It's been raining here for the last 2 days - I love the garden in the rain and I love to garden in the rain!
I always think that gardens take on a different dimension when it's moist and misty outdoors. The senses are really turned on when we venture outdoors on rainy occasions. The one job I love to do when it's raining is weeding. The weeds pull out the soil with little effort, especially in the lovely rich soil I have in my garden. Quite possibly gardening in the rain is not for everyone but I do recommend giving it a try - I often feel just as invigorated as my garden does! Having said that, I would not dream on venturing out in torrential rain, unless absolutely necessary and it is not recommended to plant or move plants when the soil is waterlogged.
As I was busying myself with moving some pots and containers into their winter homes I just couldn't help admiring how lovely foliage looks in the rain.
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| Physocarpus opulifolius Burning Embers |
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| Mahonia x media Charity |
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| Mahonia eurybracteata subsp.ganpinensis Soft Caress |
Another from the Mahonia family Mahoberberis Dart's Desire. A Mahonia and Berberis hybrid this low growing (50cm) evergreen shrub is very easily identified as such. It produces lovely new red leaves in spring.
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| Mahoberberis Dart's Desire |
Terracotta pots are often a good way to highlight foliage of plants. I've yet to find a candidate that doesn't look good in terracotta. Take Wooly Thyme - this plant would never in a million years survive planted in the soil in my garden - it often looks at it's best trailing over brick walls, which I don't have! I can have a similar effect by growing in a good sized pot.
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| Thyme pseudolanuginosus |
Unlike the Thyme, Black mondo grass does grow happily in the borders. It also does well in containers. This specimen is underplanted with deep blue Iris reticulata and really comes into it's own in spring time but unlike other spring containers - I can leave it basking in the sun and enjoy it year round. The light bouncing from the wet black leaves is almost mirror like and difficult to capture.
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| Ophiopogon planiscapus Nigrescens (AGM) |
I like to grow some clover in a pot for the bumblebees - when flowering is over it is sheered right back and will produce new leaves which will often remain looking good over winter. This purple four leaved clover is far too invasive to grow in the borders and I hope by keeping it contained - it will remain well behaved!
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| Trifolium repens Purpurascens 'Quadrofolium' |
Limp and heavy with rain the Acer foliage provides quite a dramatic background for the Japanese holly fern and others. Red and Green together is, in my opinion, one of mother nature's perfect partnerships
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| Acer palmatum dissectum Crimson Queen and Cyrtomium fortunei |
There are lots of reds and greens around
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| Enkianthus |
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| Cotoneaster, Leucothoe and Heuchera |
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| Variegated Cornus |
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| Holly and ripening berries |
Varying shades and textures of green in a red container makes for a great looking winter display
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| Variegated Euonymus, Heuchera, Ivy and Maidenhair fern planted up for a winter display |
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| Tropaeolum speciosum |
Providing an almost jungle effect in the side garden Fatsia is very much at home in the shade
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| Fatsia, Fern, Magnolia and Zantedeschia looking lush in October rain |
I'm seeing mixed messages from Hosta So Sweet - it seems a bit confused as to what time of the year it is
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| Hosta So Sweet |
Euphorbia characias Silver Swan - not only tall and elegant in the heavy rain, it really lights up on a dull day.
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| Euphorbia Silver Swan |
I leave you with a shot of my favourite shrub, complete with cobweb for effect!
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| Cornus alternifolia Argentea |
