Ageing landscaping grass

This beautiful grass was grown long enough. Was it really? This is probably some kind of pennisetum, but who knows how old?
Have you seen it before?

Pyracantha coccinea by surprise!

Want to see surprising way of growing pyracantha? Just have a look at the photos. Pyracantha trained against the wall as espalier – don’t you think it looks really pretty?

Recommended further reading The Flower Recipe Book

This photos are taken in Netherlands, but I've seen many examples of pyracantha trained against the wall also in UK. 

If you would like to see great examples of fruit trees espaliers click here.

Recommended further reading The Flower Recipe Book

Tall ornamental grass - Miscanthus sinensis Sirene

Tall ornamental grass in the large garden, may also look beautiful - like this one on the picture. However watch the size. Miscanthus sinensis Sirene grows up to 2 m tall, while Miscanthus giganteus can reach 3 m!

Size – let’s say - is similar, but space planned for the grass is really large. Perennial bed of such size would take 1/8 of my garden. When I look at the number (1/8) it seems feasible, but thinking of my garden, it would look rather odd than harmonious, because style of the garden and architecture of the house should be also matching.

If you know that on the left side, out of the frame, there is an old cathedral (built in 10th century and rebuilt in 12th century) would you also agree, that this grass, in this place doesn't fit – don’t you think?

Check out backyard gardening ideas for gardening tips and ideas for beginners.

Tall ornamental grass - my mistake.

Miscanthus giganteus - name of mistake.

Firstly - mistake of distracted mind to buy it.

Secondly - mistake to plant it here. Too tall, too much out of context. In the nursery websites they write: good to plant at the pond.
Not in this case.

I admit that Miscanthus giganteus looks pretty in other gardens, especially after about 3 years, when it gets denser, but in this case it’s clear mistake.

Place is completely wrong - it competes with Cornus controversa – the tree growing on the left side. Too tall in comparison with the rest of planting.

I garden, so I make mistakes, right? Mistakes in the garden can be corrected. So I did. I was not able to remove it by myself – the rhizome is hard like stone. I tried, but I gave up. With HIS help we removed ‘giganteus mistakeus’ last autumn, 1 year ago.
You may see on the picture what happened 1 year after operation. Tadadam! Grew back in only 12 months. Doesn’t want to go away.

Do you think I shall treat it as a sign or should I be persistent?

Recommended further reading The Encyclopedia of Grasses for Livable Landscapes

Brugmansia Angels Fantasy vs. Alien

Maybe you don’t get this association. For me it is the first one coming to my mind. The flowers look magnificent, but don’t you think they look like Alien - creature from the movie with Sigourney Weaver movie?

Yesterday during the conversation about the movie “District 9” I made a joke “I think aliens are already living among us” - yesterday everyone laughed, but today while looking at these pictures of spectacular brugmansia Angels Fantasy, somebody said “yes, aliens are already living among us – just look at this! Look at the beauty and diversity around…”

So I am not the only one to connect it with that movie.




I bumped at it in botanic garden in Wroclaw 2 days ago, when I have visited charming team of gardening magazine “My Beautiful Garden” as a result of being a finalist of blog competition. Soon I will show you more pictures from truly beautiful botanic garden in Wroclaw.

PS. Flowers of brugmansia Angels Fantasy look magnificent, but I didn’t get too much scent.

Do you still think you have no space for brugmansia?

I think this is the most unusual place to grow brugmansia.

Or you can beat it?

Balcony garden - you think you have no space for brugmansia?

There is no limit for Brugmansia fan. Even a small balcony is great for hosting this fascinating plant.

Looking for showstopper? I wonder how many people stop and gaze or take photograph.
I spot this view second year in a row, which means owner is overwintering the plant successfully and this is not just one season whim.

I always adore people having such kind of ideas, because it shows that they think outside the box – in this case literally, outside the box which is the balcony itself.

Nothing can stop Brugmansia fan.

