GPE #12 : Mind-Your-Own-Business, IDV!

Disappointments and Delights

at

H E X E N H Ä U S L I   D E V I C E

 

Delightful as always were our Pineapple lilies

 I'm not overly thrilled with how our garden has grown this year.  The prolonged cold from winter, through spring and into summer, plus the lack of sunshine and more rain than we're used to in England's driest county, meant that some of the more tender plants haven't done so well, or just didn't even make any effort to grow at all!

 That was directed at the Starfish Iris (Ferraria crispa) and Batflower (Tacca integrifolia) tubers I planted - nothing!  The Starfish Iris may grow next year as the tubers are still firm, but the Batflower rhizomes were attacked from the top by mould, and from the bottom by fungus gnat (sciarid fly) larvae and eventually carked it.  Bah!

 I did get some Tacca chantieri seeds from Madam A & Jon at the beginning of the year, but they haven't come up either (although they can take several months, apparently...).  My Gloriosa seeds did sprout however, managed a handful of leaves each, then were either demolished by slugs or succumbed to the cold - although I did get a couple of small tubers out of them for next year, though.  And the Iris Burgemeister was doing quite well until a week of exceptionally cold, wet weather caused all the flower buds to fall off (plus I planted it in completely the wrong place - not enough sun).

Top left: the hideous batflower stump which taunted me with that small patch of green for months on end.  Bah!  Top right: Gloriosa superba seedlings giving false hope.

Bottom  left: The strappy leaves of Iris Burgemeister can just about be made out to the left of the birdtable.  And bottom right: Starfish Iris tubers doing nothing.  Nothing!

And this is how they should have looked.  From left to right: Close-up of Tacca flower buds (looking for all the world like a couple of hanging bats) chez Dinahmow, (I probably should have taken note of her 2008 post);  Gloriosa superbum superba also courtesy of Dinah;  Irises found at Maddie's (I was going to snatch one of Ms Nations' examples, but the colours of Maddie's were a better match);  and Ferraria crispa (no one has grown these as far as I'm aware, so this photo came from the internet and forms the basis of the packaging featured in my Happy post), the Starfish Iris.

❦

 

GPE #11 : Savvy Cancels Christmas

The Garden Photos Event presents

(by the skin of her teeth)

S A V V Y

 

 Surprise!  Yes, Savvy made it!  Well past the deadline (I received these only a week ago), but what's new? 

"A gift from the MITM"

[Note the lovely clear water in the vase.

'Petra, if you're reading, this is how it should be done! - IDV]

"I have a brown thumb"

[Fortunately, Dracaena fragrans "Warneckei" (if that's what this is)

can tolerate a variety of neglect...]

GPE #10 : A Fan of Peenee's

A Case of 

M I S T A K E N   I D E N T I T Y

at the Garden Photos Event

 Now, this is a bit of an odd one.  I received this email along with the following three photos at the end of October:

"Good day Mr. Peenee,

I am a new fan of your blog as I enjoy uncut dick* and they are hard to find here in the U.S. 

Sending you some humble pictures of my home and two rose bushes that came from my Grandfather’s garden. They have graced my yard (family home) for over 60 years.

Thank you for all the wonderful posts!"

-- A fan of Peenee's from Portland, Maine

 I have withheld the senders name to respect at least some of their privacy as they didn't respond to my query about whether they were really meant for the GPE, or just for Peenee.  But, equally, as there was no response, I feel perfectly justified in sharing these garden photos:

GPE #9 : Melanie's Nature-led Naughtiness

In  Proximity  to  Purple

a Garden Photos Event installation by

M E L A N I E

 

 Here we are in Melanie's garden for the ninth stop on the Garden Photos Event tour.  Let's see what she has for us:

Fuchsia and ferns

GPE #8 : Jon & Madam Arcati's Garden Show'n'Tell

Jon and Madam Arcati

welcome you to

D E L O R E S   D E L A R G O   T O W E R S

G A R D E N S

A Garden Photos Event feature

 Yes, it's the turn of Jon & Madam A with their ever popular efforts in the Extensive Gardens of Delores Delargo Towers.  And it starts with a star...

 

"Star of the Year": Geranium maderense - after a three-year wait, this magnificent 3ft-by-3ft gem flowered from early May to the end of June!

 

❦

GPE #7 : Gardening for Gratis, by Mitzi

M I T Z I ' S

T A L E S  F R O M  T H E  L A N Ā I

a Garden Photos Event feature

 I was going to attempt a witty introduction, but it'll be clear when you read through that I have no hope of matching Mitzi's wits, so I'll just let her get on with it.  Take it away, Mitzi!

Variegated ivy cuttings, taken from the local graveyard!

See the summer house in the background?  I caught the maid in fragrante delicto late one night in there with a grindr meet!  Least said, soonest mended.

GPE #6 : Pam Demic's Veiny, Purple Love Cabbage

Maddie, the Mistress Borghese

stars as

P A M   D E M I C

in the

Garden Photos Event

 I'm looking forward to seeing everybody's garden or succulents again.  Of course the Mistress is ready and dressed for the tour this year.
 

 Since I am torn between the Casa du Borghese which has no garden, and the ancestral manor, I was able to potter around in my Mother's garden and bring some of the splendor back from what my father had done in his gardening hobby days.  This year the new back garden or shade garden turned out lovely from plants my father had originally had in the garden... mostly hostas and Astilbe, with some mountain mint thrown in for good measure.  The shade garden had in it this spring some lovely peony and alliums. 

