Double Rudbeckia laciniata and our view.
This morning
Double Rudbeckia laciniata and our view.
Category: Rwandan gardens
After the rain
. . . this morning.
In my Autumn garden I was fain
To mourn among my scattered roses;
Alas for that last rosebud that uncloses
To Autumn’s languid sun and rain
When all the world is on the wane!— Christina Rossetti, from “An October Garden”
Back here in Kigali. . .
We have orchids in the acacia tree.
These two clumbs of orchids came out of the big old Norfolk pine that used to grow at the entrance to the terrace. (It was cut down a year and a half ago when it was clear it was dying.)
When we wired them onto the acacia, the gardener said the flowers were yellow, but I really didn’t think I’d ever see them bloom.
Another change: at the end of the long lawn (below), we have added two tall pots to set off a trio of pine trees.
I will plant something tall to the right of the trees/pots grouping.
At the other end of the lawn, I placed this single tall pot. I will enlarge the planting area at the base of the traveller’s palm and add some stones to make a level base for the pot.
And finally, I faced the fact that my stepping stones and grass arrangement (below) on the right side of the entrance to the terrace just didn’t work. (The aforementioned Norfolk pine used to fill this area.)
We (meaning the gardener mostly) took up all the grass and stones . . .
and we replanted (meaning me) with the same plants that are in the borders around the driveway:
Mexican sage, small pink shrub roses (like ‘The Fairy’), datura, lambs’ ear, and yellow day lilies.
I’m still working on the placement of the pots. Please stay tuned.
October Bloom Day: home again
View from the living room.
A double variety of Rudbeckia laciniata.
Graptopetalum in bloom.
Americans in Kigali: purple coneflowers grown from seed.
A Crassocephalum (vitellinum?) native to Rwanda.
Unknown shrub rose in the pink border.
An unknown white rose — our only scented rose.
The sunflowers bloomed while we were gone.
The cherry tomatoes waited for us.
We returned from three weeks of travel on Saturday night. Not a minute too soon, as a steady trickle of water was flowing from below the master bathroom sink and probably had been for a couple of days. The bedroom floor and two carpets were soaked — welcome home! Thankfully, the furniture and the rooms below were fine.
Until that moment, however, it had been a great trip — especially since I was able to visit Loi of Tone on Tone and his beautiful shop of Swedish antiques in Bethesda, Maryland. And in Madison, Wisconsin, Linda from Each Little World and her husband, Mark, not only took us on a tour of their lovely garden, but gave us lunch. We had very interesting conversation about art collecting and Wisconsin politics.
I was also able to go and pull invasive weeds at Dumbarton Oaks Park in Washington, D.C., and meet the great Ann Aldrich and some of the other weed warriors of the DOP Conservancy, which is supporting the National Park Service in restoring this Beatrix Farrand’s masterpiece.
Back at home, about five weeks into the rainy season, our grass is green again and there are a lot of flowers. Being away, however, has opened my eyes to a number of problems that daily familiarity was hiding, so now back to work. . . .
To see what’s blooming in other garden bloggers’ gardens this October 15, visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens.
After some rain
All night the sound had
come back again,
and again falls
this quiet, persistent rain. . . .— Robert Creeley, from “The Rain“
Our garden on August 31, at the end of the dry season:
And on September 11, after several days of rain:
Much better. After the first rain or two, everything seemed almost sparkly.
Below (click on any of the thumbnails in the gallery) is a little tour of the borders along the upper and lower lawns, taken on September 11 — just before sunset — and yesterday afternoon.
Looking southwest from the upper lawn.
Kniphofia uvaria and a Kalanchoe. . .
with an orange Lantana camera in the background.
A pot of Graptopetalum with yellow daylilies behind it.
An orange blooming tropical hibicus in the foreground.
The upper lawn beyond the steps. A large Euphorbia in the background.
Walking to the tall pot in the last photo and turning: Cape plumbago, yellow Abutilon, variegated groundcover irises, and a double Rudbeckia laciniata in the foreground.
Turning back to the steps, Cape plumbago and shasta daisies.
Looking down to the next level of retaining wall, a large white rose in the back and (I think) a (purple) Thunbergia in the center.
Walking down the steps, looking south. There are also cream Russelia equisetiformis and a blue blooming Salvia (I think it’s a Salvia).
At the bottom of the steps, looking back at the south retaining walls.
Looking South on the other side of the lower lawn.
Those are pink Pentas in the foreground.
Going back to the top of the steps and looking northwest about sunset.
Looking down on the next level of retaining wall: blue blooming Salvias, Eranthemum nervosum, and a variegated ginger.
Walking down the steps, looking north.
At the bottom of the steps, looking back to the north retaining walls. There are red Russelia equisetiformis above and yellow daylilies and Rudbeckia below.
Walking across the lawn and looking north.
I think this will be my slightly early Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day and Foliage Follow-Up submission for September. Please go to May Dreams Gardens (Bloom Day on September 15) and Digging (Foliage Follow-Up on September 16) to see what’s happening in other Garden Bloggers’ gardens.
enclos*ure 