Specialty Gardening: By special request., 1 by wallaby1

wallaby1 wrote:
Across the smaller middle bed to the left bed. The middle one has a mixed lot of Campanula species I grew from seed. The purple foliage is Lobelia from seed I took from L Russian Princess, the foliage is dark and flowers bright pink-purple but from seed I got a variety of colours. They don't go rampant but do fill in wiht some colour later after the Campanulas have finished.

In the middle of that bed is Dahlia Cafe au Lait which I leave in the ground. On each corner is Rosa Rhapsody in Blue, this was September and it was the hottest year on record with no rain for months, we had only then had a small shower or two. I have a Rose Blue Moon in amongst the Osteospermum at the left which is the front edge, it did well last year but this year it got chopped off (not me). The Osteospermum is a white with grey-blue backing and a deep bluish eye which opens to little yellow flowers and gets a pink flush on the petals as it ages, I don't know the name as I got it as cuttings (so kind of the adventure park!) On the outer edges of Rhapsody in Blue I have seed grown Platycodon Fairy Snow which puts on a good show, along the middles of the sides I have some Heuchera Silver Indiana grown from one I had. I also have some Papaver Coral Reef from seed amongst for early colour, and a few species Tulips and other bulbs for spring, but I need to bulk up on those.

The bed at the back is the rose bed, mostly done for the time but I had some late flowers, there is Viola Freckles around the top sides, a bright pink Osteospermum at the bottom corner I bought as 'Prostrate Purple' which is hardy and can flower from quite early for months. A few self set violas crossed from pansies and the wild heartsease keep filling some spaces there too. Pics of that later.

The bed behind, the left one in the second pic, has some evergreen shrubs, an Acacia dealbata tree, Pittosporum Eilsa Keightley, Rosa Crazy For You, Hydrangea Annabelle, some peonies recently replaced another shrub, and I have had to take out my Viburnum plicatum Mariesii as it died for some reason, may have been the dry hot weather but it did seem to lose some growth before. Such a shame as it was really full of flower and a good show, but I have put in Magnolia sieboldii instead which I got off ebay as a young plant (tried from seed and still waiting!). The tall yellow shrub is Ceanothus Pershore Zanzibar, behind that is Magnolia Susan which I grew from a small plug. Forsythia Fiesta at the rear around the bend, it is a lovely foliage shrub. The dark leaved Dahlias along the edge are D Bishop's Children which I grew from seed, there is also Aster Island Series Tonga (I think!) which always puts on a fantastic show with no mildew. to the right of that I have Pittosporum Tom Thumb, a purple leaved dwarf shrub with Clematis Piilu scrambling through it. Also some Aquelegias Petticoats and gold leaf Ruby Port for early colour before the Dahlias get going. A few purple Crocus and Narcissus Tete a Tete along the front edge for spring colour.

better post or we will all get lost!