Oh you can really feel it is winter! The nights and early mornings are really quite chilly these days, and add in a lot of rain in the past week, and it is more a case of lighting candles and making tea than weeding or checking how things are getting on outside. Today is a bit grey and overcast, with spots of sun, so the light isn’t too great for pictures, but you can get some idea of what is going on at least. Anyway, thanks once again to The Propagator for allowing us to share what is going on in our gardens.
First up, the white camellia bush which is really beginning to look quite lovely. The picture below does it no justice, so you will just have to imagine it. The pink ones at the side and front of the house are looking good, with the promise of more flowers to come (see featured image above).
I’m cheating a bit here…because at number 2 we have camellia buds as opposed to flowers. The camellia at the back of the house is one of those big, blousy bright pink ones, and I am looking forward to seeing it flower. The magnolia is also covered in buds so hope for good display there too in the weeks to come.
And so the the saga of the bulbs. Monday was a holiday here, and I managed to get most of the bulbs planted, but still have a few to go in this weekend (rain please stay away!). Meanwhile, some bulbs I left in last year are starting to break through the surface….
At number four, this weeks pictures of the tecomanthe speciosa. You can just see the large group of flowers on the right (a bit high up for me to get a good picture), and more flowers about to burst forth on the left.
There is nothing much to report on what is happening in the herb pots. The last of the basils succumbed to the cold nights, the parsley seedings are looking good, and the pineapple sage that features regularly because it looks so pretty, is continuing to do well.
And finally, I bought a plant for the house as the garden centre was selling a whole lot with 30% off. There wasn’t really much I wanted, but I did pick up this peperonia (burgundy delight) which actually looks really good on the table I am still working on at home.
That is all from me this week. As usual, I am looking forward to seeing everyone’s beautiful gardens in other parts of the world. Hope you are all well in whatever state of lockdown or not you may be in.
You can find Thistles and Kiwis on Facebook, and also on Instagram@thistleandkiwis. As for Twitter….am totally inactive these days. If you want to get in touch, email me on thistlesandkiwis@gmail.com
Thistles and Kiwis 
How nice to visit a gardener on the other side of the World. Your new houseplant looks fab.
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I’ll start at the end, that pepperonia is lovely. I would have been tempted by it as well. Thanks for tecomanthe update, I still have to scroll back though to find out how to spell it! I love pineapple sage, lovely scent and beautiful flowers, what is there not to like. Have a lovely week 🙂
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I like the dark red of the peperonia and the shape of the leaves. Have a lovely week too and will go and check your six this week 🙂
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I haven’t seen a peperonia for years – my mother had a good specimen but just the standard green one. If that photo doesn’t do your camellia justice, it must be amazing!
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I am sure my mum had a peperonia as well now you say it…. The camellia is quite beautiful. So lovely to see too on a grey winter day!
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Thank you for updating the tecomanthe photo.
And about peperonia, it’s a very good choice and a healthy plant. I don’t have one like that yet but could be one of the future favorites as a houseplant.
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Yes I am hoping the peperonia will thrive!
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The white camellia is looking lovely.
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The color of the peperonia is lovely. I run hot and cold on houseplants but would have snapped that one up, too. The camellia looks wonderfully healthy.
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I really liked the crinkled leaves of the peperonia. A nice addition.
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Yes it is really attractive.
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Interestingly my white camellia still has a flower! I have never known them to continue to flower into June before! My pineapple sage is looking a bit sad and leggy so I have cut it right down (probably kill it) and taken some cuttings which I hope will take! Perhaps I should repot it too in some fresh compost. And I have just taken delivery of some new Basil plants which I hope will grow well. Last year my Basil was very disappointing.
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Good luck with the basil!
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Yes, last year it all got white fly and died. This year I am keeping it outside so we’ll see what happens.
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Fingers crossed!
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Wonderful 🙂 It’s just turned summer here, although it’s felt like summer for a while. Mind you, the rain just turned up!
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Rain can sometimes be welcome…
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The weather is much the same here too. As I’m responding to your post, I have abandoned gardening to read Sixes, as it is quite cold outside (15:20 here). So pleased that you have planted out the majority of your bulbs. The pineapple sage is looking lovely, and the Peperomia is such a beautiful colour. I have noticed that they are selling quite a few varieties in the shops at the moment.
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It is lovely to see all the flowers that people are posting from the northern hemisphere! Yes I noticed quite a few peperomia as well for sale. All the best for a good week!
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Camellias have got to be one of my favourite winter plants, I like how they are flowering when not much else is. I recently starting working weekends in a local garden centre and this morning I was tasked with dead heading them and reorganizing them, I enjoy it.
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Yes me too – they add a lovely spot of colour at this time of the year.
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It feels like winter here too now. After a month of sun we’ve had 4 days of rain and lower temperatures. The garden looks a lot better for it though.
I had a similar peperomia but was killed by love when a colleague overwatered it when I was off. Was nice while it lasted.
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It was about 14C here today during the day, but down to about 8 or 9 tonight (Sunday evening). I tend to underwater my indoor plants. Working at home though means I check if they need water daily at the moment!
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Your tecomanthe is an unusual looking plant – very beautiful. We’re warmish but wet in England at the moment, much needed rainfall this week after weeks of sunshine..
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The tecomanthe is quite lovely. Yes I heard you had gone 5 weeks without rain.
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The tecomanthe is a fascinating flower. I don’t have houseplants, as all too often I forget about them so they don’t get the care they need, but that peperonia is really lovely.
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I used to have loads of houseplants when I was in a flat without a garden, now only about half a dozen.
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Mother Earth is Absolutely Amazing!!
Thanks for sharing The Flowers & The Fragrance!
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always a joy to see bulbs coming through in the depths of winter. sign of things to come.
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Yes indeed – loads in the Botanic Gardens too.
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