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Knowing your Clematis – The Blues
Knowing which clematis is which gets harder every year. It’s not a case of old age in my case (I hope), but it has more to do with losing some clematis each winter to either cold or voles. I keep some kind of records, but I don’t like labels on plants. This means that especially with clematis with which I employ what my war correspondent friend used to call a “carpet bombing technique” it gets messy. She used the technique for dating, in my case it means planting a lot of similar clematis close to each other, clearly I’m the nerd.. Anyway, I end up with a tangle of blue/purple…
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Oh Åland Part 2
My weekend in Åland with my fellow members of Blomsterodlingens vänner, included three more private gardens that occasionally and by appointment open their doors. A common denominator seemed to be an appreciation of Fuchsias and two out of the three gardens had a really good Kolkwitzia amabilis in flower. The Kolkwitzia is one of those shrubs that really benefit from just that ½ zone of a milder climate. I have two, but they have barely flowered a little bit. To their defense, I have to say that they are probably planted where there is a bit too much shade. Full sun seems to work best. Ahvenanmaan viikonloppuni Blomsterodlingens vänner:eitten kanssa sisälsi vielä…
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The Danger of Free Time
Having the flu and having time off this time of the year means a certain danger of succumbing to on-line shopping. I’m not talking about clothes shopping, though some of my friends would probably assume otherwise, but seed and plant shopping. For the first time in a few years I’ve had time to read seed catalogues thoroughly and also time to browse some old favourite suppliers. I usually make some purchases together with my mother (my main garden influencer) and then I’ve participated in large co-orders that some gardening societies make. The Finnish Rhododendron Society usually orders from some large suppliers every year, I’ve participated a few times, though…
