It seems that I have found a rift in the 'Space/Time continuum'. The lemon grass that I sowed a couple of days ago has germinated. Unless of course my eyes deceive me. Up to 40days, PAH!!!

Nope. The eyes have it.

Dennypoos.................a horticultural Jules Verne.

One of the first plants that you notice on the hill walks is the bog bean. This is a very fragrant native which lives in the boggy patches on the tops of the mountains.

This is one of the sedges that grow in this windswept environment.

This grows with sedums right on the tops of the An Scurr. It has leaves like a bromeliad.

Sedums. Native succluents adapted to living in thin soils on rocks. An environment that varies wildly between very wet and very dry and hot.

Most of the trees in these places become very windswept.

Ferns grow just about everywhere here where is tis mainly warm ans moist in the summer.

This peculiar plant is pingiciula. I may not have spelt that correclty. It is one of the UK's very few carnivorous plants. It feeds on small flies (like midges) which stck to the leaves. Very attractive in flower.

This looks like the early purple orchid.

A week ago I got some seeds from Thompson and Morgan as they had a half price deal. I use Lemon grass in cooking, I got a packet.

I've followed the instructions but only sown half the packet. Germination 30-45 days, so in the meantime I wondered if anyone had any experience growing the stuff.

All help and advice welcome,

Denny.....also has some unusual coloured Beetroot, ie White, Yellow, and pink striped..whoo-hoo

I have just visited Canna and thought you might enjoy some of the photos. Canna has an abundance of this plant primula vulgaris our native primrose. It grows everywhere especially where the sheep cant go.

I believe this is the marsh viola which is found amongst the marshy grass on the tops of the island.

There are a couple of plants here to which i dont know thw name. this one below is almost certainly a relative of the pea family.

This looks like the early marsh orchid.

I think that his is one of the common UK lychinis. Attractive though isnt it.


Here is a new one for gardeners world. The Crab pot garden! Hee hee! And then there's the fence post garden.....

You cant escape rhodoedrons either in Scotland.

And some more ......

Suprisingly there are also bluebell woods here.

Which were very attractive.

Incuding shuttle cock ferns, the white flowers are wild garlic.

It is very hard to capture bluebell woods properly on camera. It never comes out quite as blue or lush green.
 
Finally some more primroses to enjoy.

Does anyone know what this plant is?

Does anyone know what this plant is?  I really like it.

Has anyone ever had any luck with a clematis cutting?  My neighbour has a lovely clematis and I took a few cuttings last year but none of them worked.  Any ideas?

The Vinkas are active at the moment. This plant likes shade but it has to be managed as it can become a menace. It produces sneaky little underground runners that come up everywhere. Very attractive though. Pastel Blue Flowers.

Well I can`t say I like many Hydrangas but 2 I have ( which I like ) are paniculata , and quercifolia( the oak leafed one ) What I don`t know is how to prune Qeurci. I suspect its the same as Paniculata .
Anyone know the answer please ?

Well its been so dry and cold in the spring we havent had many slugs yet. I guess the best is yet to come.

My Himalayan poppies , which I grew from seed , are at last in flower, they are so lovely , and have lots of buds , Strangely one of them is white , bit like a Romneya . They are Mecanopsis Betonicafolia . I am going to try Hensoi Violet next .The slugs are munching away-- damned things ! the first Alliums are out too , and the rhodohyphoxis, Yippee isnt Spring Great !!

Oops I forgot to correct this photo. Anyway the ferns are up and running. I found it hard to take a good shot of this. Too much background interference.

I find ferns are fascinating at this time of year.

This one is a tree fern which usually starts much later on.

Well this week I bought a meconopsis only to hear gardenrs world say it was short lived and monocarpic. Fortunately this species isnt to bad for that. I also bought a sildacea and an alpine aster which according to my books is really a felicia.

Finshed off some tof the outside woodwork but still have to paint it.
I have a notocactus with huge buds on that will flower soon Im sure. Lobivia (echinopsis) fatamimensis is also flowering.
The knadias are nearly finished. But the succulent euphorbias are just starting. May have photos next week.
Stuff in the garden is growing really well despite the cold drying winds which have mainly afected the pot speciments.
Fortunately the upside is that  there are so far virtualy no slugs about. Things like hostas are virtually blemish free.

Some of the pot plants have sufered severely from the wind. More that I would have expeccted. Even a ground planted plum tree.
I think it iis because the storm wen ton for so long. Some of the ornamental rhubarbs are nearly destroyed. They will of course come away again. But plants like felicia aethiopica were severely wind burned which suprised me.

Ah well hope yall had a good weekend.

Several weeks ago my drumstick primula (Primula denticulata) were looking fab and I took this photo -

Sadly since then we have had lots of rain and that has brought the slugs out.  Almost all the flowers are now gone eaten by the slugs and what is left just looks mushy and wet.

I really dislike the slugs and I am sure that they slide their way down the hill behind us and all end up in my garden.

I try various things to remove them, while trying to be a bit environmently friendly but know that as soon as I plant out everything I have been growing in my greenhouse into my beds, they are going to have a feast! Any tips on what others do about them?

Anyone know what this is Ive forgotten?