Colour in the snow

This one is always out early ML, there is another at the front too which is a bigger flower and pink ~ rhodedendron. Can't remember it snowing on Mother's Day before?!!!

Beautiful one. It is very rare colour of azaleas - I saw usually yellow, red, orange, pink or white. Do you remember its name?

Very beautiful, it's always so exciting to get such wonderful colour at this time of year.

pretty pretty!

many thanks everyone, no sorry kat, this plant was in the garden when we moved here, i dont know what its called

That's lovely Sticki it seems odd to me to be looking at Azaleas in flower when we have snow ....

those are so beautiful! I think they would die outside here. I try to over winter them & they don't usually survive.

Beautiful colour . . . and just what we need to make us smile in this wintry weather :))

A beautiful colour, will look great in the snow.....

That's lovely Dottie.

Many thanks everyone, I agree Amy ~ only flakes here it hasnt settled but it still seems strange.

Sheila ~ i agree, it never fails to make me smile

Floralhead ~ this is quite an old one ~ maybe that helps it?

Superb photo, Sticki.

oh, thanks mouldy ~ im wondering if your azalea might be like this one??

Never looked that close up to it, Sticki, but it does look familar only mine doesn't look like it's going to flower. :-(

Mine is quite an old one, maybe that has something to do with it? Maybe they need to mature before they flower?

This was the one beneath the rubble, Sticki, so fingers Xd.
Oh, nearly forgot...you were spot on with the passiflora. Thanks, Sticki.

You are welcome! I just hope they all grow for you!

Me too, Sticki.
The neighbours are already planning a BQ for 30th June, so no pressure there, then, lol!

better get the fastest growing plants you can!!! how about runner beans??

Better still, Sticki, why don't I do a runner? Lol.
Now I'm wondering if you were pulling my leg about runner beans?

No! Just thought they would look pretty climbing the trellis!?

See what an ignoramus I am, Sticki?
Lost a good few of my seedlings, so will be under the cosh to produce the goods over the next few weeks. Lol!
Do they flower like sweetpeas, I wonder?

Nothing like as nice as sweet peas, they are red, mostly, and a much smaller flower.

Hmmm, worth considering, all the same.
How's your wee Azalea doing, Sticki?
Is it snowing in your neck of the woods?

four inches of snow this morning Mouldy! But i can still see the little purple flowers! Its a tough old plant!!

I don't think an azalea can't last through a winter here outside, I tried overwintering inside & it died. (I may be wrong about that though...I'll have to look that up.)
I have something that reminds me of this but it is called a Rose of Sharon & it is a hibiscus.

Mine was growing for a couple of years on the site next door to my tenement block, Floral, then the building was demolished.
I vaguely remember it looking a bit like Sticki's Azelea, so I guess they're hardy.
The wind is building up (snigr) & it's about 28, maybe 30 miles an hr & driving snow flurries, so I 'm guessing my passionflower & honeysuckle are goners, Sticki. :-(
Lucky I bought another passi & a clematis, eh?
Actually, there's no time like the present, so I'm off to pot those two on. :-)

I think its because this one has been there a long time Floralhead? It used to be protected by laurel but we cut those down!
Is the rose of sharon yellow? hibiscus needs too much warmth to be here i think?

30 miles an hour, in the dark and snowing ~ are you seriously going to go out and pot some plants up mouldy??
its far too cold here.

Oh, bless you, Sticki, no. Lol.
I potted them on in my flat, last night.
It was the two I ended up with, when my local Lidl store was sent them by mistake, instead of the winter-flowering ones I was after.
No, me & the climbers were nice & cosy. :-)

Oh that's good! It's nice to be cosy!

I've just gave 10 of my 14 sweetpeas a crew-cut & potted them on.
Hope I've done the right thing. Lol.

So do I! With any luck they will shoot up again and get stronger?

They know I love them, Sticki, so I'm sure they'll survive. :-)
I also got suitable pots for my Tricyrtises, Astilbe & Phloxes, but have left the 4 Aquilegias in their bucket.
I'll just plant the entire bucketful directly into their position in the garden, once the weather gets better, rather than trying to seperating them & risk damaging their root systems.
They have enough room & seem content as they & the tricytis have well & truly broken the surface.
Looks like I was lucky with the timing.
When I've finished this autobiography I'll post the photos. Lol.

Dear autobiographical author!
I have some astilbe but I think they would prefer damper soil than I have? Phlox are beautiful but don't seem to like my garden either, aquilegias I love, I have some of those, I hope they come up again next year.
Sorry I don't know what tricyrtises are?

Good luck with all of them!

Oddly, they have a commom name of Spotted Toad, but to me they look a bit like passiflora, or at least they do on the packet.
I wonder if they 'airbrush' floral photos? Lol.

Ha ha, I bet they do or at least cut and paste, there are always loads of flowers on the packets and only one on my plants!

