Hello Gardening Friends,
I spent eight days earlier in the month taking twenty six people on a tour to Tasmania to see gardens. The spring gardens there are a delight and the island itself is beautiful to visit. My experienced assistant leader, Midge Ruka from Dunedin (necessary now I am older) was a great help and we enjoyed sharing this experience with others. There is a possibility that I will take the tour again next year, with an amended itinerary.
If you think you might be interested in travelling to Tasmania with me in early October next year, do let me know.
As all gardeners know it’s such a busy month keeping up with the weeding while everything is growing so quickly, and trying to get things planted before it heats up too much. We have been adding many new plants such as rhododendrons in the woodland gardens, Buxus koreana as a foil to roses and astilbes, and also we’ve lifted, divided and replanted clumps of geraniums, penstemons and geums, as well as planting out perennial salvias and annuals that have been propagated in the shade house.
I am enjoying visiting other gardens myself this year. Usually this doesn’t happen very much as there is so much to do here, but I’m making a point of doing this. It’s fun and important to do.
Photo 1: Irises are coming out at a rapid rate all over the garden. This one sits at the end of the new shade house.
Photo 2: The rose Frensham is opening out, no scent but a good picker.
Photo 3: A dianthus that was moved from one of the perennial borders is now thriving in a tufa pot. It has the most beautiful fragrance. Would anyone have a name for this?
Photo 4: This delightful low growing lilac bush is Syringa microphylla ‘Superba’. I’d be interested to know if anyone else grows this as it’s exquisite and not the easy to find in the nurseries.
Photo 5: A clematis threading itself beautifully amongst epimediums.
Best wishes and happy gardening,
Margaret
