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13/10/2019

gardening with friends

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​This story is not so much about plants which work well together as about gardeners who work well together.
  

PictureBeverley Park Heritage Rose Garden in early spring, soon after the ''Friends'' have finished the winter pruning when Helleborus is quickly followed by lots of old-fashioned Snowflakes (not to be confused with Snowdrops) and the blueness of Grape Hyacinths (Muscari) or Match-heads? which make a glorious blue carpet under the sculptural shapes of bare pruned roses.




​BEVERLEY PARK HERITAGE ROSE GARDEN
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Helen, Ann and Jill, are amongst some of our volunteer Friends of Beverley Park Heritage Rose Garden, who come to help on a regular basis. Today they are clearing up rose clippings after a pruning session.
​​Beverley Park Heritage Rose Garden is part of the Canterbury Community Gardens Association, but is not so much about producing food for the body as food for the soul.  It is a place where people come to seek solace, scent and beauty - a much needed place of serenity in our area.
As with other Community Gardens we work with volunteer support, and there is plenty of camaraderie and  friendship amongst our helpers as we work towards our common goal  -  to create something uplifting and beautiful for the wider community. 

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LINWOOD VILLAGE CLEAN-UP DAY
There are at least 3 Community Gardens in the Linwood area including Smith Street Community Garden, Fitzgerald Avenue Community Garden, and the Linwood Avenue Community Garden, and perhaps others I haven't heard about.  But as well as our Community Gardens we have something extra and very important in our  area - The Linwood Village Clean-up Day.   This is held in September every year where volunteers and residents from the community hold  a çlean-up day  in and around the village - tidying up, weeding, and clearing away accumulated rubbish from some of the empty sites where buildings have been demolished post-earthquake.  The Clean-up Day is initiated by the people in our community as even though Linwood is seen as a low socio-economic area and has it's problems, it is rich in community spirit.  It is here that the people themselves have the will to do what they can to improve a sad part of Christchurch which has been  neglected and forgotten about by the authorities.   

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​TINY SHOPS
The most imaginative and creative of projects was initiated by the Inner City East group on a vacant site where buildings had been demolished.   With the help of Greening the Rubble they, built this idiosyncratic and picturesque little streetscape on a shoestring, consisting of quaint little buildings, planter boxes and little picket fences painted orange, purple and yellow dotted amongst gardens and gravel pathways.  These funky little buildings are the Tiny Shops which  house a bookshop, a secondhand clothes shop, a bike repair shop and a cafe where you can sit outside, at tables and chairs surrounded by the garden and enjoy a great coffee when the sun shines.  A gathering place for the whole community, it was here that people also gathered on Clean-up Day to weed the garden, do running repairs, weed the gravel pathways and plant shrubs flowers, and veggie plants which had been donated to the project.  

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​It was a most successful day not only  in the spruce-up of Tiny Shops, but in the camaradarie of people from all walks of life working together for a common cause.  The thing I enjoyed most was working and chatting with people and families I would otherwise never have met - moving me out of my comfort zone and broadening my appreciation of other ethnic and social groups.  And joining together afterwards to enjoy a barbecue lunch organised by  Tiny Shop tenants.   Participating in the Cleanup Day was the most fun I have had for a long time, cost nothing and gave a great sense of satisfaction to be involved in a spruce up for Tiny Shops, a much needed beacon of hope in an area down on it's luck.      ​


















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17/8/2019

Snowdrops - with apologies to more knowledgable galanthophiles

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PictureA spectacular winter white carpet of Snowdrops naturalised near Darfield, Canterbury, from a few bulbs brought to this country by early settlers during the 19th century.

There are many exotic places and gardens waiting in the wings to be written about, but all the excitement is right here in winter, where I can't get Snowdrops out of my mind.  This was in July when most of the varieties were in flower. 
​It is now a month later in August, and the Snowdrops are fading fast, as we slip out of winter and into spring.

Even though the modest snowdrop display in my garden is minimal compared to other places, I peer at my few little groups in wonder every day.  They made me feel happy as they pushed up bravely through near frozen ground in July,  letting us know that spring might not be far away.  In the dead of winter soon after the shortest day their green shoots appeared through the crackling brown dead leaves of last summer like a million phoenix rising from the ashes with little white drops of flowers unfolding from within soon covering the ground - new life rising up from the old.
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The botanical name for Snowdrop is Galanthus. There are as many different varieties and cultivars, within the genus as there are among Snowdrop enthusiasts who call themselves Galanthophiles.
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If you were lucky enough to have had a great great granny who had the foresight to pop a few Snowdrop bulbs into her luggage when she came in a sailing ship over rough seas from the other side of the world, then you too may now have white carpets of Snowdrops naturalised under trees on your property, as seen here on a remote property miles from Darfield in Canterbury.  It was obvious there had been a great great granny at work here.
Or you may be like many other slogging   Galanthophiles who have been working at it for years, digging up and dividing clumps of ''snowdrops ín the green'' and spreading them around the garden.
​A month ago towards the end of July, I joined a group of Galanthophiles - becoming one myself - on a Snowdrop tour to the deep south.  These included visiting some famous southern gardens which are Snowdrop heaven, including Larnach Castle, Maple Glen and Blue Mountain Nurseries in Tapanui.  I don't know that any of the owners of these gardens have had convenient great-great-grannies.  I think these were people who had slogged over the years for the pure love of Snowdrops to understand the differences between the varieties, and to spread many of these favoured varieties throughout their own gardens.  We were lucky enough to see the fruits of their labours over many years.
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Denis Hughes (pictured) at Blue Mountain Nurseries has been one of those sloggers, and has built up an impressive collection. But the most exciting Snowdrop we saw, was the one he had hybridised himself which is called Galanthus elwesii ''Emerald Hughes'', a robust variety with large and plentiful flowers appearing amongst wide lush emerald green leaves - see above.
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This is the anti-climax of snowdrop displays and I'm sorry to say it is my garden!! It's meagre collection of Snowdrops I think consists mainly of Galanthus nivalis - a more usual variety which my Snowdrop friend was kind enough to give me a few years ago to get me started.
Since the Snowdrop tour if the south, I have already mended my slovenly Galanthus ways, and have split up some of the larger clumps to spread around in my mini-snowdrop field. Not only that, I have bought and planted ''in the green'' 2 other varieties. One is the superior afore mentioned G. elwesii ''Emerald Hughes", as I figured in it's robustness, it might spread about quickly, filling in my snowdropless spaces. The other variety I purchased was G. plicatus plenus, for it's sheer beauty and delicacy. It is a double Snowdrop with a green ruffled skirt hiding modestly beneath it's spreading top white petals.   Now, at the end of August the Snowdrops have almost disappeared while the foliage flourishes green and lush, making new bulbs towards a more fulsome display of Snowdrops to fill me with optimism next winter.  

