the tissue papers which are pasted on, the old ones removed and the new ones added.
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