Annuals as cut flowers, and update on gardening jobs!

Ooo, that’s lovely ww2. I planted a climbing aero I’ll de Holland last Autumn. Is grown really well and strong. I can’t wait for all the buds to open now.

A climbing aero would be yummy, but it’s a Rose. Strange autocorrect!

Frost ww2 ? Not very often. First year we were here we were caught out though, even our neighbours were too relaxed and on two nights we had -6 degrees. Our citrus trees were not happy - they should have been covered. But ours survived. Sometimes in the winter if the wind comes roaring down off the Pyrenées, it's achingly cold and cuts through you whatever you're wearing, but mostly it's surprising in winter; always blue, always sunny and often allowing you to sit outside and eat. So, yes, lots of nice things can grow but not lovely roses like your étoile above......unless you have a lot of shade, the sun quickly bleaches all colour out of the blooms, which is sad. Isn't gardening a real life saver at the moment !

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Blimey lisa mine are still just beginning to show their buds growing.

I’ll take a photo of one of my favourite shrubs when I’m dressed.

Jobs today include watering the potted rhododendrons., seedlings, feeding the sweet peas. A bit of weeding. Persuade DH to get the pressure hose onto the top terrace as it’s got all the detritus left from the winter bird food, like suet etc.

Glorious blue sky but chilly wind. Once it warms up though it is fine.

grandmafrench so what can you grow that we can’t in the U.K. or at least doesn’t do so well? More exotic stuff I would imagine. Lemons and oranges for sure?
Yes I have read the winds are pretty fierce at times.

One of my favourite shrubs

Another

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Lovely, Whitewavemark2

Love love love that plant, WW2
We had that against a brick wall in Sussex and everyone used to admire it. Ours was very pink. I know you'll know, but it's a variegated Kiwi Vine (Actinidia Kolomikta). I am now definitely going to get one here whenever anyone is selling plants EVER again.....your lovely pics have just reminded me.
What can we grow?
Yes, oranges and lemons. The blossoms on ours have just been bashed by the unseasonal 4 day rain fest!! Makes no difference really because once the baby fruits are there, one of the dogs knocks lots off with his nose - saves me thinning them out I suppose - and chases them around the courtyard like little marbles.
We have in our garden, 2 big Grenadine/Pomegranate trees. Pretty leaves in spring but 4 years ago when we moved here was shocked to see trees full of flowers (almost like camellias) that I didn't recognise. The fruit then let us know what they are. We have mixed hedges of Oleander in various colours, Stephanotis, Eleagnus and Buddleia,Red Tip Photinias and Portugese Laurel, all grown for perfume and bees. We have an Olive tree, a Strawberry tree and a wonderful fruit tree - a Japanese Medlar. The delicious yellow soft fruits which taste like a cross between apricots, peaches and mangoes are very common around here and wonderful to enjoy straight from the tree. Lots of lavender, Russian sage, curry plants, Rosemary and Santolina. Anything really which will withstand heat and dry conditions (the winds dry everything although fortunately we have free water from an underground spring). We currently have pots of Osteospermum covered in flowers of all colours, the tail end of the tulips and Alliums coming up; some Morning Glory in bud and big stone pots of Umbrella plants near the pool. I'm saving one big pot for a Bird of Paradise plant which I would like for my birthday. Last year we (actually DH) painted the house, but this year we were really going to get to grips with the garden and start changing/adding stuff. However, the heat will be upon us well before the garden centres are allowed to re-open, so we are limited to feeding and pruning and just normal maintenance now. Only thing I miss in the garden from Sussex and Northern France are roses. We used to have such gorgeous ones. However, although I sometimes see roses happily blooming in more shady gardens locally, our own plot has too much sun and as soon as the blooms I tried were ready, they were bleached of all colour. So, gave those away. New garden, new plans I suppose !

Your garden sounds like paradise grandmafrench all the lovely stuff that can’t be grown here.

Yes I live in Sussex and the actinidia goes pink as it gets hotter. Sun burn? . But it is a lovely shrub.

looked out window today and the council have finally cut the grass. now i can get on weeding and planting wilfd flower seeds......hurray ......

Are you going to put them into the grass moggie?

This is the next rose out. Olivia Rose Austin. A shrub rose and excellent doer flowering from now until the first frost. I have three planted in a group making a big splash of colour.

lisa what’s that? It looks like mock orange but isn’t it too early?

Oh blimey I picked the wrong rose! I took the photo and chose the wrong one in the library.

That one is Constance Spry which isn’t out yet and only flowers the once, but is imo fabulous

This one is Olivia - sorry to confuse

Ww - you have roses in bloom! We are in the south but only have buds at the moment. I have bonica which is usually the first to flower and little rambler. The will go from March to November. I do have a number of old and David Austin varieties too. Can't have enough roses!

We’ve had some of our roses in bloom for a couple of weeks now. Not lots of flowers but gradually increasing. One bush, I can’t remember the name of it, is absolutely covered in flowers, and still has many buds yet to bloom. It’s got single petals and is a bright yellow. Normally flowers in May, but has started to flower a lot earlier this year - probably due to the mild winter. Some of the other bushes are only just beginning to show buds, so I suppose it depends which rose it is as to when it first flowers. The greenfly are putting in an appearance, unfortunately.

We are in the south as well. The Red rose has been in flower for about 10 days now and olivia came out today. I reckon the next one will be Gertrude Jekyll

maple I think I can remember seeing the yellow rose you are talking about. I think it is delightful. Does it have a good fragrance?

Canary bird is a very early flowering yellow rose. Quite small flowers?

I think that the warmer weather is going to bring the rises in but not for a couple of weeks. We are quite open in places so can be breezy!

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Well I don't have any roses in flower yet.
Just the first of the Iris, and the last of the cherry blossom!
Oh and the Ceanothus.
Those roses are fabulous!!

Jeez you Southern grans are a whole season ahead of us in the North. My Camellia has just come into bloom .

Irises come top of my list I think. I love love love them.

That one is particularly beautiful namsnanny

I can’t grow Camelia gilly because my soil is so alkaline. But they are such beautiful shrubs.

Cherry against the blue, spring!!

Yes Whitewavemrk2 … the pink does look so good against the blue sky doesn't it?
This spring has been extraordinary hasn't it?
So sunny with lovely clear blue skies, in-between the cold winds.
Which (touching wood) we haven't had that much of here .

moggie57 … have you had time to scatter your seeds yet?

Granmafrench … your garden sounds idilic

gillybob … your Camellia looks very healthy! I've got a few yellowing leaves on mine, clearly it needs a feed or moving into a pot and some tlc.

lisagran … beautiful photos, keep them coming!

Daisymae … a cold wind is more deadly than a frost some times isn't it?