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21/6/2019

Chelsea Flower Show-may 2019  reflections from down under

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When I left New Zealand in mid-May to visit my family in the UK, I hadn't even thought of the Chelsea Flower Show.  But my family had.  Soon after I arrived as part of a significant birthday celebration, they presented me with an envelope which contained tickets for Chelsea.  And not just any old tickets, but invitations to the Members Day and Cocktail Party afterwards!  None of us are RHS members so I was touched and impressed by the hoops my family must have had to jump through to obtain these prestigious tickets.   It was a thrilling day with much to see and take in, only a fraction of which I am able to record here.  I have chosen my  favourite gardens to discuss, but there were other worthy gardens too, which had been awarded gold, silver and bronze medals. 


​M&G GARDEN designed by ANDY STURGEON
Winner of Best in Show and a Gold Medal
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We headed first of all for Main Avenue and the Exhibition Show Gardens where the first impressions were wild, green and natural!  In many of the gardens there was not a lot of colour - the drama relied on textural planting, and clever design.  The simplest and most natural looking designs are of course the most difficult to achieve, and there were 2 of these which I particularly liked. ​ 
​The first of these was the M&G Garden designed by Andy Sturgeon which deservedly won a Gold Medal and Best in Show.  M&G stands for M&G Investments which is the main sponsor of Chelsea, and  who chose Andy Sturgeon as the designer of their sponsored garden.  The aim of the garden was to celebrate the beauty of natures power to regenerate and colonise all kinds of landscapes with new growth.  It certainly did that with it's lush and vibrantly green environment featuring plant species from around the world - many of which had never been seen at Chelsea before. 
Much of the power of this exhibit was due to it's position where it could use borrowed landscape in the form of existing trees already part of the Chelsea site.  Sited against existing mature trees on 2 sides, where the edges of the exhibit and the existing woodland blurred, it created the feeling that the garden went on forever into woodland. 
​This lush planting was divided by and contrasted against black linear sculptures representing ancient rock formations fashioned from massive charred oak.  The regenerative theme was carried through by a series of small pools and streams trickling through the garden.  I am in complete accord with the judges in rating this garden the most powerful and strongest design at Chelsea.


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​THE SAVILLS AND DAVID HARBER GARDEN
designed by ANDREW DUFF
Bronze Medal winner
 
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 The second garden I particularly enjoyed was the wild and natural Savills and David Harber Garden designed by Andrew Duff - his first Chelsea design which won a bronze medal.  This was wild and natural taken to the extreme, with plenty of long grass and wild plants of the woodland and countryside verging on weeds i.e. buttercup and cow parsley.   Nevertheless, we all know how beguiling a froth of cow parsley can look! 
​Rather than strong and powerful as was Andy Sturgeons M&G Garden, I was captivated by the ethereal quality of this garden as  light filtered through surrounding woodland into a clearing and a naturalistic pond with the native iris growing in a most natural way in and around the pond blurring the edges.  The plants - weeds and all, were native to the UK, and the  trees  included Alder and Elder. 
​To my way of thinking this was a superb example of a simple and natural design, which would not have been easy to achieve in a Show context and could have stood alone without the sculptural shard-like installation as a focus - a double focus actually reflecting as it did in the pond.  My initial feeling was that this glitzy sculptural element didn't gel with the natural feel of the exhibit.   Or was it  there as a foil to the wild and natural and meant to contrast rather than gel?



​THE TRAILFINDERS ''UNDISCOVERED LATIN AMERICA'' GARDEN
designed by JONATHAN SNOW
​Silver Medal Winner
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Another 'wild' garden I identified with straight away was a southern hemisphere garden - The Trailfinders 'Undiscovered Latin America Garden' -  Made not by a Chilean or Brazilian designer - but by Jonathan Snow from the U.K.   Like Jonathan I had been on a botanical trip to Chile and Argentina some years ago, and his Chelsea garden transported me straight back there.  All the planting was faithfully native to South America, particularly Chile, from the large Araucaria araucana (monkey puzzle) to the herbaceous Alstromeria.  I felt quite at home with this southern hemisphere garden as so many of these South American species also belong to the same plant families as our New Zealand  native species - such as Kauri which is also of the Araucaria family.  And the Chilean Nothofagus antarctica (evergreen beech)  is related to the New Zealand Nothofagus (native beech) and looks very similar as well.   South America's native Fuschia magellanica was represented too,  as we also have our native Fuschia (Kotukutuku).
The red walkway may not have been authentically South American, but it certainly added a visual focus to the exhibit.
Jonathan says 'Understanding where a plant grows in the world and the conditions it enjoys, helps us all become better gardeners and designers'. 
Ain't that the truth??  And the garden won a silver medal so the judges were impressed too.


​THE WELCOME TO YORKSHIRE GARDEN
designed by MARK GREGORY
Gold Medal and Peoples Choice Winner
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Monty Don and Joe Swift glimpsed chatting between the working lock and the lock -keepers cottage
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A different view of the lock keepers cottage
Another wild and natural garden, the ''Welcome to Yorkshire Garden'' celebrates Yorkshire's canals and the rural drama of the county's industrial heritage.  This exhibit illustrates again the way the existing trees of the Chelsea site, can enhance a design which in this instance aims to strike the perfect balance between the industrial and the beautiful.   Mark Gregory, the designer says ''My design pays homage to the canals and locks which were vital to Yorkshire as the arteries of industry during the Industrial Revolution and how they have been lovingly restored to create a unique ecosystem and valuable leisure resource''. 
​It was very hard to get a good photo of this garden as there were celebrities around  - Joe Swift was interviewing Monty Don in the garden so the  crowds were several rows deep hoping to get a glimpse of the celebs.  And a glimpse is all I could get with my phone camera, as I was squeezed from all sides.  So the photos are less than perfect, however you might just make out Joe and Monty through the willow chatting in front of the Lock-keepers cottage.



​THE R.H.S. BACK TO NATURE GARDEN
designed by HRH THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE
with ANDREE DAVIES and ADAM WHITE
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A childrens teepee hide-away made from tree branches
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A robust ladder up which children can climb to the tree-hut
Everybody wants to know about the Duchess of Cambridge's garden!!   It was titled The RHS Back to Nature Garden and was created with the help of designers Andree Davies and Adam White. As an RHS Feature Garden it was in a  class of it's own which was not competitive. 
​Following the theme of wild and natural, it was a like an authentically natural playground for children.   There was no gaudy plastic playground equipment here - oh no - all was created from nature.  The tree-huts, the hidey holes, the swings, the little wooden bridges over little rocky streams, the winding trails and paths were all created from pebbles, branches, logs and rocks.  The  naturalistic planting of woodland and roadside, such as ferns, long grass and wild strawberry, was once again verging on weeds.
The Duchess's vision was to provide inspiration for places for children to be able play, learn and discover about the natural world, and although a charming concept and beautifully crafted, this garden did not convey the sophisticated design principals of many of the Exhibition Gardens.  Nevertheless, the queues to view the garden were endless. 
      

THE GREAT PAVILION


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To see ''flowers'' and colour ad infinitum, you must head for The Great Pavilion, and there you will see flowers as you have never seen them before.  Flowers from every season - winter Hellebores and the diminutive crocus to autumn Chrysanthemums and everything inbetween.

