Rose on a Ramble

Part of my passion for plants and gardening includes visiting other people's patches, and I don't know about you, but I can't resist lending a helping hand.

Two gardens have been visited recently, and I enjoyed titivating with them both!

The first was that of the parents of the Man that Can. With a bit of his brawn and my brains we managed to add a plant here and there to inject some much needed colour into the border at the far end of their garden. Fortunately it coincided with another plant sale at the botanical gardens, so the plants were picked up for next to nothing.

The lavender and the heather were in situ before we began. The large euonymous was moved from the other end of the garden where it was being overwhelmed by a large hydrangea petiolaris. We moved a smaller heather that was becoming lost in another.

The 'outlaws' had already planted up the wee containers in the foreground. Up in the border we added a bronze Carex for it's airy feel, and to pick up the colour in the Cordylines. Other plants included Hemerocallis (daylillies) and a white hardy geranium. We've tried to create a 'hot border' with yellow, red and orange, but we've also added splashes of white as a foil. One of my self-seeded ferns has also been re-homed here. This is certainly one garden we'll be able to keep a close eye on as it is visited often.

The other garden I've mentioned is in Tilburg, the 6th largest city in The Netherlands. An extremely green city, not only for it's beautiful gardens and parks but the amount of trees that line the numerous cycle lanes that keep it's people so safe. Much can be learned from this country if we in the UK are to become 'greener'.

The garden of note is that of some very good friends of ours. Last summer this garden was a weedy paved area. Now it is something very very different. A lush green lawn is now the perfect base for the beautiful plants that have invaded the area.

Along the decorative wall hang containers brimming with summer colour. Trailing pelargoniums jostle jowl-by-cheek with campanulae, osteospermum and New Guinea Impatiens. Their blooms dripping deliciously onto the impending floral display below. As the season progresses our friends will enjoy the stunning spires of Gladiolus, the showy Dahlias and the carpets of Alysseum to name but three!

On the opposite side of this sunny spot are yet more flowers-in-waiting nestled among the brightly jewelled Begonia's

I did mention my desire to potter about in other people's gardens right? Well in this particular garden I left a very special gift of a rosa Zephirine Drouhin. A climber with scented, double deep pink blooms which should clothe a plain wall at the back of the garden. I also left our friends with some handy pruning and training tips.

Although we had just missed a spectacular display of a Clematis Montana, the purple hues on the fresh new growth added some interest to a plain fence. A small Hydrangea was moved to create a balance to the display, and make room for the new rose. Three small lavenders were also planted, which by next year should knit together quite nicely to create a large fragrant mound beside the patio. 

Once the whole garden was given a very thorough soaking, the Man that Can mulched over the flower beds to try to prevent the water from evaporating so quickly from the sandy soil.

This garden obviously can't be visited as often, but we've been assured of regular updates, which I hope to share here too.