Stipa Gigantea at it's peak this month

My planting passion is perennials with just a few grasses to add movement. One of my favourites is Stipa Gigantea, the Golden Oak Grass.

Pictured here is just one plant, which over a few years spreads to around 1.5m wide, so if planning to add one to your garden, allow space on day one. This is an evergreen grass, so the basal foliage provides interest year round.  Around late February, I use rubber gloves to pull out any dead foliage, since unlike many of the perennials grasses which look best if cut right down to soil level each spring, this evergreen will be lost if cut hard back. I do cut down the seed heads fully but not the foliage.

Fresh seed heads appear like sprears from May, and gradually at around 4-5' tall, they open up, and look so pretty blowing in the breeze, adding movement to the garden, and of course are see through.

At it's peak in July, the seed heads will gradually fade over the weeks, but this grass will still look wonderful in autumn and ALL winter. Other than any stems which get broken, I leave everything until February.

When placing the plant, try to position it where it will catch the evening sun if possible, but otherwise just  a sunny position in your garden. Other than quick tidy up in spring, its trouble free and is also good ground cover.

Hydrangea Macrophylla with Stipa Gigantea in the distance.

Pastel shades of July

After all the yellows and blues of spring, the garden has settled into a pink and purple phase. These all taken with a macro lens to get up close and personal.

Achilla Pretty Belinda

Knautia Macadonica

Agapanthus in bud

Verbena Bonariensis

Clematis

Acanthus Spinosa

Rose The Fairy

Clematis Fond Memories

Lavandula  Hidcote

April Week 3 - Bluebell time!

April colour in the  garden depends highly upon spring bulbs but also the Euphorbia family, of which there are over 5000 varieties!   They are normally acid yellow in colour, but one the larger shrubby varieties Euphorbia Mellifera , also known as the Honey Spurge, is looking fantastic this time of year with its vibrant foliage and orange tinted bracts. There is a definite scent of honey in the air, although not this morning after the rain.

Photographing after the rain however, is a great time to catch the flowers looking really fresh and using a macro lens, its fun to capture the raindrops too.

And now after the rain will come the weeds! A great time to get out there, as their roots will pull out much more easily when the ground is moist.

Euphorbia Mellifera

Chaenomeles Geisha Girl (Quince)

Bluebells amongst Eurphobia Robbiae

Camassia Leichtenii Bulbs just start to open

The fresh colours of spring on a miserable wet day

It's mid March and the first of the spring bulbs join the Hellebores in lighting up the garden on this miserable day.

Scillia

Anemonie Blanda - closed up today. They need some sunshine!

Hellebore Orientalis

Hellebore Argutifolius

Hellebore Orientalis with Eurphorbia Robbiae reflecting in the wet mirror

Jetfire Daffodil

Hellebore Orientalis

Euphorobia  Robbiae 

Hamamellis Diane

Fresh leaves of Aquilega

Jetfire Daffodils with  heads bowed after the rain

Winter trees at Cantley, Wokingham

A cold start to the day at around -4.  on January 20th  Brrrr. A quick look out the curtains at 07.45, and a promising sky, but not enough time to travel too far or I  would miss it.  Drove less than a mile from home to Cantley Park on the edge of Wokingham.

Winkworth Arboretum

It's been a funny season this autumn. Too warm for the leaves to turn to a vibrant colour.  The normal peak of colours just hasn't happened, but we took a trip today to Winkworth Arboretum, Nr Godalming, which has the benefit of a lake hoping for some good reflections. We drove in thick fog as we approached, and thought that we were wasting our time. The fog thankfully lifted just as we arrived. The sun made a brief appearance to provide enough light even if the conditions were not ideal.

The first view of the lake, with a bit of mist still lingering in the trees

And the first glimpse of the front of the "Boat House".

Continuing around the lake, and a view now back to the Boat House

The bank of trees which rises above the lake, and at last some blue sky.

The Acers were the stars of the show today

Gorgeous crimson Acer, with  purple leaves of Liquidamber beyond.

This bench is NOT level! Man surrounded by Acers

Stems of a Snakebark Maple

The borrowed view beyond the gardens.

Stowe Landscape Gardens October 2014

Following an enjoyable visit to Stowe in the summer, we had great hopes of autumnal colour. Beyond the first avenue of trees, it was however a bit disappointing...... not the fault of Stowe, just the "wrong" weather this year to get the best out of the deciduous trees. A few nice areas though. It was very quiet, and only saw about a dozen people during our visit, so used them where possible, to add a bit of life to the landscapes.

Co-incidentally, it was also my "Blip birthday" as I was to
publish my 365 consecutive photograph on Blipfoto.com today.

This tree bark was also very colourful.  Hubby in the distance wit his tripod.

This large Beech tree was the star of the day. At least whilst the sun was shining. Later, we lost the sun
and the colour was gone.

The large Beech also provided lovely shadows beneath.

Good day for reflections too.

Just 2 of only a dozen or so that we saw the whole time!

The sun came and went and at times the light went completely flat, but at this
point, great reflections and I liked the bit of grasses as foreground. 

Set my tripod up here for 20 mins whilst we ate lunch. Kept hoping
that the sun might return to light up the carpet of leaves..... it never did.