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​The Great Pavilion showcases some of the best nurseries from Britain and around the world as well as science and education exhibits and impressive displays from U.K.'s finest florists.  More than 80 nurseries were exhibiting their passion for plants and in my opinion there were none more splendid than the Allium National Collection.
This exhibit was a show-stopper where Alliums in flower, leaves, seed-heads and bulbs were all on display.  But it was the Alliums in flower which said it all.  Exhibited in formal rows, their stiff growth habit of a ''globe on a stem'' was accentuated.   This form in many different shades of purple, mauve white and green, were spectacular.   ​Wouldn't we love to have this sort of access to growing Alliums in New Zealand?  They are a rare treat in our country, whereas in the U.K.  you can see Alliums in many gardens.
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Yes - these too are Alliums. I had not seen their flowerheads in this lovely tangled form before and sadly know even less about this unusual cultivar.
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The impressive centre piece of the Allium exhibit
  
Even the roses were wild and natural.  The David Austin Rose exhibit was rambling and tumbling everywhere.  There were also some more recently introduced formal cultivars, but I didn't feel drawn to photograph them in the same way as I did this more natural wild display, so I'm afraid they got left out!  However I do know that 2 new cultivars were introduced, both of them named after characters from Thomas Hardy novels.  Both of them full ruffled forms - one called ''Eustacia Vye' has a deep coffee apricot centre fading to a lighter pink towards the outer petals.  And the other called 'Gabriel Oak'' is a rich burgundy pink, again with multiple ruffled petals.  But neither variety is shown here.
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Harkness Roses exhibit - the deep pink rose in the foreground is called ''This Morning''
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The David Austin Roses exhibit which won a Gold Medal

​It's a dilemma at Chelsea because you would like to record the names of many of the different new species and cultivars, but there simply isn't time if you want to photograph the exhibit while there is a rare people-free opportunity. You have to be at the ready with your camera/phone  the minute there is gap in the crowd and if you are busy writing you might miss that gap.  Also there is so much to see that you don't want to spend too much time writing down names, so apologies for lack of names. However I can tell you that the David Austin Roses exhibit won a Gold Medal, and was a special tribute to David Austin himself, who died in December 2018.
The Harkness Roses exhibit, who market their roses as ''easy-to-grow garden roses caught my eye again because of the informality of their exhibit and the roses themselves.   They were mostly single or semi single varieties and many had an attractive dark blotch in the centre, in the same way as the very early species rose  'Rosa persica'.  The sprawling  deeper pink rose in the foreground is called 'This  Morning''  and was truly gorgeous.


Hillier Nurseries Ltd 
Gold Medal Winner

It is not unusual for Hilliers Nurseries to win a Gold Medal.  They are always a prominent exhibitor in The Great Pavilion and have won a Gold Medal every year since 1939.  The excellence and breadth of their designs and plants is unrivalled even though there are always many other interesting, unusual and attractive exhibits in the The Great Pavilion, yet for sheer excellence and professionalism, Hilliers always pulls it out of the bag. 
​And we, in  New Zealand are delighted about this as so many of us remember with affection, Kate Hillier, part of the famous Hillier Nursery family, when she lived in Auckland and managed the Ellerslie Flower Show.
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The Hillier blends together contemporary and traditional themes. The central element, alongside the thousands of beautiful plants, is the striking contemporary water feature that brings a feeling of calm and elegance to the space and is designed to be easily viewed from all angles.  I have been blown away by the largesse of the plant material of Hilliers exhibits when I have been to Chelsea before, especially the way they so effortlessly show plants of all seasons together.  And here it was again with white spring Cherry Blossom in flower alongside summer roses, late summer Hydrangeas with the striking , variegated white and green Cornus foliage.  These were in the white corner of the exhibit where serene white borders transition to vibrant pinks and oranges, moving to hues of purple as you walk around the exhibit.
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The planting designer, Lilly Gomm says “Combining both traditional and contemporary can be a fine balance, but we have made sure the two are seamless. The presentation of a wide variety of Hillier hardy perennials, shrubs and trees, including brand new varieties and classics, is, of course, a vital part of this.”

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Lysimachia purpurea ''Beaujolais''
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New foxglove introduction - Digitalis valinii ''Firebird"
  Finally here are two of the many plants which took my eye at Chelsea. In the Hillier Garden I spotted a favourite of mine which I have tried to grow in my own garden - Lysimachia purpurea 'Beaujolais''.  But it never looked like this in my garden!!   Never so fulsome and lush.  The other plant which appealed was a  hybrid foxglove introduced for the first time at Chelsea called Digitalis x valinii "Firebird"   It was well named with it's deep pink pointed beak-like florets set off by unusual red tinted foliage. 

I came away from Chelsea that day filled with wonder and enthusiasm at the Great British Gardening  Culture.  Horticulture and anything relating to gardens are so much part of their way of life - the impeccable design, the excellence of the plant material and new plant introductions, the enthusiasm, the crowds, and the seriousness  with which  horticulture is regarded in the UK is impressive.  It is in their DNA!  
And I couldn't help wishing
 it was more like this in New Zealand.  There is a garden culture here too, and we do have some great gardens and dedicated gardeners but horticulture here is all too often side-lined for something which is percieved as more important.  There is not the dedication led from above which you see in Britain.

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30/4/2019

Learning to love my seedheads

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It's so long since I've written about my own garden.  It has taken a back seat in blog-land while I have been thinking and writing about other exotic places, plants, gardens and people.  But how lucky I am to have my own garden to appreciate and write about when all the other excitements are over. 
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Seedheads of the tall slender grass - Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster', and the annual Red Orach, which seeds all over my garden - no bad thing! Here, they contrast against the last rose of summer - Burgundy Iceberg.
Even though it's May, that most dire of months for gardens in the southern hemisphere - equate it with November if you live on the other side of the world -  there is the beauty of decay.  Sometimes you have to look hard to see this beauty - but believe me - it is there!  Especially in the seedheads of grasses and spent flowers.  Mostly they turn a warm beige or corn colour as they dry out in the late summer and autumn sunshine, contrasting so well with that last rose of summer, and other autumn flowers such as Michelmas Daisies, Dahlias and simple Chrysanthemums.  

