Front of the Island Bed
It's difficult when showing photographs of an Island Bed to get any sense of position. Each 'side' blends into the next, obviously,when the edges are curved. The most common view of the Moosey Island Bed is from the house patio, looking at the Choisya shrub.
Choisya Flowering in the Island Bed
Front View Spring 2008
The Choisya Ternata, commonly known as Mexican Orange Blossom, takes pride of place in this view of the Island Bed, and just keeps on keeping on. It survives being flattened by snow storms and being pruned at any old time of the gardening year.
Choisya in Island Bed - Summer 2004
The picture below is from further back in the Moosey Archives, taken (I think) in the spring of 1998. The red flaxes must only just have been planted, and of course everything looks so small!
Choisya in Island Bed - Spring 1998
When the Choiysa is in flower I love it, then at other times I decide it's taking up too much room. One old diary entry mentions a plan to march straight outside and dig it up. It's still there, and has survived some severe prunings.
Prune before You Need To!
If only this gardener would be sensible and prune her shrubs a season before she needs to! Such easy advice, and never ever heeded.
Choisya and Friends - Summer 2004
In the photograph below, from the archives, you can see that the status of the Choisya shrub hasn't changed much. A couple of severe trimming sessions have had little overall effect.
choiysa and friends - summer 2000
The common name for Choisya the Survivor Shrub is Mexican Orange Blossom.