GPE #5 : Ms Scarlet and her Pulsating Pink Bush!

The Great Blogging Gardening Show

presents

M S   S C A R L E T

and her

Pulsating Pink Bush!

 Ms Scarlet renamed The Infomaniac Garden Photos Event to "The Great Blogging Gardening Show" (possibly due to a bout of overexcitedness.  Or forgetfulness...).  But, whatever it's called, it wouldn't be complete without a showing of Ms Scarlet's Big Pink Bush™ so, for your delectation, here it is in all its pulsating perfection:

 Now, let's hear what Ms Scarlet has to say about her gardening efforts, shall we?

 Dear Mr Devine,

 As you are aware I am not much of a gardener, I don't like getting my hands dirty, nor do I like unearthing live electricity cables [commonly found beneath the gardens of Devon], despite this I have done my best to provide enough pictures of my back yard to have a post all to myself.

 Firstly, some pretty flowers, freshly bought from the garden centre - to be honest it might have been kinder to rent them as I think they are dead now.  I believe they fell victim to the enormous slugs.

GPE #4 : Clue - The Dinahmow Edition

D I N A H M O W

at the

Garden Photos Event

with the

Sensitive Weed! 

I am going to try sending some garden pics.  Well, you managed it, Dinahmow.   On the day, if my memory marbles have not rolled away, I'll try to put more on my blog!  And you managed that, too!  But huge thanks, in advance, for hosting the garden party.  Ooh!  Did I say "party"?  I wonder if there will be crocque em bouche and Black Forest?  She's thinking of this.

1. Red Anthurium

GPE #3 : Top-Dressing with Hound

H O U N D

at the

 Gymkhana of Gardening

 Hound is not a gardener - he lives in Birmingham, for Christsakes! - but has seen fit to take part in this "gymkhana of gardening" (his own words) in his own inimitable way.  Let's see what he has to show us:

"Against my better judgement, a picture of me gardening"

 Now, Hound only sent me two images displaying his gardening 'skills' - the one above, and another that beggars description, quite frankly.  But, before we get to that one, I scoured his 2021 blog posts in an effort to find some greenery to pad this out a bit.  The results were... lacking, let's just say.  I found two pictures only very tangentially related to gardening - both from April:

GPE #2 : Rancho FirstNations

The Gardens of

R A N C H O  F I R S T N A T I O N S

'The Crap Fence'

 Now, Ms Nations got herself a new camera phone earlier in the year, and was so excited at the prospect that she had this to say: "Hold your horses, get ye ahold of The Mistress and Inexplicable DeVice and let them know the news:

FIRSTNATIONS HAS TAKEN PICTURES OF HER SPRING GARDEN!!!" and, consequently, was the first of you to provide snaps for the Infomaniac Garden Photos Event 2021.

 In fact, she sent me reams upon reams of garden photos - well, 48 or so - back in May!  (Now that's dedication to the cause - take note for next year, the rest of you).  But, in the excitement of the moment, the only thing she had to say about her garden was: "Here it is! Today everything began blooming! Squeee!!!"

 However, with a little research, I was able to find some of these photos (along with many others) on her blog, Steve.  Because 'Steve' is almost as a nice a name as 'Paul' was., and have lifted some of Ms Nation's comments from there to use here (linked to for your convenience).

 So as not to create a post ten miles long which would wear your scrolling fingers out to get through, I took the liberty of grouping some of the similarly themed photos together in what I hope are pleasing combinations.  Oh, and I'm sure you all know by now, just click the photos to embigulate them.  Or, right click and open in a new tab/window.  FYI, the photos on Ms Nations' blog are even bigger still, so if you see something that you want a real close up view of, just go there for a proper snoop.

GPE #1 - Terrifying Triffidery Results & The League of Extraordinary Gardeners

 Yes, it's that time at last!

Welcome to the

I N F O M A N I A C

 Garden Photos Event 2021!

I see many of you managed to get through the Terrifying Triffidery exhibit relatively unscathed.

No matter, there's always next year...

 Right, then.  We'd better start the show.  First up, a little background for any newcomers or the easily befuddled:  The Garden Photos Event first appeared on our screens ten years ago, brought into existence by The Very Mistress (then known as MJ), the Infomaniac herself!  It was an occasion for Infomaniac Bitches to show off their green fingers and thumbs by displaying their gardens/windowboxes/houseplants/salad drawer for all and sundry to gaze at in wonder/mine for ideas/critique with scathing derision - no, not that last one, forget that.  For you see, the GPE was a safe space to mingle and enjoy the greenery, and NOT a competition (as The Very Mistress had to stress more than once).

 It was so popular that it became an annual event and, in 2020, The Very Mistress relinquished the reins to me (a great honour indeed) which is why the GPE is now being hosted here at Inexplicable Device.  A little more of its history can be found here, along with links to all the featured gardens up until 2020.  Links to 2020's gardens can be found here (or just click my Garden Photos Event label/tag-thingy).

 So, onto the gardens.  Let me just throw open the French doors so we can all go outsi-

 Ah.  It appears that my League of Extraordinary Gardeners haven't quite finished all their mowing and hoeing.  Apologies.  Um...  Oh, what to do now?  Ah!  I know: let's take a look at those Terrifying Triffidery specimens and find out who sent in what.