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Poppy seedheads, the tall Calamagrostis grass 'Karl Foerster', Queen Annes Lace seedheads and the Orach still sporting it's seedheads in pink and burgundy foliage, not quite dried yet here.
Poppy seedheads, almost as pretty as the flower they come from, are still looking so handsome, dry and golden, as is the annual weed Red Orach - Atriplex hortensia, which pops up all over my garden in spring. 
Some may think of it as a weed, but
 I bless it every day from the time it's  burgundy foliage appears in spring until it grows tall, in midsummer waving it's pink seedheads about, right through till autumn when that delicious burgundy pink suddenly changes to beige and gold when lit by sunlight.   
Although - in spring when the seedlings appear, I wonder if it might swamp the whole garden because it seeds in great clumps, all over the place, even coming up in cracks in the paving, but thankfully it's also easy to pull out in big tufts. 
You can control the amount of Red Orach in your garden by leaving only the seedlings you want to remain.   In strategic places of course, where you know it will look good rearing up as it does between other plants in all it's burgundy splendour, creating a wonderful foil for flowers throughout summer!  
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Who would have thought that other annual, Queen Anne's Lace - Ammi majus could carry on right through into winter so delicately, it's lacy white flowers turning to gold.
​The seedheads of the tall elegant grass Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster'  wave about dramatically above everything else through summer and autumn, even the tall lilys.  But now in late autumn the seed-heads of those tall lily's are an event in themselves. 
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Bronze Fennel seedheads along with the golden seedheads of the European grass, Stipa gigantea, the autumn foliage of a Tree Peony and the last of the orange Dahlias
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Verbena boniarensis developing into seedheads contrasting with Orach's golden seedheads and lily seedheads with the jagged fence in between
In the garden at the front of the cottage there is no tall Calamagrostis, waving about, but there is that other weedlike plant which I am so partial to - Verbena boniarensis, which arrived in my garden all by itself from I don't know where.  But what a bonus - as this is the plant which everyone remarks upon flourishing along the length of my front fence. Another happy accident because I would never have thought of teaming this lilac colour with the oranges and lime greens I had planned and planted so purposefully as the colour scheme for the front garden.  But V. boniarensis has appeared uninvited and unthought of and completes the colour scheme perfectly all by itself! 
Not only has it introduced just the colour fillip that the garden needed, it has introduced tall form and structure in it's unique zig-zagging way.  Even more, it does the seedhead thing.  Not turning beautifully gold like the previous seedheads described, but more of a blackish mauve, and though it might lose a bit of colour, it sticks to it's tall unique form doggedly all winter, so it doesn't deserve to be cut down.  While other seedheads might have broken up, rotted or faded away by spring V. boniarensis stays, until even I get sick of it and inspired by new spring green popping up everywhere else, I finally cut it down.   I also like the bronze fennel in this front garden not only because of it's feathery bronze summer foliage but also because of its form and seedheads in the autumn/winter garden.  And did I mention Stipa gigantea?  Such a tall plant in such a tiny garden?  It's golden seedheads reach as high as the roof of my verandah.   Just because my garden is small it doesn't mean to say I have to have tiny neat little plants.  
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Verbena boniarensis in April where it has seeded along the length of the street frontage in a narrow strip of garden adjoining my jagged blue fence. Creating a happy colour combination with orange Dahlia and Kniphofia behind the fence, the Orach seed-heads complete the picture.
Now that we are well into May and winter is just around the corner even those golden seed-heads which I have been so careful to save and appreciate - even they will fade back, break up and decay, so that soon there will be just the structural evergreen plants and skeletons of deciduous plants to look at.  It is only a week till I take off for warmer climes (I hope) to visit my family in the UK and to join old friend Noel Kingsbury and his group in Madrid studying the Flora and Gardens of Central Spain, and then a quick trip with Jimi Blake looking at The Cutting Edge Gardens of Sweden.  By the time I come home in mid June, my head and heart filled with the sights and colours of exotic plants and gardens of warmer climes, my garden will have lost all of it's autumn colour as below and there will be just the bones left - the  skeletal shapes of bare deciduous trees and shrubs and blessed evergreens left.   
PictureSoon the Ornamental Grape leaves will drop, but there will still be the rounded shapes of the hummocky Box surrounding the strong ridged trunk of a maturing Lancewood - Pseudopnax lessonii

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Muehlenbeckia complexa in all it's unruly hairy glory. To clip, it's a matter of tip-toeing delicately around it to avoid trampling down flowering perennials.
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One of the blessed evergreens is Muehlenbeckia complexa - that twining native plant which farmers hate, as it twines it's way over fences, gates - you name it - everywhere you wouldn't want it. We don't think of our unique native plants as weeds, but this one definitely is. Nevertheless it is wonderful twining up rusty metal reinforcing rods, as here. And there are native grasses mostly Carex buchannii around it which keeps it company. M. complexa grows like the clappers, and needs neverending clipping, which is a real chore throughout summer especially when to get at it you have to navigate those precious perennial flowers surrounding it. So it's a matter of treading carefully as you don't want to trample the flowers down in the process.

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8/4/2019

More From Iran

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​As we drove east one morning from Tabriz in Northern Iran up into Sabalan mountain, little did we think we  were going to end up at the seaside for lunch!    We were concentrating that morning on discovering alpine treasures, and were especially thrilled to come across more tulips!​
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Tulipa humulis
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It was while climbing up Sabalan mountain, that we discovered tulips which were different to those we had found previously in Armenia. This time a lower growing variety of alpine Tulipa humilis growing in groups tucked in and around the rocky scree slope, flowering in different shades of mauve and deep pink.   It's such a delight to find tulips growing in the wild, so once more we photographed and marvelled at them. 
​Then we drove higher towards the snowmelt, where the slopes became bluer, because they were studded  with thousands of the delicate pale blue Puschkinia scillioides, which were sometimes interpsersed with the starry yellow Gagea luteoides.  
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Gagea luteiodes
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Colchicum szovitsii amongst the snowmelt
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Tulipa humulis
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Puschkinia scilliodes
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​Even higher still, right amongst the snow melt we found tiny little bronze shoots of Colchicum szovitsii pushing their way impatiently through the snow as quickly as it melted.
 When we were on our way back down the mountain again, we encountered a different sort of snow carpeting the hill-sides.  But this snow was actually a familiar white carpeting plant which is well known as a garden plant sometimes called 'Snow in Summer' - Cerastium cerastioides.   Interesting to see it flourishing for miles in it's natural semi-alpine habitat.​
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​As we travelled  further east over the next few days, across the wide plateau of northern Iran we could see in the distance the northern-most foothills of the Alborz mountains and when we got closer Jalil pointed out tantalising glimpses of the Caspian Sea between the far hills.   I doubt that the Caspian Sea was ever on our schedule, because Jalil, as a botanist specialised in  alpine flora, however I had read about the Caspian and it seemed such a fabled place of myth and romance.
A place I didn't ever think I would get to, yet here we were - so near and yet so far.   'Can we please go there Jalil'  I asked more than once and Jalil, our long suffering guide, was silent for quite a while, then suddenly he announced   'We will have lunch on the shore of the Caspian Sea today'.  I was overjoyed, and almost hugged him.  Then I remembered just in time that an Iranian woman would never do such a thing, so I contained myself. 
Up we climbed through dry foothills, until we reached the top of a pass which looked East down to the Caspian side.  It felt similar to climbing the Canterbury side of the Southern Alps to reach the top of Arthurs Pass where the vegetation changes dramatically to wooded hills on the West Coast side.   It is the same in northern Iran where the dry hills become wooded as you descend to the Caspian side.  Here  the forest is mostly deciduous to the east of the mountain pass, descending to the Caspian Sea,  where  precipitation from the sea creates a moist climate resulting in lush growth. 
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The hillsides of deciduous forest where Iran meets the Caspian Sea. The dominant species is Oriental Beech but we also saw Caucasian Oak and Carpinus betulus – Hornbeam
This  woodland adjacent to the Caspian Sea, was the only woodland we saw in Iran, which we were able to explore briefly and where we could attempt to identify some of the tree species. 
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Coming down through the lush forests, we descended down, down, down to the fabled Caspian Sea. And it was just as I had imagined - jewel like, exotic, remote, and bluer than blue. Make any wonder there was a sense of going down, as the Caspian Sea is situated in a geographic depression or basin 27 metres below sea level. Millions of years ago, the Caspian was linked to the Black Sea, the Meditteranean and other world oceans, which would explain it's salinity.
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We had arrived at the southwest coast where the Caspian Sea adjoins Iran. Here it was everything I had imagined. But it would have been quite different where the Caspian coast adjoins other countries such as Azerbaijan and Russia. For hundreds of years the Caspian Sea to the north, has been the source of Russian caviar, from the roe of the special sturgeon, Beluga, which thrive only in these waters. The coastline where Azerbaijan adjoins the Caspian is rich in oil and the modern wealthy capital city of Baku is situated here on it's shores. Around Baku there are forests not of trees we were told, but of oil drilling sites.
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Gladiolus atroviolaceus - in damper patches
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Nepeta - Catmint growing along the dry dusty roadside
After such an exotic lunch stop would there still be time for finding flowers?  Yes there was! As we drove back over  the high northern plateau we noticed patches of blue along the roadside and a familiar but unexpected aroma of catmint  - - Nepeta - the same which grows in our gardens at home, and here it was thriving naturally in dry dusty ditches along the road.   And in damper patches further back from the road we discovered some spires  of the intense almost navy-blue  colour of the elegant Gladiolus atroviolaceus
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​But there was something even more exciting to discover further on which would thrill us all.  The first we knew about it was when Jalil asked the driver to stop near some road works.  Such an unpromising looking  site, but we knew it must be important as Jalil suddenly leapt out of the bus and  over ditches and muddy ravines and raced up a steep hill on the other side of the road works.    He gesticulated wildly so we attempted to follow him over this steep terrain, but the women decided it was too tough and found a comfy look-out point from where we could see the men and the indefatigable Tamar make it up the steep slope opposite us.   From a distance we could see they were excited about some  unremarkable clumpy shrubs  of dull green dotted here and there.  Whatever was it we wondered?  Then as the intrepid plant-hunters made their way back, we could see their arms were full of something beautiful - great soft yellow cups of peony roses - Paeonia wendelboi!! 
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The beautiful pale yellow cups of Paoenia wendelboi
​We were nearing the end of our time in Iran but the treats weren't over yet!  We wondered what botanical pleasures could possibly surpass  the thrill of finding Paoenia wendleboi growing in the wild?  But there was to be one last botanical thrill before we left Iran.   Roses!! 
​The original species  rose - Rosa persica, which as the name suggests was found in old Persia of which modern Iran is a part.
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These golden beauties with a deep burgundy blotch which shine out from their low scrubby bushes, was the result of our hunt for the exotic Rosa persica

