The Exotic Garden.

In March I started a raw project which I had been speculate over for some clip . When I created my private garden three years ago I always design get at it through a jungle of profuse leafage and vivid peak so that it would indeed feel like a secret garden .

Secret Garden

Last twelvemonth I create a Mediterranean garden beyond it and this has been a great winner . But the alien garden has quite a dissimilar feel .

Secret Garden

Arundo donax ‘ Variegata’Dahlia‘Cornel Bronze ’

I larn my lesson about remove turf to make a young garden when I dig up the lawns in the front garden and then three years later did the same to create the winter garden although I had help with that . First of all , I am getting too honest-to-god for that sort of milarkey and second it is not a bright idea to remove your fecund top soil .

So no greensward remotion . I made the shape for the novel area with the hosepipe and then covered the lawn with composition board . When I could n’t witness any more cardboard I used a cheap weed membrane . Our bonfire area has clearly been used for this intent for many years so when I excavated , I found enormous quantity of ash tree which was light to wheelbarrow on to the fresh garden and speedily covered the cardboard and membrane . The upside of using ash was the fact that after many balefire it would be sterile and free from weed cum , although bizarrely , several squashes have appeared maturate in the ash and as I have never grown these , the seeds must have survived geezerhood of bonfires . Ash does n’t expect great but I planned on hiding it with plants quite cursorily . I then bought some paving Harlan Stone to make a course into one entrance of the secret garden and found a few slab in the garden to make the other path . So very quick I was ready for plant .

Secret Garden

Here it is in July when the pathway in to the secret garden was still accessible . You ca n’t even see it now .

Just as I was quick for planting , my lovely son decide to make some place and thin out out the flora in commode on his wonderful mole garden He appeared with , amongst other thing , a pitch-dark bamboo with a frilly doll of the mythic grass , Hakonechloa macra . There was a large olive tree , aEucalyptus gunnii , a mimosa , Acacia pravissimaand a huge variegated Arundo donax . This was perfect timing and consecrate me some ready made spectacular foliage . I added a duo of Tetrapanax papyriferwhich has immense leaves , a variegate Castor Oil , Fatsia japonica‘Spider ’s World Wide Web ’ a golden edible bean Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and some grasses .

Fatsia japonica‘Spider ’s World Wide Web ’

Secret Garden

Tetrapanax papyriferwith poisonous Ricinus communis

I also bought a banana , Musa basjoowhich I hope will be fearless outdoors .

Musa basjoo

Arundo donax‘ Variegata’Dahlia‘Cornel Bronze’

The red banana is not hardy , I had one before and finally had to give it away when it grew too improbable to check inside the home . I keep it for two years and used it for a ratherrecherchéChristmas Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree but then had to admit defeat when it get hold of the ceiling . In the following photo you’re able to see the red banana tree with theMelia azedarachwhich I get from seed collected in Greece four yr ago . The argent leaf of Eucalyptus gunniiare in the ground .

Melia azedarachandEnsete venticosum‘Maurelili ’

Arundo donax‘Variegata ’

New to the garden is this strange yucca , Yucca aloifolia‘Purpurea ’ . I have never see it before .

Yucca aloifolia ‘ Purpurea ’

In the tad along the paths I planted ferns .

Fatsia japonica‘Spider’s Web’

Fern with Japanese grass , Hachenochloa macra

I implant several grasses but the one which has amaze me with its enormous size of it is thisPennisetum setaceum‘Rubrum ’ .

Pennisetum rubrum

Tetrapanax papyriferwith poisonous Ricinus communis

From seed , I grew climbingMina lobata , ( orIpomoea lobataas we have to call it now , ) along with and disgraceful - eyed Susie for height . For hopeful colours I uprise orangeTithonia rotundifolia , set of colourful zinnia , Coreopsis tinctoria ‘ Roulette ’ , tallTagetes linaeusand Dominicus - lovingGazania‘Talent Red Shades ’ , bright orange Marvel of Peru , Mirabilis jalapa‘Orange’ . Leonitus ‘ Staircase ’ grows ever taller with orange whirly scrap at intervals on its long prickly stems . I loveRicinus communisfor bluff leafage but as I was worried that Hector might use up it I destroyed all but one plant which I hide off in the middle of everything . I grew various canna lilies but these will not spud from seed unless you find some way of get across the arduous skin of the cum . They are like ball bearings and prove to rub them with sand theme assume the skin off your digit tips but leaves the source entire . I only have a few plant life . Next twelvemonth I will put the seeds in the coffee berry grinder for a bit .

This garden is expire to be quite work intensive because I have plant so many bid plants here including household plants .

The actual highlight of the exotic garden is the fact that I got quite carry away when ordering dahlia this class and they have all grown wonderfully magnanimous and lush on a diet of chicken pellets and ceaseless watering . I have grow a few dahlias for years , starting with the tidy ‘ Bishop of Llandaff ’ and several lovely seed grow ones from ‘ The Bishop ’ . For years black - go out dahlias were consider the only acceptable ones in advanced garden , but now we are allowed to be as plebeian as we wish . I still love dark dahlia which are nigh ignominious but I have plenty of big , slatternly ones in collide colours too . Single one are quietly pretty and bee love them . I love anemone -flowered ones like ‘ Mambo ’ and ‘ Blue Bayou ’ too . So here are a few of my favourites .

Musa basjoo

I could model here all day talking about my alien garden and if you were here I would take you down the garden for a close inspection of every plant . It is my favourite part of the garden at the moment .

49 Responses toThe Exotic Garden.

I love it ! Have you purchased a matchet yet ? I expect your cold winters will do a lot to keep it under ascendance without chop at it . As I looked at all those yummy color , I could n’t help thinking that you need to develop Lotus bethelotii ‘ Amazon Sunset ’ too – it would nicely accent many of the flora you grew from germ . I adore all your large - flick plants , most of which like our temperature but hate the low - water diet they ’re subject to when I endeavor to develop them here . I ’ve been very tempted to grow Cannas anyway ( although , if I do , you wo n’t find me trying to grow them from seed , not that I do n’t admire the exertion ) . Ricinus would in all likelihood mature here without copious irrigation ( I ’ve seen it growing in waste country along the road ) but I stay neural about anything that poisonous . I wish I could raise the range of dahlias you ’re mature too but , being heavy drinkers , I ’ve got to confine them to the little region I ’ve select to irrigate extravagantly , and yet I still live in apprehension over each monthly water supply bill .

Oh my , that is delightful ! Secret gardens and alien garden are so fascinating ! I ’m amazed at all your plants – particularly your Dahlia collection . Beautiful !

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