After some glorious, sunny weather last weekend and at the start of the week, today is grey and overcast. It is not cold at all, 15C in fact today – well, do remember it is winter here! Yesterday I went for a walk in the Botanic Gardens as I was working from home, and it felt really like early spring. Anyway, thanks once again to The Propagator for allowing us to share what is going on in our gardens. Check out the participant guide if you want to join in.
Last week I began with the hellebores, and I will again this week as they are such beautiful flowers. I don’t think more words are really necessary.
Next, more camellias again. Honestly they are so beautiful just now, and such a joy to see when returning from work or reaching the top of the stairs with a bag of groceries. I had a look at the camellia garden in the Botanic Gardens yesterday, and there are still lots to come into flower over there. The season just seems to go on and on.
At number three, an update on the mahonia berries, with the ripe ones disappearing fast and others still turning to their ripen state. I know mahonia is not a favourite plant for many, but it is an interesting plant if nothing else.
Perhaps not the best skies today to show off the magnolia buds, but you get the idea I am sure. It shouldn’t be long until there are beautiful white flowers to show you.
The new herbs seem to be doing fine – here is the variegated sage and the hyssop. Otherwise, most of the herbs are looking mostly fine though I need to do a stock take and see what needs moved or repositioned come the spring.
Finally, this dangerous catalogue arrived during the week, as well as an email from this equally dangerous website NZ Bulbs suggesting I order from them…..a couple of begonias have been pre-ordered for mid August shipping…
So that’s it for me this week on this first day of August. As usual, I am looking forward to seeing everyone’s beautiful gardens in other parts of the world. Hope you are all well and enjoying your gardens in whatever the season is with you.
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 
I must pant my new variegated sage. The hellebores are beautiful.
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This variegated sage is so beautiful that I wouldn’t cut a leaf to add it to my pan… 👍🏻💚
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You know I was thinking the same…too pretty to eat!
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Oh the catalogues…..real, printed ones feel so retro these days, with so many things on line. Flipping their pages is the perfect winter activity for gardeners. Beautiful Hellebores!
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There is something about a paper catalogue, post its. pens, folding down corners…
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I passed a magnolia tree in a nearby garden recently and noticed a second flowering with the blooms well spaced out but full size. Similarly, my miniature kiwi fruit tree is showing tiny new shoots which seems all wrong to me. Beautiful camellias, again.
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We have had a mild winter (so far!) down here and things seem to be a week or two early – judging by old photos at least! I must keep an eye on the magnolias here.
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The Hellebores are looking wonderful.
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I have to agree!
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That hellebore is indeed a beauty. Have fun with that catalog!
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Think it might be something for this afternoon with a pot of tea!
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I rather like mahonias but they have a tendency to be in terrible health in the UK. Browned leaves and too leggy. Buy yours are looking very healthy. Lovely hellebores again.
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There are some really tall mahonias outside a house not far from us. We must just have the right weather and soil conditions I guess.
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Ah, yes, the tempting catalogues. They have started to arrive here now full of promising spring bulbs. I am trying not to be tempted though I know that there are a few I wrote down this spring that I’d like to buy. No tulips though. I am going to see if any of last year’s come back and take a break from tulips. And I have a whole lot of hellebore plants grown from seed that need to be repotted for the winter. I am hoping they don’t all turn out to be white!
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I am going to do an audit of seeds I have first and see what is still good before I even open the catalogue, though want to get more cornflowers. I have to think about the limited space we have as well – our decking is covered in pots already!
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I have a similar problem. No space in the beds and I really don’t want any more pots!
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I’m like you with plants and working in a garden centre has made it worse and more dangerous, it is so tempting cos I want to buy everything. Camellias are that one plant flowering in Winter when nothing else is.
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Gosh your Hellebores are lovely! I bought one from an online shop in Victoria, and decided to put it in a pot rather than in the ground. It has two healthy looking shoots, and I’m waiting, hoping, that it will flower. I’m not a great fan of Mahonia, but it has been interesting to watch the progress of the berries on your blog. that catalogue looks inviting. Have fun choosing seeds for your garden!
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Can’t say I like mahonia, but am fascinated by it…the spiky leaves, the bright yellow flowers, the berries…does that make sense? Hope your hellebores flower! I hope all is well in your part of Australia.
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Yes, it makes sense…. my Mom loved her Mahonia, but I never aw berries on it. Mind you it was neglected. I can’t wait for the hellebore to flower. It is supposed to be yellow. If it does then I’ll be ordering more next year. Yes, we are fine where we are (Queensland). We don’t go out that much and are quite conscious of distancing and sterilising hands and quarantining shopping. We are also in a small community. Please stay safe too.
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The Hellebores are beautiful. Plant catalogues should be banned…hmm…on second thoughts…. Happy shopping!
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Hellebore are gorgeous, a chara. Not always easy to photograph as they tend to face downwards.
I hope you enjoy those dangerous catalogues. Great fun indeed! As you can see I’m a week behind in reading your updates. Hope you had a good week & I’ll look forward to more tomorrow.
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