My garden 2012

Beautiful combination of plants Nicki....I love it!

Re the climbers - that's the tortoise and the hare. The parthenocissus will win to start with but the hydrangea, once it gets going, will 'win' in the end

Yes, that petiolaris takes an age to get going doesn't it. Must admit, I've never had patience enough to wait...but I do have a small one 'sulking' on my fence now and am hoping it will eventually move on to my shed!

While we're on the subject....I planted two Hydrangea semanii five years ago and this year they have finally taken off. They're evergreen and produce those typical lace-like white flowers which I've yet to see. Jury's still out though; my resident vine weevil feasts on it whenever I forget to apply a 6-weekly dose of nematodes. So the lower leaves are tatty and chewed while the top part looks quite nice. Maybe I should take off all lower leaves to defeat the vine weevil? If I do that I can see the Hydrangea sulking for another 2 years. Tempted to rip it out (am good at that) and plant something else :-)

Ah yes, that's a beauty but not hardy enough for my place I fear. Goodness, you do have a problem with the 'evils' as I call them don't you? Keep watering in the nematodes and maybe they will eventually give up bothering you! I am also very expert at ripping stuff out...it is probably my best talent...that and hacking stuff back! :)))))

My seemanii took forever before it decided to climb, but I'm glad I waited

Ah! Andrew, I've just remembered that we are neighbours. I back onto Swinley Forest in Crowthorne. How long did you have to wait for your Semanii to bloom?

Possibly ten years, but it was growing in horrible clay and never got fed or watered