Sorry, Sticki, it's actually Toad Lilly not spotted.
Just hanging out the window throwing dried peas at a fox, who is constantly digging about in my wee strip.
It's a cheeky wee beggar & keeps returning.
This game will go on all night.
I don't know if it's after insects or my bulbs.
I'd better google, but I'm pretty certain foxes are omniverous, in which case it'll scoff whatever it can find, my bulbs included. Lol.

Have you got a pea shooter? Or maybe a water pistol?

Glasgow foxes would just laugh at me, if that's all I had, Sticki. Lol.
I chuck entire handfuls of peas instead.
They sting, but do no permanent damage.
I don't dislike foxes. I just want them to go and dig elsewhere. It's driven by hunger, so I can understand why it digs up gardens, but, please, Brer Fox, not mine! :-)

Are they one of the animals that don't like chilli pepper?

What do they look for when they dig?

I've yet to hear of an animal that can deal with lashings of chilli powder, Sticki, but it would be a waste of time in the current climate.
Frost decreases it's potentency, snow dilutes it & the fox isn't likely to have a lick or slurp, which leaves us with optiom 3.o..the wind siezing it, as I merrily strew it about, then cheerfully chucking it back into my eyes. Lol.
No the chilli choice is about a week down the road, yet.
They're omnivores, as I recall, Sticki, so they'll snaffle virtually anything, although they're primarily carnivores.
They're digging for tender young roots, bulbs & insects.
I admire them, because they're survivors.
We say people are as sly as a fox, using the term as an insult & we term folk crafty or wily with grudging admiration.
A Janus of the animal kingdom. Lol.
(Mouldy gives a crafty wink) ;-)

My rose of sharon is white with a maroon center Sticki

Oh, that sounds lovely floralhead, it sounds much nicer than the one I had in mind.

I love this color of Azalea!

I just posted one today, myself.

Lovely isn't it? Mine has nearly finished now. It grows in cool shade here.

Yes, it's lovely! They grow in semi-shade or sun, depending on the variety.

mine is almost totally in the shade except that in this early part of the year the sun shines on it a little ~ before the beech tree gets its leaves.

Not many plants can live under beech trees.
The chemical compound in the beeches leaves kills them off. :-(

Is that true? I never knew that!

So I was taught.

this azalea is still flowering now!

it is directly under the beech tree as is a large camellia which usually does well ~ covered in flowers

I've been trying to remember the other tree that has a similar effect on anything planted under it, but no luck so far.
It's a survival thing, so they & their progeny have a better chance to establish themselves.
Survival of the poisonous! Lol.
The other species have obviously learned to adapt & good for them!

there are about 12 oak trees [not ours] surrounding the garden so i hope it isnt oak!

No, definately not oak.
That beauty plays host to up to 20,000 different species of bugs, etc!
A very benign tree, the oak.

Not entirely benign.......it drops branches into the garden....uninvited!

What, wilfully? Lol.

absolutely!!! most likely waits to try and get me but so far it has missed!!

Maybe just trying to catch your attention.
Probably lonely & wants you to stop for a chat.

WHAT???? talk to a dead tree branch ~ the neighbours will think im even more mad than they already thought!!!

Not the dead branch, silly...the tree. ;-)

Oh ok! I'm sure that will be fine then, talking to a tree! ;-))

It's not going to shout, so you'll have to press your ear up against it.

You would have to promise you were not sneaking up behind and filming for YouTube!

LOL!!!
Wouldn't bother me if anyone did that to me.
Actually the eucalyptus is the best tree to listen to, especially in hot weather.
You should try it...you'd be amazed!

:-)))

I haven't got a eucalyptus - too cold here! No hot weather!

I planted one in a neighbour's garden about 15yrs ago, so if they grow up here they'll positively thrive in your area.
4ft tall, when I planted it & around 16ft, when she moved 5yrs later...and took it with her!!! Lol.
The only two problems are their eventual height (40-60ft) & they're also prone to dropping branches.
Moles, however, give the eucalyptus more than a wide berth.
Maybe afraid of falling branches. Lol.
Seriously, though, it might be because of that distinctive scent, or the fact that you can hear the tree going about it's business, ie, sucking up all the surrounding water & shifting sap around.
The aboriginals call it the talking dream tree.

I like that name, 'the talking dream tree' ! Mgt have to wait for my next garden? I can't plant a tree here that might grow to tat height......too many trees already surrounding.

It's very lightly leaved & puts me in mind of betulas & I love the scent. Very invigorating.

sorry about the spelling/writing on my comment above ~ what was i on???

they have a lovely bark too dont they? [i dont mean the woof kind!!]

The eucs, the bets or both? Lol.

I meant the eucs but the bets have lovely bark ~ i do agree!!

eucs, bets ~ sounds like code!

I never heard anything.
Help, I've gone deaf! ;-)
(Mouldy leaves this txt in the dead drop.)