Inside the Greenhouse- Oxalis obtusa "Peaches and Cream'
Inside the Greenhouse- Erodium pelargoniiflorum
Inside the Greenhouse- Cyclamen coum
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Anonymous said…
Dear Barry, You have so much happening at the present time in your glasshouse and some wonderful blooms. This really does give one cheer as February grinds its weary way onwards.
Dear Edith, This is all part of what's known in this part of the world as 'zonal denial'. That is, the compulsion to lengthen the growing season, to grow plants that are thought too tender for us and to take delight in proving the nay-sayers are wrong.
For a person visiting San Francisco from "The Great White North", one is struck not only the weather but also by the plant life that flourishes in this ideal mediterranean climate. I've just returned from a week in this lovely city, and again I was impressed by the quality, variety and creativity of gardening that I found there. In this post I am paying particular attention to the gardens I found in the front gardens which often overflowed onto the sidewalks and boulevards. Many of the plants that I saw there are the same that I grow outdoors and have to move indoors from November to April. And since the San Francisco plants are grown in the ground they are huge compared to my container grown collection.
Last year I had a rather autocratic message from the UK suggesting that my love of limey, gold and chartreuse plants could lead me down the path to "brassy" tastelessness.
I bristled at this, but tried to ascertain whether this was a fair comment. My critic, perhaps had not taken into account that I live in a completely different environment from her, and that the quality of light and extremes of climate affect our reaction to colour in a different way.
In our hot, humid summers and brilliant sunshine, I find that these yellow/greens are actually cooling and rather than being strident, are very subdued and complimentary to other colours in the garden.
Well, judge for yourself. I'm showing here an arrangement of plants at my front door, which I find very pleasing, A cooling vignette in the last few days of a very hot summer.
Plants at my front door.
Durantia, Angelonia 'Purple Stripe' and purple Callibrachoa.
Coleus 'Fishnet Stockings...
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That is, the compulsion to lengthen the growing season, to grow plants that are thought too tender for us and to take delight in proving the nay-sayers are wrong.