I had been bothering Jalil ever since arriving in Iran, asking him more than once about finding 
Rosa persica, and he was typically non-committal, but then one day he announced  'We will visit my village today'  We all expressed delight at the idea, but still had no idea what that would entail.  When we arrived at his village there were 2 of Jalil's brothers  awaiting us with smiles and polite gestures to usher us into 3 cars, so we piled in  on top of each other into these rather ancient vehicles and proceeded to bump up and down over farm fields, through rifts and hollows for or mile or two,  mystified about what could possibly be happening next.  Then suddenly we stopped and all got out still not sure what this was all about and Jalil pointing to the ground simply said 'Rosa persica'!  
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nd sure enough in the rift of wild land between two cultivated fields there it was scrambling and sprawling underwhelmingly along the ground.  The attractive colour of each small single golden flower with it's distinctive burgundy brownish blotch in the centre made up for it's scrubby appearance.   Jalil and his brothers who had driven us there were probably mystified at our delight in finding this unprepossessing plant, which to them was perhaps not much more than a weed, and rather an invasive one at that!   Endemic to Iran, (Persia) this scrappy drought resistant bush, is a very primitive form of rose, but it is a plant which could teach us something of the evolution of the rose.   ​
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PictureRosa foetida
What could be more fitting for our last  day in Iran, than roses - as this is where some of the earliest and most distinctive rose species were found. 
​And Jalil's village and rural environment was rich in roses with plentful supplies of Rosa canina,which we had also seen in Armenia, and which has naturalised in many parts of the world, even in New Zealand  where it came in on the boots of 19th century goldminers to Central Otago eventually becoming a noxious weed, spreading throughout dry inland mountainous areas of the South Island. 
But Iran was different as it was not only the common Rosa canina or the rare  Rosa persica, which we found growing in the wild, but also the unusual single flowered yellow Rosa foetida, absolutely thriving in the wild, as was it's dazzling orange cousin Rosa foetida 'Bicolour'.  This orange form is named 'bicolour' because the petals are red inside and yellow on the reverse, and so each single bloom appears as bright orange, especially when contrasted amongst the lush blue tinted foliage as these were. 
​Native to the Caucusus  from Eastern Turkey  and across Iran to Afghanistan, here they were growing naturally as hedges alongside the dusty road in this rural setting.  I couldn't believe we were seeing such a rare and exotic sight  growing so casually and happily.   It is from these, that the bright orange and scarlet red tones  of our modern roses originate. ​

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Rosa foetida Bicolour where the petals are red inside and yellow on the the reverse, so that each flower appears as a dazzling orange, especially amongst blue tinted foliage
I have been fascinated with Rosa foetida 'Bicolour' for a long time and once many years ago tried to grow it in my garden, because even then, I understood it to be the only wild species rose with this distinct orange colouring and at that time it was available to buy from Heritage Rose Nurseries in New Zealand.  But it was disappointingly pathetic in my garden and did not thrive, yet here in the wild, where it belongs, it was growing so strong and vigorous with no sign of the rust or black spot, which had affected the sad little plant so miserably in my garden.  In the bright sunlight of Iran the foliage was lush and thick with a bluish haze which made the orange colour of the flowers bounce.   The other amazing factor was that we were so lucky to see  Rosa foetida 'Bicolour' flowering in the wild at just that time, as along with most other species roses, Rosa foetida flowers only once and quite briefly in early summer, so there is only a short window of opportunity.
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Rosa foetida 'Bicolour' growing naturally as substantial hedges in rural areas and along roadsides. The orange flowers dotted amongst the hedge bouncing against the blue tinted foliage in bright sunlight.
Nine months later, back in New Zealand, I can hardly believe I was ever in these beautiful exotic lands which I had only ever read and dreamt about.  To see flowers like the many different varieties of Tulip, Fritillaria, Iris, Allium, Scilla, Crocus, Muscari, (grape hyacinth) Centaura (cornflower) and even Eremurus (foxtail lily) and many many others growing naturally amongst such dramatic landscapes seems unreal.  The only regret I have is that I wasn't in Iran soon enough to see the remarkable wild areas of  orange/red Fritillaria imperialis (CrownImperial) which flowers in April against a snowy mountainous backdrop.
While here, as April is beginning and the summer season is fading fast,  I must learn to love those autumn seed-heads, the turning colour of  deciduous trees and the lush greens and strange forms of our own native evergreen flora.   But there are always dreams and memories of far-off exotic lands.
​

