Getting to Know You: New Garden part 94

[callmemadam]

Each month brings surprises in my new garden. There are shrubs here I don't instantly recognise, probably because I've never gardened on acid soil. This is obviously an azalea and I think it may be one called 'Mandarin Lights'. Rather startling. I wish it were PINK. I'm still separated from my gardening books and can't look anything up.



It's a large shrub, more like a small tree. Here's a close-up of the dangling flowers.



They're sweetly scented and busy with bees. Any suggestions welcome.

I must say few of these shrubs, like the boring, overgrown weigela, are what I would have chosen. Nor do I favour quite so much purple foliage as there is around, especially in a country garden. Realistically, though, I haven't got thirty years to wait for replacements to grow, so I'm not likely to be grubbing them up. I'll think on.

Comments

[land-girl.livejournal.com]

Is it not a laburnum? They love acid soil.

Oh, so jealous ;-)

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Thank you, but definitely not laburnum.

As I'm not over-keen on rhodos and azaleas, acid soil is no great thrill but every gardener likes new opportunities. As it's also very damp I'm dreaming blue poppies...

[land-girl.livejournal.com]

Then winter hazel would be my next guess!

We didn't have any luck with blue poppies, although we tried. I do hope you do ...

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Nope. I know winter hazel.

I'm jolly well going to try! I need a new bed for them, though, after some awful conifers have been cut down.

[rosathome.livejournal.com]

Pink is always better.

I can't think of the name of that tree but it looks very familiar. If it comes to me, I'll let you know.

Would it be possible to remove a small amount of the less interesting shrubs and replace them with other things that would shift the balance of colour and interest in the garden? I can see that you don't want to be starting from scratch with everything but sometimes even just changing one or two things can really make a big difference.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

My neighbours on either side have pink camellias, magnolias etc. humph.

Good plan. I'm certainly going to do that with the perennials and bring in more choice varieties.

[lethe1]

The flowers look like berberis, but I can't tell from your photo whether the leaves are thorny.

Photos of different varieties here:
http://www.onlinetuinieren.nl/articles/192/1/Berberis-Zuurbes/Pagina1.html

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Clever you, you're right that the flowers look like berberis, although I hadn't seen it. The plant is thorny, too. In my old garden I had a Berberis 'Goldilocks'. I can see the similarities though this is much less thorny and I'd say an inferior variety. More research needed but I'm sure you're right: thank you!

[lethe1]

Glad to have been of help! :-)

Goldilocks looked (looks) beautiful.

[(Anonymous)]

Beautiful flower photos.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Thank you!