Here we are in the City Garden at the end of February and I have been totally silent for quite a while! I have, however, been busy with several other activities – a short IT course, a few tailoring lessons, and a photography exhibition. I have told myself it isn’t gardening weather but just recently I have managed an hour or two and so here I am with my Six on Saturday!
1. Hydrangeas
The hydrangeas are coming alive which is a relief. The ‘ordinary’ ones seem keen to get on with Spring, but Annabelle is a little reluctant. I have one or two cuttings which seem to have taken and these need to go out – when it stops raining.
Small white hydrangea 
‘Dark Knight’ 
Pink hydrangea 
‘Annabelle’
2.Euphorbia ‘Lambrook Gold’
The Euphorbia is starting to bulk up quite nicely and has plenty of flower heads which cheer up a patch of the garden. There are also some small euphorbia nearby, but I just wanted to take some photographs as quickly as possible and retreat indoors. Temperatures have plunged again after a sleet shower.
3.Iris Lazica
I dug a bunch of these Iris Lazica out of The Fortnight Garden and planted them in a pot – yes, another pot, but I needed to get them into my limited sunshine. And they have come through the winter and are flowering and bunching up nicely.
4.Anamanthele
I planted several of these under the damson tree and they are now well established and dealing with a difficult space. In fact they are now spreading into areas they are not wanted. I need to dig up one or two and, together with last year’s seedling grasses, they need a different home.
5.Carex Pendula
This is growing vigorously – in the wrong place – and it is due to be moved. I intend moving it to a much more difficult spot, under a tree, and keep my fingers crossed. I have given several away to a neighbour and am confident that there will be more to come. The plant is large even though it is looking somewhat bedraggled in the City Garden at the end of February.
6.Hen and Chicken Plant
And while we are talking about grasses, the Hen and Chicken plants have survived the winter outside and I look forward to vigorous growth as it warms up!
And those are my Six on Saturday in the City Garden at the end of February, with lots of good intentions! Many thanks to The Propagator for keeping going during the winter and inspiring me to get outside again.
Looking at your post I am reminded yet again that I need more grasses in my garden as they add extra textures, especially when other things are not in bloom. Your irises are lovely pops of bright colour.
Yes, they can be most attractive and very useful in difficult places. But they spread!The City Garden is incredibly difficult with snails, dry shade, wet shade, and sunshine and so trying to balance all those conditions with something which looks as though it belongs together is tricky. And there are trees!
Lovely iris!
Thank you, and I am particularly pleased that it seems to like the tub in which it is planted. I am sure I can find another tub and repeat the sight!
Hydrangea Dark Knight and Euphorbia have been added to my plant wish list.
Hydrangeas are doing well in The City Garden and so they are increasing! They are expensive to buy but propagate very easily. And Euphorbias, once established, self-seed. The small ones, amygdaliodes, will happily spread in the shade, which is very useful for me. I recommend them to you!
You have such a nice collection of hydrangea! Hopefully they feature here when they’re in bloom. I’m wondering why Annabelle is reluctant, while the others are so ready to burst forth. Grasses are wonderful if they’d stay in one place. As you say, they don’t often.
Thank you. It is such a difficult garden that I have decided to just grow more of what succeeds, even if that means a very limited palette! The soil is chalk and the hydrangeas seem to like that, but I also have three in pots – well, rubbish bins because they are big and deep. And they propagate easily so one (expensive) easily becomes three (much cheaper!)