Brugmansia and her smallish container

Brugmansia on the picture is currently about 180 cm tall and is growing in 35 cm diameter container. I admit it looks surprising and I have noticed that the proportions between brugmansia and the container is getting a lot of attention, so today just short comment about it.

Maybe today the container looks small compare to the plant, but when I was choosing it in February, the height of the plant was about 80 cm. You can see on the picture red arrows which show the place where this brugmansia was pruned last autumn, right before going to ‘plant hotel’ in the cellar, as winters in zone 6 are too cold for it. Brugmansia can winter outdoor up to zone 10b.

Recommended reading: The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants: Ethnopharmacology and Its Applications

Concerning the size of this brugmansia in February, I thought the container will be sufficient. If you ask me today – I didn’t expect so fast growth.

Metal container or wooden old barrel? If you ask me, for aesthetic reasons I would vote for barrel, but then how to overwinter the huge plant? Take it out of the barrel? How? Barrel is 70 cm high, plant is close to 2 meters. Such barrel full of dirt is very heavy… This metal container is a choice of convenience. See the handles? It is very easy to change its place. Do you have any tips on how to handle big brugmansia in big wooden barrel for overwintering?

After studying 'brugmansia flowering' subject closer, I suspect that late flowering might be caused also by too low pruning. Only flowering top should be removed – you can tell which part is the flowerin top by looking at the plant. At certain point brugmansia body starts to divide – this is the place where flowering top starts.

Yesterday I discovered that one of the cuttings I took last autumn is going to bloom. That is real surprise. Pictures are coming soon.

Recommended further reading The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants: Ethnopharmacology and Its Applications

Fragrant flowers of my angel's trumpet brugmansia

She must be liking the tomato fertiliser she gets every weekend.

Yes.

This is exactly what I do.

Every Saturday or Sunday SHE - Mrs Trumpet Brugmansia - gets big dose of minerals. I continue since mid June.

End of August (after 1,5 months) she started to bloom.

This is clear win-win situation. She likes fertiliser, I like her fragrant flowers.

There is still about 28 flowers to come. Neighborhood is filled with rich scent of these gorgeous fragrant flowers. The scent travels even to the street.

My conclusion is to start to fertilise it much earlier like beginning of May or end of April, while she is still indoor, waiting for the warmer days.

Is this container good enough for HER - Mrs Angel's Trumpet Brugmansia?

Brugmansia flowers finally

Isn't it late?
........
I think so. Why is that? Do you know the answer?
.......
Maybe this is such kind that flowers late?
......
Or maybe lack nutrients? as brugmansia is very very hungry. I started feed it in June with tomato fertiliser - is that the reason?
.....
This plant is big - approx. 180 cm - and 4-5 years old. I have received it last autumn from a neighbor living few streets away, who read my blog and decided to give it to me as a gift.
....
21st of August is definitely late for Brugmansia to bloom - I have no earlier experience with it.
...






Don't you think these thin, long thingies on the flowers are cute?
..
Blooming Friday is the day when Katarina at Roses and Stuff gathers us together to show Friday's blooms. This is great opportunity for happy gardeners to share their happy blooms.
.
What is your Friday Bloom?

Compare 2 Brugmansia Cuttings

Continuing thinking about my 2 identical brugmansia cuttings planted few months ago in March,

on the picture you may see exactly the difference and understand what do I exactly mean.

Those 2 cuttings taken in the Autumn, have spend most of their time in identical conditions. Same water, same light amount, same compost.

The only difference is the temperature in last 3 weeks only.

The bigger plant on the left has spent last 3 weeks at home on the windowsill in steady temp. around 20C/68F, while the smaller plant was growing outside in the garden, where temeratures were dropping at night to 9C/48F.

What a difference, ha?

Can't wait for them to bloom and share the gift of fragrance and look so beautiful like those I've spotted while walking in an old aristocratic district of Warsaw.

PS. I forgot to tell you, that I have painted my garden furniture to white with some old lace decorations. Do you think it looks nice?

