One off the wish list...

Daydreaming on the rattle and rustle of giant bamboo... Don't have the room, of course, I have been eyeing off clumping bamboos for some time but have not been able to stomach the price. So, when I stumbled across some cheap tubes of Fargesia nitida 'Fountain' the other day I decided to take a risk with the wee babies. Including post these average about $10 each. They've already been shifted into some 32cm pots and left in part-shade to grow on. It's likely they'll stay potted up for a long time. I'm hoping they'll produce canes of a useable size eventually (they should grow to 2-4m tall) and I'll never need to buy plastic-bagged bamboo from Bunnos for the garden ever again. Fingers crossed?!

Hello, I love you,

Won't you tell me your name?

First batch of strawberries from the front garden this spring. Variety name long lost! These get no special care whatsoever, just water over summer and whatever fertiliser runoff happens from the other plants nearby. 

There's a few happy mulberries in there too. 

Coming up roses back yard part 2

A true garden diary entry, just pictures and notes! 

New garden section up the back, progress shots. 

Western side. 

Eastern side

Dwarf pears, cordon-planted winter 2015. 

'Beurre D'Anjou'. 

'Williams'

'Beurre Bosc'. Half the size of the others, obscured by Chicago Peace rose, and a penstemon I might need to move. 

Crocus rose under plums, David Austin, transplanted from front garden to back and much happier: first flowers in four years!    

Pretty Jessica, David Austin, buds been at this stage for days, will they open at all?!

Cornelia, hybrid musk, sprawling at this time. 

Blossomtime, small climber, bargain table buy. 

Long shot under the plums. 

Moulineux, under the plums, David Austin (I think, cutting grown from MIL's garden) 

Jessika, planted this winter. 

Bloomfield Dainty, hybrid musk

Paul Bocuse, I'm calling it: he's a favourite! But why are all the blooms at the back of the plant!?

Gruss an Aachen, smells sensational. 

White Wings, flowers are enormous but short lived. 

And lastly, not Red Pierre, which this rose should be, but the rootstock which is gorgeous and I'm going to let be after Red Pierre never took off (even before the rootstock took over. Is it Dr Huey? I'd have to look it up). 

Morry justifies his existence.

Remember when I bought Morry the white weeping mulberry? He was expensive, and I wasn't sure if he'd be worth the investment. Well, a year later he in no way resembles a cubby-house yet, but check out the fruit!  Granted they are not large, but the are prolific and delicious... Unlike the English mulberry I planted five years ago which grew like the clappers but had hardly any fruit, and those it had were small, dry, and totally tasteless. 

What's coming up roses: back garden part 1.

Buff Beauty (hybrid musk)

Sophy's Rose... As always! (David Austin)

Cramoisi Superieur

Radio Times (David Austin). Smells divine!

Zephrine Drouhin, moved last year from a poor spot to a better one. 

Apricot Nectar (in a pot after being moved out of the front garden)

Sharifa Asma (David Austin)

Munstead Wood (David Austin)