Bank Holiday Bodnant

This is an alstroemeria
Bomarea edulis

First sunny day in months so we decided to garden visit along the north coast.  We got to Bodnant in time for lunch and spent the next 3 hours inspecting their hebaceous plantings.  The new hot border was still looking good with things like Lobelia cardinalis stopping you in your tracks.  The Actotis Flame in the new parterre was still looking great.  Each quarter is planted with the Chinese Malus transitoria.  it is a neat little tree with trilobed leaves, white flowers and autumn berries and yellow leaves.

Gladiolus papilio

One border had Aster frickartii Monch with Sedum (reddish foliage) and Allium chistopheri - must get Monch.  See pix for other unusual stuff.

The Cedar terrace (below) was amazing, as ever, even with bank holiday visitors.  There were fewer of these than we had expected, maybe due to the storm yesterday which blew limbs off the trees and closed the gardens.

More Cosmos

I used to think that the coloured Cosmos was a bit loud and vulgar but I have changed by mind.  Here is another from a mixed batch of seedlings I found discarded at Henfaes.  What do you think? Worth a try?

More dahlias and fruit

The cactus 'Hillcrest Royal' is doing well and looks great in the conservatory in this rainy weather.  I brought some Cosmos flowers from Henfaes and the colours match the dahlia in an uncanny way.  Just had to take a photo and add in the Charantais melon that is ripening well in the tunnel at Henfaes.  It is cv. Alvaro, which came out tops in a recent RHS trial, according to Colin.

I went to a budding workshop at Tal Goed nursery and was shown how to bud apples.  I put buds of Egremont Russet  and Lord Lambourne onto a wild crab rootstock (not ideal).  Tape will be left on until November.

A Good Weekend

Yes, that's what you call a sunny and warm weekend when nothing stops you from spending two full days in the garden, catching up with all the stuff that didn't get done during the long rainy months of Summer 2010.
We planted Bouquet Tout Fait in the south facing border opposite the agapanthus bed. We carried out jungle-clearance by the new garden and have made a spot to plant Scharlachglut tomorrow. William Lobb has a home close to the Blush Noisette.  Alain Blanchard is moved to a big pot till flowering time next year, when we can see where he will look best.  We found a spot for Gloire de Dijon (£3 from Morrison's, but another session of jungle clearance will be needed.  This is all the result of that rose trip in June, where we let heart rule head and bought those mostly once-flowering but gorgeous old roses.

On the to-do list: repot Magenta and give lots of tlc. Move James Mason and Cardinal Hume to places where they will be happy. Pink Surprise (av 6 flowers per year) will have to find a new home. Also, where are the rooted cuttings of Tour de Malakoff and Andre Devoust going to go?
We potted up the Cretan rose cuttings (double pink climber/rambler) which were well rooted and put cuttings of the China from Pensychant into rooting compost.

We took tip cuttings of Arctotis 'Flame', Coreopsis 'Pink Lady' and Pelargonium 'Lord Bute' in plug trays of low-nutrient peat.

The dahlias by the shed have started. White Ballerina is hugely floriferous, and huge. Keith's Choice, it turns out, wouldn't be our choice.  We love Hillcrest Royal, an exciting purple cactus type. Eagerly awaiting Star's Favourite, a pink/gold/white cactus. The later-planted dahlias by the big hydrangea are budding up, so there's more excitement to come.
It was warm enough to eat out in new woodland garden - pork shoulder with Stovies (Anya and Annabelle).