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17/9/2018

out of armenia and into iran

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​
​The Standing Stones of Armenia - Zorats Karer
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On our second last day in Armenia we came to an extraordinary sight - a circle of ancient standing stones in a field.   There was nobody there, no fences, no queues, no entry fee - just the magnificent sight of ancient stones standing in a high and lonely field, surrounded on all sides by snow capped mountains. We simply walked across the field of long grass and there they were.   Some call them the Armenian Stonehenge, but Armenians call them Zorats Karer.  There are parallels however with Stonehenge as both involve standing stones in grassy fields.  Both are believed to be star charts, used by ancient civilisations and both have stones that line up with soltices and equinoxes.  There is speculation that this site dates back as far as the 6th Milleneum B.C. and these have been called speaking stones because on windy days the sound of whistling emanates from the man made holes in the stones fashioned from the distant past. 
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Like Stonehenge these standing stones are completely shrouded in mystery, but in Armenia high up in the mountains, they are also often shrouded in mist.  And this coupled with such isolation  lends a particularly mystical atmosphere, especially when they 'speak'. 
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celtic patterns

It wasn't only the standing stones - Zorats Karer - which remained from  ancient civilisations once present in Armenia, but also the Celtic patterns carved into very old wood and stone.   Celtic crosses in old cemeterys, and the distinctive interlacing and intricate patterns carved into old wooden monastery doors.  And it wasn't just the odd one, but many.  Similarities between the carved crosses and celtic patterns of  Scotland and Armenia, is perhaps not so accidental remembering that over 1000 years ago Armenia was on the ancient silk route and at the height of the Armenian Empire it's borders spread as far as the Mediterranean Sea.  Also remembering there was much travel and commerce between east an west, but in which direction did the influence flow?  Armenians like to think it was from East to West.   Nevertheless, it was unbelievable to see these ancient Celtic carved patterns which I had always thought were unique to the celts of Scotland, Ireland and Wales, here in this eastern land of Armenia, surrounded on almost all sides by Islam.  It made me wonder how much religion, craftsmenship and ideas were once shared between East and West.  Sadly, not today! 
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​ Another precious commodity which travelled from East to West were Tulips.  Eastern countrys including old Armenia, Persia and Turkey were the original home of the tulip.  It wasn't till the 16th Century that tulip bulbs found their way to Europe in the bags of early explorerers,  and by the early 17th Century they had become a highly fashionable flower in European gardens.  By 1600, Dutch growers had established nurseries specialising in cultivating tulips and it is around this time that tulipmania began.  A brief spectacular time when bulb traders could earn the equivalent of $60,000 for a single bulb!  ​
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Tulipa florenskyi
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Tulipa sosnowskyi
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​Knowing the history of the tulip made it all the more exciting when we came across a superb colony of them growing in the wild the day before we were due to  cross the border to Iran.   At the 11th hour our trusty guides, Chris and Tamar spotted them  up a rocky cliff.  But we weren't the only ones to discover this abundance of tulips, as the locals knew of this spot too.   Like mountain goats, they had climbed up to the top of this rocky cliff-face, to places most of us could never reach, and were coming down with their booty.  Bucket loads of wild tulips to be sold!   Bulbs and all!   We wondered at the desecration of such botanical treasure which seemed to be open slather to all.  Was there no protection of such a precious resource?   But why should there be, we realised, as Armenia had more important things to think about - such as survival, and even if in our view, it seemed very short-sighted, to many Armenians, tulips from the wild were there for the taking and meant a living.   And despite plundering the tulips this year, they know they will be back in abundance next year.  In fact they thought nothing of generously giving away in typical Armenian style, bunches of their lucrative tulips to us!

But there were still enough tulips left for a few crazy botanists to clamber up cliff faces to examine and photograph.  They were all bright  red and yellow tulips, similar to the shapely garden tulip. Botanical names?  Red - Tulipa sosnowskyi.  Yellow - Tulipa florenskyi
   
PictureTulipa sosnowskyi growing with Muscari in the wild
 

At the 11th hour what could be better than this tulip feast, but we weren't finished yet in Armenia.  Though this time it wasn't tulips.   After winding our way down towards the Iran border through beautiful emerald forest, we encountered in a rocky valley the impressive thistle Jurinella speciosus.  From a distance I thought it was a pink cactus Dahlia  growing out of the rock walls,   but it was actually an Armenian native thistle, and very decorative it was - just like a Dahlia!  
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Jurinella speciosus (native thistle)
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IRAN



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The next day we set off early to cross the Aras river which forms the border between Armenia and Iran, sadly without Chris!  Because Chris was travelling under a British passport, he was seen as an undesirable in Iran as were the 2 Canadians in our party, so we had to wave them good-bye at the border. But thank goodness we still had our spunky little Armenian guide, Tamar, with us, as we ventured a little nervously over the border.  We were pleased to have her as we went through border formalities and on to meet our Iranian botanist and guide, Jalil who was waiting for us on the Iranian side.  
As Chris had predicted the landscape changed almost as soon as we entered Iran.  The mountains and hills began to open out into vast plateaus and the high snowy peaks were further back into the distance ringing the plains.  The lush forested mountains and gorges of Armenia gave way to drier plains, and a more agricultural landscape.  There were many apricot orchards which we had also seen in Armenia, as well as mile upon mile of agricultural land which consisted mainly of crops.
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The drier landscape of northern Iran showing agricultural cropping framed by roadside wildflowers
PicturePapaver orientalis

There were many different species of Poppies to be found thriving on the stony hillsides of Iran, but none to be found that I could see, amongst the stunningly striped Gypsophyllus Hills.   This great range of pointy yet rounded hills in richly coloured layers of red and grey was an amazing sight. Yet although we wandered up and down, around and around I don't remember seeing wild flowers amongst these moundy stripey hills. It's as though the Gypsophylus Hill are enough unto themselves and do not need to co-exist with flowers.   Although wild flowers are there on the lower slopes and surrounding fields.
Picture It's as though these colourfully striped Gypsophyllus Hills are almost enough unto themselves as I observed floral plant material only around the lower slopes.

  Hollyhocks!  Everybody leapt out of vehicle to photograph these elegant white beauties growing along the side of the road - Alcea striata.   Close up each petal of each single flower was delicately marked white on white with transparent and opaque white stripes.    And a different sort of Iris paradoxa standing up like white candles on a hillside.  They did have rather a truncated look though with their brown reduced falls.
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Alcea striata (subsp.) rufescens
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Iris paradoxa
More hills to climb as we skirted this high plain on the way to Tabriz, but this time we made our way up through soft pink flowery mounds.
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Onobrychis cornuta
Except that close up they weren't soft at all but very thorny.  These pretty pink mounds -Onobrychis cornuta - which looked so enticing to rest your head upon were in reality nasty  prickly pin-cushions which would be disastrous to fall into!  
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Onobrychis cornuta (detail)
On the road to Tabriz we passed through one of many villages where people were living in mud brick houses built in the old tradition from time immemorial.   Through the narrow dusty streets of this decaying traditional old village, we encountered the quite unexpected sight of adolescent village boys racing around on noisy shiny motor bikes! 
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Just beyond the village we found a stream amidst flower strewn banks and meadows, where the women of the village probably drew their water, in the age old way, toiling in the heat in their black veils and long biblical style robes, while their sons coped with their testosterone skidding aimlessly around on their shiny modern motor bikes. 
PictureFound growing in the wild near the mud brick village was this beautiful and unusual Poppy, in delicious muted pink. My botanical friend identifies it as a Roemeria hybrid and we only ever saw one like this growing in the wild.



