IN BLOOM

Yesterday I noticed my mini apple tree was comming into bloom, it’s only buds so far but I expect the first flowers to open tomorrow.

Last year it only had a few blooms and no apples at all, this year it is completely covered in buds so I am hopefull.

This small apple tree is ideal for small spaces and can even be grown in a pot on your balcony, you can even make a hedge when you put a few in a row. The one I have is called ‘minitree Redlane’ and it doesn’t need another apple tree to get fruit.

But cos they are so pretty I bought another one last year, it had pretty white flowers last year and no apples but this year I can’t see any buds…maybe next year hey !

The Redlane has pretty dark pink buds.

MINI APPLE TREE REDLANE

Have a great week you all and don’t work too hard, enjoy the outside. Thanks for visiting, it’s much appreciated.

Please feel free if you have any questions, I’ll be happy to help you if I can.

 

LIFE IS GOOD UNDER THE FIG TREE

I have a fig tree in my garden for about 10 years or so, it was planted and trained against our garage wall, in a hole we made in the pavement, it is not even a big hole and still the fig tree thrives in it and we get many ripe figs each year. And the tree grows like mad, I have to prune it several times in Summer.

I once got a small pot with blooming hyacinths and I planted it under the fig tree, but after a while it got company of a taxus which selfseeded and a euphorbia which selfseeded. And everything is thriving in that small hole so I think ; life is good under that fig tree.

MY FIG TREE AND ITS COMPAGNONS

MY BEAUTIFUL BLUE HYACINTHS

Have a great day all !

HAPPY NEW YEAR

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL.

MAY THE NEW YEAR BRING PEACE AND HAPPINESS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

RIPE FIG

SILENT SUNDAY

FRUIT OF THE ENCEPHALARTOS LAURENTIANUS (giant kwango cycad)

MEANWHILE IN THE GREENHOUSE

I don’t know why but everything is growing like mad this year, in the garden and in the greenhouse. The only disadvantage are the snails, never had so many!!!

Here are some pictures of the greenhouse.

IF THEY TASTE AS GOOD AS THEY LOOK…

SNACK TOMATOES

GRAPES, they will be dark blue when  ripe, they look a bit odd but that is cos you don’t have to cut the excess grapes yourself, this grape loses the excess grapes it self (does anyone know what the english word is for this ?)

SNACK CUCUMBER

LONG BELL PEPPERS 

There are other things growing in my greenhouse as well but that will be for another time.

Have a great day and thanks for visiting !

TODAY IN THE GARDEN

It’s a lovely sunny and warm day and of course I took some pictures for you to see.

THE BUD OF A CLEMATIS, I DON’T KNOW WHICH ONE BUT IT WILL BE DARK BLUE WITH YELLOW STAMENS

CLEMATIS ETOILE VIOLETTE, A VERY EASY AND LONG FLOWERING CLEMATIS OF THE VITICELLA FAMILY

HONEYSUCKLE, CLEMATIS AND A SMALL LEAF IVY ARE CLIMBING TOGETHER ON THE GARAGE WALL

THE FIGS ARE DOING GREAT

I LOVE THE BACKSIDE OF A FIG LEAF

A WOOD PIDGEON MADE HER NEST IN MY CLIMBING GUIRLANDE D’AMOUR ROSE

 

SEDUM ACRE IN A POT

AND LOADS OF BERRIES ON A SPINELESS HOLLY (ilex aquifolium J.C.Van Tol), THE BIRDS WILL LOVE THEM WHEN THEY ARE RIPE

Have a fab weekend and enjoy your garden !

PORTRET OF A TREE

I have only a few tree’s in my garden as my garden is not so big. The biggest tree I have is a European oak tree, it was only a few inches high when we planted it at the end of our garden. Then we have an Albizzia which is my favorite and last but not least we turned an Amelanchier  lamarckii bush (snowy mespilus) into a tree which grew over the years to a tree that is about 4 meters ( 14 feet)  in width and about 6 meteres  (19 feet) in height. The perfect tree on one condition : do not plant it close to your terrace !!!

In Winter it gives a nice skeleton in which we hang birdfeeders of all sorts.

In Spring it is a terrible nuissance as a big part of it hangs over our terrace, first we get the beautiful flowers which attract an enormous amount of bees,but the peels of the buds fall on the terrace, then the flowers fade and fall off while the leafs are comming up, the new leafs are fresh and beautiful but the peels of the buds and the fallen flowers give a big mess.

Really soon after all that the berries are growing, at first they are green and then they turn red and in the end purple when they are ripe and then the feast begins.The birds go crazy for the ripe berries but at the same time they eat the berries they drop something else on our terrace…

Autumn comes soon for the Amelanchier and it gets beautiful  coloured leafs before they all fall down, and yes, on our terrace.

So what I want to tell you about this tree is : do NOT plant it close to your terrace !! For the rest it is a beautiful tree for a not so big garden, it attracts a lot of bees and birds and it is even beautiful to look at in Winter, when you put one on your lawn or between hardy plants and small bushes the mess you get otherwise on your terrace turns to fertilizer for your lawn or else for the other plants, a win-win situation !

AMELANCIER LAMARCKII (snowy mespilus) IN FULL BLOOM

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE BLOOMS

AS YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE A LOT OF BERRIES

THEY LOOK A BIT LIKE LITTLE CHERRIES

Have a great day and enjoy your garden ! Thanks for visiting.

 

 

 

MY NEW APPLE TREE

A few years ago I got a mini apple tree as a present and I wanted another one to keep it company.

THIS IS MY “OLD” MINI APPLE TREE, IT IS VERY COMPACT AND DOESN’T NEED PRUNING.

THIS IS MY NEW MINI APPLE TREE, IT HAS A COMPLETE DIFFERENT SHAPE, JUST ONE STEM AND DOESN’T NEED PRUNING EITHER.

THEY BOTH CAN GROW IN A POT ON A BALCONY IF YOU DON’T HAVE A GARDEN.

Have a great weekend all !!

A PEEK IN MY GARDEN

As we get warmth and rain everything is growing like mad and flowers are opening every day.

VIBURNUM OPULUS

FUCHSIA,  it is nameless as the shops just sell them under the name “fuchsia”, it is frustrating as I don’t know if it likes shade or sun or if it is winterhardy or not.

SYRINGA VULGARIS BEAUTY OF MOSCOW, the flowers are snowwhite but the buds are a smokey lilac

IRIS PSEUDACORUS or yellow pond iris in the back, the leafs are like swords, they clean the water in the pond, in the front is CALTHA PALUSTRIS, also a good water cleaner, the fishing wire is for keeping the herons from eating our fish.

FIG, my fig tree is comming to life and the figs are growing now, the figs have overwintered as tiny peas so as soon as the weather gets warmer the tiny figs start to grow.

I hope your are all having a wonderful week !