Although there is some color in the garden, hydrangeas, daylilies, butterfly bush, jasmine and roses, today I'm focusing on shades of green. With temperatures about to increase and the humidity rising, usual weather for the southeast at this time of year, I really enjoy having so much green around the house. A cooling, comforting array of so many shades and hues, green is Nature in all her glory.
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The term, "variegated" is applied to a flower or, more often, a leaf that has more than one color. Most often, it will be two-toned (bi-colored). This means the foliage is blotched, striped, or bordered with a lighter color than that on the rest of it (or vice versa).  In full bloom now, wild ginger is not variegated, the white flowers make it look that way from a distance though. It makes a great ground cover but needs to be kept in check or will take over the garden!  The fig tree is awesome. It's palm-shaped leaves are all one shade of green, but note I have pots of variegated ivy tucked underneath. I know I have a habit of saying every year once the tree has fully leafed out and the branches are loaded with fruit, that this tree is quite spectacular. Last year we had the width pruned a little to keep it off the driveway. Seems that it has made it even more healthy! It truly is huge, and quite beautiful. If a tree ever had a 'fan club' this one might be the winner with more people commenting on it when passing by . . . . . . and then lining up late summer to pick luscious sweet figs by the bowl or basketful. How are your fig trees this year? I know some of you started out small as did I with this one so many years ago. Hope you are getting figs by now.  |
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Dear Mary, you own a very beautiful fig tree! I found a scent with green fig in it - yummy!
ReplyDeleteI love it when household items such as cleaners and air fresheners have fig added - a scent must be lovely!
DeleteThe greens from lots of plants are decorative and restful. But there is nothing as delicious as fruits, vegetables and herbs. I would buy your house, just for that fig tree! Ditto lemon trees, passionfruit vines or pots of tomato plants.
ReplyDeleteI think anyone considering buying our house would enjoy the fig tree - it certainly is 'traffic stopping' when fully leaved out and covered with figs! We're not selling this week, haha!!!!
DeleteHello Mary, it's me, Meike.
ReplyDeleteThe many shades of green make your garden look really lush and the perfect place to be when it is hot.
Here, greens are fast turning into yellows and browns as we have far too little rain (again). I guess it'll be like that for many years to come, and only get more pronounced with climate change speeding up year by year, it seems.
Hi Meike - is Google playing up when you try to comment?
DeleteSorry you need more rain in your lovely area of Germany. We had plenty of rain this spring so no drought problems currently. Today we had a little early morning drizzle, very "English weather".
I agree; I love to see all those shades of green. A friend of mine once bought a house because there was a fig tree in the garden. He reasoned that, as he was a carpenter, he could do any jobs that were needed on the house, but he couldn't make a fig tree! He still lives there 40 years on.
ReplyDeleteI love that story John --------his tree must be massive by now. Mine is so tall - perhaps about 18 feet - and we can't reach fruits at the top (not possible to put a ladder up), so the birds and squirrels have a great time feeding when the figs ripen. The width is about 25 feet and will definitely require a good pruning come Autumn. I really love my tree so much. Happy days.
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ReplyDeleteThe fig tree looks awesome. Like its leaves.
It's really a beauty, loaded with figs for upcoming picking when they ripen.
DeleteI just LOVE your garden Mary and you have inspired me to grow some wild ginger. Update on my husband ...... I just saw your comment on my blog so I'm so sorry that I haven't got back to you. Ten years ago he had a brain haemorrhage but recovered reasonably well although he was never the same. As the last ten years have rolled on he has got worse and, after the chest infection he has really got a lot worse. He has some vascular dementia from the haemorrhage which we knew would get worse and the chest infection didn't help !!! So, blogging has taken a bit of a back seat . We have a photographer from the conservatory company coming to take photographs for the brochure so, when I get those I will try and do a post ! Thanks so much for caring .... will try and comment when I can. You are a true blogging friend. XXXX
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this dear Jackie. I've e-mailed you today and hope you receive it - not sure if you have the same address - used the contact one on your blog. Please let me know if you get it XX
DeleteI absolutely love greens in the garden. Our figs won't be ripe until fall. Do you use the wild ginger from your garden? I was hoping to find wild garlic for my garden, but haven't found any. I think it doesn't grow here.
ReplyDeleteI recently read about using the wild ginger - perhaps I'll try doing that IF I ever get time, haha!!!!!
DeleteDearest Mary,
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely images of your special garden!
Yes, I'm ever so slowly coming back to life... only 98 lb but not giving up!
Big hugs,
Mariette
So thankful to see you are recuperating dear friend - just left a comment on your blog.
DeleteLove and hugs - Mary & Bob
You have a very Green and very beautiful garden. It is necessary so much work for to obtain this. Congratulations.
ReplyDeleteGracias! Thank you for visiting my blog.
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