IN PRAISE OF....CLEMATIS (and cost cutting)

I spent so long yesterday hanging on to the phone sorting out money saving ideas I hardly saw the garden! Still I have managed to save £14 per month on my phone bill and £18 per month on my mobile (may be able to reduce this further when my contract expires) which added together is more than half of one week's income so I think it was worth it! I've also enquired about a water meter; the guy I spoke to said there's every chance that the £40.22 I pay a month could be reduced if it was metered. Just a case of waiting for the literature and then getting permission from my landlord for one to be installed. I'd then also be able to go on a "Solo persons" tariff which as long as I'm careful and keep within the allowable water usage will work out a lot cheaper.

I also had the "joy" of being informed by Blogger that I am a SPAM blog. Whether it is some automated robot or a fellow blogger that has made this report I don't know...very strange that it should happen when I decided to do Pay Per Post....many thanks to Claire who (despite limited Internet time of her own) kept in constant email contact with me and stopped me from throwing the towel in and ceasing blogging completely! I've been onto google help and filled out Bloggers verification form and I'm hoping that it will soon be sorted out....I've heard of some bloggers being unable to blog for weeks when it's happened to them! I'm also having to verify every time I want to save or publish!

Anyway there's nothing like some lovely flowers to calm oneself down.....so here's a slideshow of this years Clematis to date.......

Clematis is regarded as the 'Queen of Climbers' ...not sure what the King is.

There are types of clematis to suit most gardens and situations no matter how large or small they maybe. They work well on walls, fences, pergolas, arches and trellis and look great in herbaceous borders and containers. I've even seen smaller varieties used in hanging baskets though haven't tried that myself.

Provide them with a sunny site and well-drained soil, and choose neutral to alkaline soil rather than acid. It is often said they should be planted "Roots in the shade, heads in the sun" and this method of growing them works for me. It's also one of the few plants that is planted DEEPER than in it's original container as this is said to prevent Clematis wilt. This doesn't seem to be quite such a problem with the Viticellas though.
In the language of flowers clematis can stand for beauty of the mind and ingenuity; though the evergreen varieties stand for poverty.

IN PRAISE OF....ROSES

Roses in bloom in our garden......

How I wish we had smellyvision....the perfume is heavenly on this hot sunny day.

IN PRAISE OF......SCHIZANTHUS PINNATUS

In flower in our garden today.

Schizanthus are very showy annuals also called "Butterfly Flower", "Fringe Flower"or "Poor Man's Orchid." They are easy to grow from seed.
Category:
Annuals

Height:
12-18 in. (30-45 cm)

Spacing:
9-12 in. (22-30 cm)

Hardiness:
Not usually hardy in Britain

Position:
Sun (preferable) to Partial shade

IN PRAISE OF........ AQUILEGIA

IN BLOOM TODAY IN OUR GARDEN

Aquilegia are part of the Ranunculaceae family, their relatives include Hellebores, Clematis and Buttercups. It is a hardy, herbaceous evergreen perennial. Aquila is Latin for eagle, and this is how the name derives, as the spurs are said to look like a bird in flight. Other names I know of for it are Columbine and Granny's Bonnet. It was considered sacred to Venus; carrying a posy of it could arouse the affections of a loved one. Nicholas Culpeper (1616–1654) an English botanist, herbalist and physician recommended it to ease the pains of childbirth. In modern herbal medicine it is used as an astringent and diuretic.

Position: full sun or partial shade
Soil: fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Warning: Contact with the sap may cause skin irritation
Maintenance: Easy to maintain Aquilegia is a ready self-sower so be prepared to thin out some seedlings. Not all will be true to form. Prune foliage back in the early spring before new growth appears although some gardeners prefer to deadhead blossoms and prune foliage back in the fall to prevent self-seeding. Aquilegias can die off after a few years and aren't the longest lived of perennials so many gardeners allow self-seeding and keep any of the new plants whose flowers they enjoy.