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Our gardens, a month-by-month pictorial diary of what's looking good now => Our Gardens => Topic started by: Charithea on June 12, 2016, 03:05:47 PM

Title: Shades of blue
Post by: Charithea on June 12, 2016, 03:05:47 PM
This colour  seems to dominate in our garden this time of the year. I decided to share with you some of the photos I took early in the morning.
Title: Re: Shades of blue
Post by: Hilary on June 15, 2016, 05:27:07 PM
Beautiful.
My vote goes to the Buddleja and the Ipomoeas
Title: Re: Shades of blue
Post by: Fleur Pavlidis on June 17, 2016, 08:10:18 AM
Snap. This is one of my favourite buddlejas, though it doesn't smell as sweet to me (or the butterflies) as the other colours.
Title: Re: Shades of blue
Post by: Charithea on June 17, 2016, 01:56:28 PM
Hilary, you are right to favour the Ipomoeas and the Buddleja as they have lovely colour and do not fade in the intense sunshine. I now feel confident in growing IpomoeasThe Star of Yalta prefers some shade in the summer but it has been flowering since December. The Heavenly Blue is a tough one though. It stays open even in the hottest part of the day. The Buddleja is another story. It took us a few years to get them established. The white variety is growing tall and strong but the Black Knight is not as grand as Fleur's. My favourite though is the Cornflower. This is the first time I managed to grow it. I fell in love with it when we saw lots of them in Northen Greece. I plan to grow more this autumn at the edge of the field.
Title: Celebrating minor successes
Post by: Charithea on June 24, 2020, 02:24:33 PM
I was no sure where this posting should be so I chose this heading. I have lamented many times about the many failures to grow certain plants that other people succeed easily but this time I am rejoicing in these minor triumphs.  My photos taken on the Ipad are not that great but the general outlines are there. Salvia yangii has survived the winter and although a poor specimen has flowered.  The other plant is Gaura lindheimerii. I would normally buy Several ones in early spring and try them out in different parts of the garden but they would flower and died so quickly that was not worth the money and energy used. About two years ago I dug up seedlings that appeared in early spring and replanted them in various locations.  This year they are growing around the field in places they chose.
Title: Re: Shades of blue
Post by: David Dickinson on June 24, 2020, 11:10:35 PM
I have a few buddlejas in my very small garden but, I have to say, the butterflies are not particularly attracted to them. They much prefer smaller-flowered salvias and verbenas. I presume the one you photographed  earlier in the thread is
'Black Knight'? I took a cutting from my sister's last autumn and it struck. Although only one stem of about a foot long, it sent out a flower head which I let grow and die off. Time to plant it out, I thought and decided which tub it was going in. I then promptly snapped it! The air was as blue as the flower but every cloud has a silver lining. It has sent out 2 or 3 new shoots from the base.
Title: Re: Shades of blue
Post by: John J on June 25, 2020, 04:54:09 AM
David, the photo of 'Black Knight' was taken 4 years ago but since then we've lost it. We now have 3 different colours but if they have names I've no idea what they are. The butterflies we get here don't seem to be too impressed by them either and, as you say, prefer the smaller flowered plants.
Title: Re: Shades of blue
Post by: Charithea on June 25, 2020, 10:18:36 AM
Here are what I consider a few more examples of minor successes.   Managing to keep alive the Clerodendrum bungei is one of them.  it flowered for the first 2 years of its life and then became smaller and sad looking until it almost disappeared. I used to give it a cup of water in the summer evening to keep it alive. This year it has increased in size and has beautiful shining leaves with a promise to flower. It was last year's copious rain that brought about the miracle.So gardeners don't give up.  Salvia splendens 'Martinus Burg' has exceeded my expectations.  The cuttings have became small bushes in the garden BUT I keep one in the pot as a 'safety net'. Love n Wishes are also growing happily in the ground surrounded by sticks to keep the cats away and a lovely airy Salvia greggii 'Royal Bumble' a cutting of a cutting from David D. Thank you.
Title: Re: Shades of blue
Post by: Charithea on June 28, 2020, 04:39:46 PM
Once more I am posting a Salvia.   In fact a Salvia which prefers cooler climates but my gardening neighbour and fellow Salvia lover has worked with me to keep our cuttings alive.  She kept the cuttings of the Salvia amistad in a' cooler area' in her garden and safe from cats,  then when they were ready she gave me back some.  She accidentally broke one of the cuttings but put it in another pot and gave me that too.   I planted two in pots and saved the others for a friend.  One has started to flower  and the smaller cutting is also getting ready to do the same.   
Title: Re: Shades of blue
Post by: Umbrian on June 30, 2020, 07:14:15 AM
Well done Charithea, what a beautiful colour....I am still waiting..... David gave me that one but so far it does not look very happy  and no sign of flowers🙁
Title: Re: Shades of blue
Post by: David Dickinson on June 30, 2020, 09:50:32 AM
I find Amistad needs more water than most of my other salvias. Doesn't seem to mind the heat nor full sun at midday but I have to water mine, which is in a large tub, every second day.
Title: Re: Shades of blue
Post by: Charithea on June 30, 2020, 12:46:50 PM
I am forced to water my Armistad every day David. My measure seems to be One coffee cup of water every day. I fell in love with its colour  Carole a few years ago when they first appeared in the market. We were visiting England and we came across it in a Nursery in Derbyshire.  I knew  that I would be advised against it so I bought it a gave it as a gift to John's sister. I brought a cutting back  with me and was doing OK until the snails ate it.  I got the mother of these cuttings from Ioannis Gryllis March 2019. So far so good.
