Well, Weatherpeople, you got that completely wrong didn’t you? No rain, you promised. None. And I foolishly believed you. After yesterday’s wall to wall miserable mizzle, you said that today would be better. That much was true, I suppose. It was better, but by no means best. Weatherwise anyway. The rain started mid morning and got progressively worse.
Luckily myself and Max’s dad were shopping. That was much more successful. The haul included Cistus x corbariensis and a delusional Rosa filipes ‘Kiftsgate’. The rose label described it as a repeat flowering climber to 3m. It can actually reach well over 10m in height and flowers only once, although admittedly spectacularly. Some other purchaser might be in for a shock when they plant it at the base of a wicker pyramid.
Then we were onto the builder’s merchant for compost. A short walk from here and we were at another garden centre where we bought two statuesque grasses, Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’ and Miscanthus sinensis ‘Graziella’, in their full autumnal splendour and a fine specimen of the crested male fern Dryopteris filix-mas ‘Cristata’. It was also here that we purchased our plant of the day, perhaps even of the year, a Carpenteria californica. When I spotted this 2.0m tall absolute bargain (£19.99 if you must know) I staked my claim, guarding it like a Pit Bull, whilst MD found a trolley. No one was going to steal this one away. And they didn’t get near. I know some of you will be familiar with this Californian beauty and others will realise that our climate here is far from West Coast USA, however I am hopeful that it will thrive in our care.
Our spoils were crammed into the car and we headed home. We got back to the garden and waterproofed up to do some work. After half an hour pretending to do something constructive in the heavy rain Max’s Dad said “fancy going inside for a cup of tea and a chat about plants?”. What happened next?
Off The Edge Gardening 
Well, as you would never offer us a simple conundrum, my guess is that the ghosts of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford appeared in the conservatory and, in their normally argumentative off-screen state, tipped the tea tray over and the plate of Crawford’s biscuits got broken and you won the Bette about how much planting you would actually do before going inside and offering us the complicated conundrum ……….
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Correct!!!! Were you spying?
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Have you tried this:
https://www.netweather.tv/live-weather/radar
It’s far more accurate than anything the weatherpeople dish up. Basically ‘cos it’s real and not a forecast. I apologise for the ad on the left of the page, if you get the same. I was shopping for underwear earlier today. It’ll either be that or Grohe taps.
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Thanks Rusty, I will look into that. It is very frustrating when you make plans and they are thwarted, unless of course it means you can go shopping!
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Carpenteria? That is an odd choice. Once established, you probably will not want to water it. They rot so easily in irrigated landscapes. Also, tall branches die back as replaced by new ones, sort of like alternating canes. It is not as flashy as the many other things you could grow, so I hope you like it. I mean, I know people like it, but it is not strikingly colorful or profuse.
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Sometimes subtle can be good. I have grown it before, when I lived in Bristol, and it was a lovely shrub. And we definitely don’t need to irrigate our landscape!!! 🙂
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Cistus is a great favourite of mine and its doing very well in the garden. Even now, the foliage is thick and green. Sounds like you had a great day in spite of the weather. It’s much the same here. 😕
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Glad we are back in sync, perhaps we could try some more sunshine next?! 🙂
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It looks like there might be a little bit on the way. 🌞
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I am also going to try Rusty Duck’s weather site, I am fed up with hanging out washing and then bringing it back in needing a spin – but then if Mr TT and I do take the black spaniel off to Sandymouth for a walk along the beach….
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It’s great, I’ve been playing with all the maps. I do love a good map 😊
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Just think if it hadn’t rained you would not have found your treasured bargain. Some plant labels are very misleading, annuals and biannuals sold as perennials is just one that annoys me.
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You are quite right, the silver lining. 🙂
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