PictureOn one side of the stream grew more poppies galore interspersed with a yellow flower which could belong to the Brassiacea family
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We were delighted to find just beyond the village beautiful fields of wild flowers alongside a stream 
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On the other side of the stream we were dazzled by masses of Anchusa azurea - and azure they certainly were. The brightest blast of blue I have seen for a long time. They were interspersed with tall pale yellow spikes of flower which reminded me of lupin. Nothing as common as the yellow lupin, of course. But they could have been Pedicularis comosa or Phlomoides laciniata
The azure blue of Anchusa was reflected in many different hues in the mosaics of the traditional Islamic buildings when we reached the old northern Iran city of Tabriz.
We stayed here overnight before continuing our botanical adventure the next day climbing (in vehicles) 3000 metres up to the snow  of Sabalan Mountain east of Tabriz.  Here we were to encounter wonderful snow melt flora, including tulips.  But that is another story.
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One of many of the traditional Islamic buildings in Tabriz, tiled in many different tones of blue.
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Detail showing the mosaics of a mosque in Tabriz





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29/6/2018

Botanising in armenia

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Botanising in ArmeniA

I found myself in Armenia and Iran because of a book - a large, and visually beautiful book titled Flora of the Silk Road.   Jointly written with  photographs by botanists, Christopher and Basak Gardner, it is a fascinating pictorial story with stunning photographs of the landscapes and the plants and flowers growing in their natural habitats throughout the countries  which make up the fabled Silk Road. 
Chris and Basak also organise botanical trips through their company,  'Vira Natura' and a trip to Armenia and Iran was coming up soon.  Unable to resist botanical journeys to exotic and far flung places, I knew this would be an opportunity not to be missed, especially after reading about the rich botanical habitats, history and cultures of these countries.  My friends, Penny and Jane thought so too, so we all went to discover 
"Armenia and Iran - Irises and Ancient Art".   
Armenia is
 renowned as one of the worlds botanical hotspots, and when we arrived from an early New Zealand winter, it was late spring there - perfect for Irises, Fritillarias and all manner of late spring flowers growing in the wild.  ​
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We all cried stop - stop to our driver, as we flashed past this lovely field of wildflowers. There were poppies galore almost as far as the eye could see, but it was the tall spikes of bright blue flowers in this particular field which stopped us in our tracks. Looking like Larkspur or Delphinium it's botanical name is Consolida orientalis. Part of the natural background shrubbery includes the striking silver foliage of Eleagnus angustifolia, known as the Russian Olive. ​
  
Situated at the southern end of the Caucasus, on a high mountain plateau, this tiny country is overflowing with the grandeur of stunning and diverse mountain landscapes. 
New Zealand is not the only beautiful country in the world!   
In Armenia we encounter  majestic  craggy mountain ranges, and deep wide river valleys all within a country only two thirds the size of Canterbury.  Though there are no coastal lowlands or evergreen flora, as in New Zealand, there is a great diversity of plant habitat.  Sandwiched between Georgia to the north, and Azerbaijan to the east with the giants Turkey to the west and Iran to the south, Armenia straddles Asian and European plant habitats and this along with the influences of a temperate climate to the north and a  Mediterranean climate to the south means it is caught in a rich botanical cross current, unlike New Zealand's farflung islands isolated in the south pacific ocean. ​
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Fritillaria kurdica​ - Growing amongst grasses on fields and rocky slopes, These modest little Fritillarias pop up their heads between the grasses often when you least expect it.
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So you must keep your eyes peeled and tread carefully so as not to stand on them.
The dramatic landscapes of Armenia with its mountainous terrain and deep river valleys creates atmospheric mists and cloud formations. A haunting atmosphere which enhances the old mediaeval monasteries
still standing, despite past  earthquakes, they remind one of the ancient roots of early christianity. 
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Now a fraction of it's original size and too often known for it's tragic past of invasion and genocide, Armenia was once one of the worlds oldest centres of civilisation.  And the first country to practice christianity in the first century A.D., adopting it as the state religion in the fourth century. The role of the Armenian Apostolic Church has remained vital up to the present day even though it has always been surrounded by states where Islam was the dominating faith. Despite centuries of wars, oppression and persecution suffered in the name of Christianity, 94 percent of Armenians practice Christianity today.   

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Sometimes in woodland or fields around old churches and monasteries, Orchids and many other treasures can be found growing in the long grass. And Irises too.
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​A mist shrouded ancient monument in the forest that speaks of the mystical atmosphere which can be so haunting in Armenia
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PictureThe divine sight of Orchids growing in a field of open woodland, standing up like beautiful candles in a variety of colours amongst the grasses. The paler whites, pinks and mauve varieties were possibly Orchis simia, and the greenish brownish and terracotta tones could be Orchis punculata

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Iris acutiloba ssp lineolata
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Orchis punculata
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Iris acutiloba growing in groups
 As well as several different species of orchid to be found growing in grassy meadows and in the shelter of shrubby or wooded areas, there are also irises  scattered across grassy hillsides and tucked in against rocks.  There are many Iris species growing in different habitats, including the 2 varieties you see here - the blue/purple Iris paradoxa and the stunning purple/brown striped iris with distinctive spotted markings on the falls - Iris acutiloba ssp lineolata
There are also many other species,  amongst them the pale yellow I. imbricata which is taller and similar to the garden variety of the flag or bearded Iris, and the ground hugging I. caucasica with its creamy flowers and golden yellow falls,   
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Iris paradoxa growing amongst other wildflowers scattered over a hillside.
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But this was not all.   There were different forms of Corydalis, Anenome, Lathyrus,  Allium, Primula and much more.  And there seemed to be sheets of yellow Primula almost every day.  And one day up a rocky cliff we were amazed to see a swathe of Dictamnus albus, a treasured garden plant if you can get it to grow.  So to see it growing in such a lush and fulsome way in the wild is a rare treat indeed and so worth the scramble up a rocky bank to find and photograph it.  Another day, I was delighted to see Eremurus - only once, and just the pale yellow form, but still exciting to see growing in the wild.
PictureOne of the many forms and colours of Lathyrus, scrambling around amongst some of the Orchids pictured above.

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Seen in detail above - Dictamnus albus. Also a soft pinkish haze meandering up through a hillside.
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There is so much more to be said about Armenia - the mysterious standing stones, the celtic patterns carved into the stone and the age old wooden doors looking as authentic today as they did centuries ago.  The natural forests of the south, the apricot orchards, and many more plant and flower species growing in the wild, including tulips - oh the tulips!    There will be more, so watch this space. 
​Such is Armenia today, a small jewel of a land between east and west, north and south full of the wonders of nature and botanical beauty.