Title: Re: Shades of blue
Post by: David Dickinson on July 01, 2020, 01:50:22 AM
I presume that's one American coffee cup a day, Charithea?  One Italian coffe cup wouldn't go very far. Little bigger than a thimble! :-) Just wait till it gets bigger. Not really a "water-wise" plant but lovely to have in the garden.
Title: Re: Shades of blue
Post by: Charithea on July 01, 2020, 01:10:10 PM
No David, you presumed wrong. I use a UK cup. After all I am being loyal to my husband's place of birth. According to my kitchen measuring jug an American cup is a touch smaller then a U.K. Cup. I use a Cyprus  coffee cup which is equal to an Italian coffee cup to water my cactus once a week. I had complained to my friends that my cactus were not doing as well as theirs.  They enlighten me as to the why.  So far the cactus is thriving.
Title: Re: Shades of blue
Post by: Umbrian on July 02, 2020, 07:26:43 AM
Nothing to do with gardening so hope this comment is allowed! The use of the word
"cup" in recipes always annoys me as despite looking up the equivalent measures in proper weight I never remember...... I suppose it is akin to not using proper botanical names for plants in one way though........
Title: Re: Shades of blue
Post by: David Dickinson on July 02, 2020, 09:29:35 AM
I think I should hand in my notice at the British Council over the "American Cup Affair". To make matters worse, frustrated as I was with what Umbrian rightly points out as an "annoying" measuring system for baking, I gave in and bought a set of American measuring cups. As measuring cups work on volume their is no exact general weight equivalent. You need  find the weight equivalent of the specific ingredient you are using. A cup of sugar weighs more than a cup of oats, I understand. :'(
Title: Re: Shades of blue
Post by: Hilary on July 02, 2020, 09:34:04 AM
I thought about going round the house and measuring all the different cup sizes there seem to be .
Title: Re: Shades of blue
Post by: Charithea on August 04, 2020, 10:32:51 AM
Our Clerodedrum bungei has flowered. It took  its time. It is not as good as it was the first time but I have learnt to be grateful for any blooms.
Title: Re: Shades of blue
Post by: Charithea on August 07, 2020, 12:01:46 PM
I am posting a photo of our Clerodendrum trichotomum variety fargesii. It was given to me by Sue Wake. In fact she dug it up from her garden, in Lagouraxi, as I had expressed admiration of her flowering tree in her garden in Pelio. It made its way here like all my other cuttings and a Good site was found to plant it. In the winter the tree became just a stick and kept shrinking but when the spring came along, it came alive with a lot of branches. I am not sure if it will flower this autumn but I am happy to wait. I am posting a photo of Sue's tree from last October.
Title: Re: Shades of blue
Post by: Charithea on September 24, 2021, 04:20:30 PM
Our evenings are becoming cooler and suddenly the Salvias are looking perky and some are also flowering. The photo of the Salvia Guaranitica Costa Rican Blue is not in focus and I apologise. It is a cutting form the original plant that David Dickinson gave me a few years back,  Thank you again David.  The other is the Salvia leucantha.
Title: Re: Shades of blue
Post by: Umbrian on September 26, 2021, 08:05:36 AM
My Costa Rican Blue ( also from David!) has been most disappointing  this year - two short flowering spikes early that soon gave up in the heat. New growth has so far produced no flowers. My leucantha is also reluctant to flower but looking healthy enough. Each year is different I find which makes gardening such a compulsive habit I suppose😊
Title: Re: Shades of blue
Post by: Charithea on September 26, 2021, 10:48:22 AM
You are correct Carole about gardening being a compulsive habit.  If I had my truthers I would have like to be able to carry on with my sport in tantum  with the the gardening.  Getting old has its price!  My original Costa Rican Blue is on its last legs.  They are difficult to keep them going.  My Salvia Martinusburg  which were thriving in the ground died.  All three of them. Luckily I have some in pots for taking cuttings.  Even the tougher Salvia leucantha have died. I have one 'Midnight' left and it is next to the others that are under the Avocado tree and gets some water from the veg. garden.  I am posting one photo of the leucantha that is under the tree and gets lots of water again from the veg garden. If I could have an enormous Umbrella I am sure I will be more successful with Salvias.
Title: Re: Shades of blue
Post by: David Dickinson on September 26, 2021, 02:34:10 PM
3 years ago I was in a park in London and saw a marvellous display of some kind of caryopteris. A sheet of vivid blue. I wrote the the local parks department but they weren't able to help with name. I have tried with various ceanothus plants without success. Lack of success was, I suspect, needing to water the plants as they were in pots and the combination of water in high temperatures. A common killer of Californian natives. Caryopteris, I decided, might fill the gap.

I have managed to find 3 different plants

Caryopteris x clandonensis heavenly blue (first 2 photos)

For me it is a bit of a disappointment. Leaves comparatively small, straggly growth. Occasionally wilted in the intense heat of summer. Started to flower about 3 weeks ago.

 Caryopteris 'Grand Blue' (3rd and 4th photos)

Larger leaves than above and denser foliage. Fuller appearance and more flowers. Occasional wilting in extreme heat. Came into flower last week.

Caryopteris incana (last 2 photos)

Largest leaves of the 3. Dense and dark foliage very attractive and a little more compact than the other 2.  Has never show signs of wilting. This would have been the clear winner except for the fact the flowers came through pale pink! I wasn't expecting that to happen and rather spoils the "shades of blue" thread. The buds looked white while they were developing which was a nice contrast to the dark leaves. They took a while to develop. It came into flower last week.

All 3 are very attractive to bees.