Flowery Treasures
Apricot Iris and Phormium
The middle of the Jelly Bean Border is full of trees and evergreen shrubs. But around the house-lawn edges I've planted some colourful little flowery treasures. Nice - I can see them all from the house.
Apricot Iris
Firstly, have a peep at this beautiful big bearded iris, which grows next to a pink and cream toned Phormium in the top corner of the Jelly Bean Border. It's the prettiest, softest shade of apricot. But it's very slow to bulk out, because it leads a very risky life.
Aargh! Wind!
The wind often pushes the stems right over, just when the iris is in mid-bloom. And then the lawn-mower comes along - you don't want to know the rest!
Aargh! Gardener!
In spring the gardener is often over-vigorous raking out the hydrocotyle weeds which spread into the garden from the lawn. Oops. Young iris shoots easily fall victim, and by early summer only one or two flowering stems are left.
White Daphne
I bought a standard white Daphne a few years ago. How beautiful - and how stylish! I planted it underneath the Liquidambar tree amongst the daffodils and honesty and waited. And waited, and waited some more. Then one spring I noticed it lying completely flat on the ground, but this time it was flowering.
White Flowering Daphne
Obviously the poor white Daphne was shy, and just wanted to be closer to the good earth. Fair enough! I daren't disturb it, or check exactly which bit has taken root. It all seems very healthy...
Yellow Forsythia
I'm so glad I can see this shrub from the house. The bright yellow flowers brings early spring sunshine to the Jelly Bean Border on the dullest and coldest of days. It's a great grower, and has no problems competing for air-space with the neighbouring Viburnum tinus shrub-trees.
Forsythia Goldilocks Shrub
A humble shrub, an excellent choice. It was rescued from a nursery sale, and I paid fifty cents for it. Fifty cents for a mass of flowery yellow sunshine - priceless!