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17/2/2018

Illustrious Visitors

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What excitement when well-known English designer, commentator and writer on plants, Dr. Noel Kingsbury, accepted my invitation for he and his wife, Jo, to stay with me in my cottage during their visit to Christchurch in February. 
Noel has been invited to lecture at the prestigious Australian Landscape Conference which is being held this year in Melbourne from 23 - 27 March.  The subject of the conference 'Design with Nature' couldn't be more appropriate for Noel, who  has always promoted an ecological or naturalistic approach  to planting design, through the many articles and books he has written, some in conjunction with noted dutch plant designer, Piet Oudolf, who is responsible for the planting design of the famous High Line in New York.  He has also co-authored books with Professor Nigel Dunnett, noted English  ecologist and plant designer.   
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For several years, I had been reading  Noel's regular articles in the english 'Gardens Illustrated' magazine, and always liked what he had to say.  So when I read that he was to lead a tour to the Gardens of the Northern Dutch Provinces in July 2013, including a workshop with Piet Oudolf in Piet's own garden at Hummelo, I knew this was something I shouldn't miss.   Especially as I was sorely in need of inspiration, following damage to my garden after a series of earthquakes.  When I shared this information with my garden friend, Penny Zino, she was a definite starter, as she too, had been thinking about making some changes to her large country garden.   So together we enrolled for the tour and it exceeded all expectations for both of us.
We saw for real, the perennial and grass meadows we had previously only read about and were inspired. 

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It wasn't only the gardens, it was the people we met as well, the clever and eccentric  gardeners of Northern Holland including the modest and  unassuming Piet Oudolf.  We felt English gardens had some catching up to do!  
It was Noel and his wife Jo travelling each day with us, who we really became acquainted with.  Despite our invitations for Noel and Jo to come and visit us in New Zealand, he was rather half-hearted, although there was a definite spark in Jo's eye.  
Noel felt New Zealand was too far away, and wasn't the native flora -well - boring, with little floral content and virtually no perennial colour?   All true we had to admit, but there are lots of other advantages we insisted - like the primeval quality of our native vegetation, and spectacular landscape.   Was there a spark of warmth developing in Noels eye after all?    
​There must have been, because four years later here they are!  For a whole month on their way to the Melbourne Conference, and Noel, in spite of past doubts, does seem interested in discovering native plant communities in New Zealand, despite the lack of native perennials.   

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 And in this image above, Noel and Jo are doing just that.   Even though spaced out by jet-lag, they were keen to discover New Zealands unique vegetation, so we headed to the nearby Christchurch Botanic Gardens, just for a taste of native.  Even though this photo was not taken in original native forest but at the Botanic Gardens  at one of the entrances to the Cockayne Memorial Native Plant Collection, this garden does give a feel of native plant communities growing in the wild.  
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But they were to discover brighter and better as they headed off for the weekend discovering gardens and native plant communities on idyllic Banks Peninsula, before tootling south in their 'Jucy' campervan.   
Just as they begin their adventures, cyclone Gita which has been trawling around the South Pacific creating mayhem in it's wake, is about to hit central New Zealand.  They will need to avoid central and western areas for a few days. to escape the worst of the cyclone, but I hope that eventually they will be able to head to the wild West Coast where hundreds of miles of some of the best of New Zealand native forests and plant communities can be found growing in the wild.   We wish them well.

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13/1/2018

suddenly it is mid summer

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It is now summer - January 2018 - and Lily's are flowering and flourishing in the garden like never before!
The tulips have long had their day  along with other spring flowers, as well as early summer flowers and also the roses which are well over.   My mini prairie garden is coming into it's own as summer perennials start to flower, rising up between the grasses.  But dominant amongst these are the lily's, particularly the lily  pictured above.  I have no idea what it is called or what area of the lily family it comes from.  All I know is that it is very tall and impressive, and it's the first time it has ever flowered like this with many multiple heads on a strong single stem.     
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The mid-summer mini-prairie in the front garden facing onto the street, is  flourishing now with Crocosmia, Dahlias, Knifophia, orange Arctotis and a cluster of golden lily's peeping between the stems of grass, Stipa gigantea.  These clumped lily's are a different variety from the multi-headed golden/apricot single stemmed lily pictured  above/top.
​   It is also the season for Canna lily's which adds further splashes of colour to the high summer garden.  There are more of these to flower yet in in the far corner against the trellis fence, and they are bright orange with striking yellow and green striped foliage, They are very much more raucous and 'out there' than the rather genteel soft pinkish apricot pictured here beside the Astelia chathamica 'Silver Spear'. 
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20/11/2017

Long time - no see

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Starting with tulips in September, then the Tree Peony in October along with Irises, Geums, Hemerocallis and Wisteria reaching into November spring changes into early summer and roses.  Need I say more!
                                                                                                                                               
My last post was about planting bulbs - I think mainly tulip bulbs.  Can I just say that those bulbs have long since flowered!!    Amazingly, as for so long nothing happened, and even when a few green tips start to appear through the ground they seem so small and few - where are those 50 bulbs I planted?   I despair thinking nothing will ever happen.  But gradually the the green tips multiply and the foliage fills out and develops until the bare soil is almost covered with green.  Eventually stems with buds rise up through the strong rosettes of foliage and I heave a sigh of relief after all that anxiety.   Perhaps there will be tulips after all.  And there are - just exactly what I had ordered - 100 'Temples Favourite'  standing up huge, orange and blowsy on their long stems.  But now that it is November they have long since gone and much of their foliage has died away too, and is fast being covered over with iris, day-lily, geum and other perennial foliage, so that there is practically no trace left of their flamboyance.  l do try to protect and prolong their fading foliage where I can as this is what feeds the bulbs encouraging them to flower the following year. 
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Meanwhile this lush Tree Peony starts to flower, so tulips are soon forgotten in the face of this fleeting beauty.  It's quality rather than quantity in it's apricot short lived beauty.  And before we know it things are happening thick and fast in the spring garden. 

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    I AM A GARDENER, GARDEN WRITER AND ARTIST.   AFTER SEVERAL YEARS WRITING REGULARLY AS A COLUMNIST I HAVE MISSED WRITING ABOUT MY GARDEN, OTHER GARDENS AND GARDENS IN GENERAL FOR THE GARDEN PAGES OF THE PRESS SO HAVE RESOLVED TO SET UP MY OWN BLOG AND WEBSITE.
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     IN THIS WAY  I CAN DISCUSS WHAT IS HAPPENING IN MY GARDEN AND IN OTHERS AS THE SEASONS TURN.  I STILL DO GO RUSHING INTO THE GARDEN TO TAKE PHOTOS OF SOMETHING  WHEN THE LIGHT IS RIGHT OR SOMETHING LOOKS PARTICULARLY DELECTABLE, BUT ITS NOT THE SAME WHEN THE PHOTOS DO NOT GET 'OUT THERE'.  HOWEVER WITH MY OWN BLOG, THE PHOTOS AND ACCOMPANYING STORY CAN AGAIN BE SEEN BY THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED.  

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