Brugmansia cutting expansion

Do you remember my Brugmansia cutting I took in November?

4 months later, in March it rooted already.

Just 2 months later, today it looks like it plans the world domination.

Look at the bottom of the picture, see mobile phone for size reference?

After I placed it on the windowsill, my husband said, that it looks like CGI (computer generated image), not real one.

What do you think?

I keep it at home, while the other cutting is outside since 1 month - temperatures are not too high - rarely exceeding 20C.

7 Most Beautiful Pictures of Brugmansia aka Datura - Inspirational Monday

Brugmansia aka Datura - is great source of beautiful fragrance in the garden. It is such delight when also planted well or in nice container. Just have a look - I hope you will feel inspired :)

Picture by baansuan

Recommended reading Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (Llewellyn's Sourcebook Series) (Cunningham's Encyclopedia Series)

 

Picture by komehachi888

Picture by elvissa

Picture by mutbka

Picture by pizzodisevo

Picture by pizzodisevo


Picture by pizzodisevo

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Recommended reading Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (Llewellyn's Sourcebook Series) (Cunningham's Encyclopedia Series)

How to root brugmansia cuttings. Brugmansia or datura?

How to deal with brugmansia/datura cuttings.

I have placed them directly to water in November. They were there until last weekend. As you can see roots have appeared, although occasionally all water was gone - two strongest cuttings have survived. After roots appear, you may just pot them in fine gardening soil. Keep the water moist, as they love a lot of water.

Brugmansia or datura?

It looks like all of them are Brugmansia right now. Oficially, botanically there is no name like 'datura', however there is a difference in flower characteristics. They are all considered as Brugmansia.

Brugmansia flowers are usually pendulous and hanging down, while Datura flowers are rather erect, facing up or slightly down.

My huge brugmansia came to me thanks to blogging.

These brugmansia cuttings come from a very nice person living few streets away, that I met thanks to blogging! Can you believe it? I am just about to tell you how it has happened.

One day I made post about beautiful brugs I saw in Warsaw, and somebody came and made a comment. I made comment back. He e-mailed me pictures of his brugs growing in the garden (taken indoor for winter). After getting the permission to publish pictures of huge brugmansias growing in their garden, I asked for cuttings in the proper time, which is in the Autumn.

So, one cold day in November, just before real cold has come, I went to pick it up. To my great surprise I have received not only cuttings, but also one huge brugmansia plant dug out from the garden, plus some other interesting plants.

I kept the big brugmansia plant mostly dry entire winter, watering it very sparingly every 2-3 weeks.

It seems very fine today and has to wait until May 20th - thats the last frost date in Poland.

Brugmansia and green backyards in aristocratic district of Warsaw Poland

.... while some of us are seeking something sweet and kicking ......

..... the others are having new sweet shoes.... that will take us for a short walk in the most aristocratic in the past and most expensive today district of Warsaw....

..... first we see seciession antique apartment house in Mokotowska street.....

..... then secret backyard's patios ...

... ''pink shoes" walkes us places, I would probably not see coming as tourists ...

.... going out we see again old apartment house....

.... and something very special! beautiful large brugmansia... I saw many of them before....
... but none made such impression... do you see the pots? ...

.... it makes the difference .... even staking looks elegant :)

'Pink shoes' got a headache, so we went home.....

Huge Rhododendron in Botanical Garden, close to Warsaw Poland

Eye candy.

Today let me take you to the Botanical Garden in Powsin, located 10 km South of Warsaw. There is amazing collection of rhododendrons and azaleas. Right now they are in full bloom. Looking at them is a real treat for the eyes. Paradise? Secret Garden? Heaven? After such walk eyes are full of flowers and colors... On the picture above my mom and Rhododendron luteum...

Azalea Golden Eagle.


Actually I am happy that there were some other people, because we could see proportions and understand the sizes.



I think I leave you alone with the pictures...








Just to disturb you for a moment, don't you think that combination of lavender and orange color is smashing?

More pictures of other plants will come in next posts.