How does your garden grow '07!

Sophie

I live in a garden flat - there is a small but beautiful mature garden here, looked after by my landlords, though feeling the urge to do some gardening again, I've just offered my services. My little contribution to that pocket Eden so far is a mona lavender, which I have just planted, in a large terracotta pot. It's an indigenous hybrid, developed here in the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, but I understand it's quite popular in North America and Europe. A lovely flowering plant, which flowers in autumn/winter (at least in the Southern Hemisphere) and into spring - light purple flowers, deep green leaves with purple underleaves.

As soon as I can I'll post pictures of the garden, and the mona lavender :)

I used organic fertiliser and a handful of small tumble stones, to encourage happy growth - and I gave it some reiki ;)

Here are a few images of the mona lavender I found on the net.
 

sharpchick

Oh that will be stunning when it blooms.
 

Ankou

That mona lav is beautiful! can it be used just like any other lavender? The blooms are so full and open!

SharpChick, I've been thinking about a garden medicine wheel around our cedar out front. How is yours done? I would love to procure some large quarter donut stones, but alas they would have to be hand crafted and the only hands I can afford are my own right now! So I would love to know what you've done for yours to get some other ideas starting.

My sage seeds have finnally sprouted and are just busting up out of their plastic terrarium. Thankfully I think the weather may have finnally broken here. So maybe at weeks end if the warmth holds, I'll start transplanting the more vigorous little guys :) Early weeding is allowing my wild mints to take over the lawn, which should be just wonderful. I've always wanted an herbal lawn cover! Even if my lawn is only 10'x10' hee hee...

I'm of to the out doors to scowl at things for a bit!

Cheers
 

Guiding Cauldron

added today :)

today the garden has new additions they are:

24 mixed lettuces seedlings
3 different tomatoes
2 strawberries
and 24 large pansies- antique and strawberry sundae pinks

i also got some great solar coulored dome lights to add intrest :)
 

Sophie

Hi Ankou,

Actually, the name "Mona Lavender" is a bit confusing. It's not a lavender at all, but a variety of Plectranthus. It was given its common name because of the colour of its flowers! You can read about it here, under P.


I love sage and mint - but they need vigorous cutting back or they just take over!
 

Ankou

Ah if only I could get anything as nice as sage to take over! I'm learning alot about rooting habits with all the weeding though!


I looked up the medicine wheel garden and found this link

http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096411113

It's a great starting article, including links to various garden/seed suppliers.
 

sharpchick

My sage and thyme are blooming. Thyme has such sweet, delicate little flowers. And the purple of the sage blooms is a true purple.

My iris should open tomorrow, and the lowest branches of my climbing rose had bloomed (near the ground), so I did not notice them till the breeze shifted and I smelled that wonderful scent.

Unfortunately, both my hydrangeas got nipped in our late freeze. I doubt seriously if I'll have much blooming on them this summer, and I'm waiting to see how much dieback there has been.

I've been in the garden all day, though - the weather today is wonderful. This morning I set my new fountain head and filled the stock tank. Turned it on and it has been happily splashing since. This afternoon I can take a breather and just sit and enjoy with a good book.
 

ravenest

Well, now I'll REALLY have to get my garden act together, the news says that next year (if the weather continues with drought) produce could go up 200% - Yikes! better get those vegiie seedlings in (and build a green house for winter!)
 

Guiding Cauldron

ravennest

aww im so wishing i had enough space for a real greenhouse! i have a tiny plastic covered one for 2 trays of seedlings at a time and thats it. we currently rent our cottage so we cant place apermanent structure on the land part. I would die if i could grow in a greenhouse all winter! What joy that would be :)
 

sharpchick

I agree about the greenhouse. . . even a small glass room would be great, too. I'm thinking about the tropicals I could grow. . .some dwarf citrus even.

But my lavender is blooming. . . it's an English variety. And we are predicted to get rain for a couple of days. If the Gods smile, then it will be lovely soaking showers and after a few more days, my garden will be bursting with blooms.

A wonderful discovery as I took mulch off of the windowboxes was that the little lemony yellow snapdragons overwintered. . . :D