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Time for a revamp - Goodbye Cistus!

41 comments


In the front garden, in one of the beds, was a Cistus. It had lovely bright pink flowers, but it was getting leggy, as well as taking up too much space – and I was fed up with it.

Do you see what I mean?

When it wasn’t in flower, it was just…boring. It had to go! Out with the secateurs and pruning saw….

Going, going,….

Half gone….

Two barrow loads of Cistus – and I then I came to a stop – I couldn’t shift the root. OH helped with his pick-axe…

No wonder I couldn’t dig it out!

So now I had a lovely space – I’d also cleared a whole of of Achillea ptarmica out, as it spreads everywhere, even under the Cistus!

Now to fill it! My plan was to plant my new rose there…

Rosa ‘Rhapsody in Blue’

…and surround it with plants that would look good with it and the existing planting. What was already there?

Leucanthemum ‘Aglaia’

The Shasta daisy with the bad hair-do…

Verbena corymbosa

A lovely lilac Verbena, and my beautiful rose ‘Prima Ballerina’.

That new Nepeta I bought a few weeks ago.

Nepeta tuberosa

And Galega ‘Duchess of Bedford’ amongst other plants.

I decided to keep to the colour scheme I already had – pinks, white and mauve. It’s a soothing and pretty scheme.

This bed does have Byzantine gladioli in it that flower earlier in the year – I wanted to leave them in. It won’t be long until I can pull out the dead leaves.

What else to plant? In went the new Coreopsis.

Coreopsis ‘Limerock Passion’

And three new Penstemons. Two Penstemon ‘Czar’ and Penstemon ‘Pensham Laura’.

Penstemon ‘Pensham Czar’

Penstemon ‘Pensham Laura’

Along the edge went English Lavender ‘Hidcote’ and Geranium ‘Jolly Bee’. They should make a pretty ‘mingle’ once they get established.

I think it’s looking much better.

Here’s a group in there with the rose as the centre-piece.

I had a few small annual Angelonias in the greenhouse – the right colour – so in they went, too. You know me – I don’t like bare soil!

Will I miss the Cistus? Well – when it flowered, it was lovely, but I prefer the bed without it! I do have another one in the side garden – I can always look at that if I miss it too much.

The Cistus is gone and not regretted. Goodbye Cistus!

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Comments

 

Wonderful blog, and cracking photos, Spritz! As I now know your wonderful garden, I really could appreciate all the extra effort you have gone too in this new planting combination! Love it!!! :~))))x

23 Jul, 2010

 

Beautiful photos I love mauves and pinky hues, exellent job.

23 Jul, 2010

 

Having just visited you Spritz, I can "see" what you have done and to my simple mind it will look gorgeous against the backdrop of your beautiful house.
You weren't kidding when you said you don't like bare soil, were you? Lol

23 Jul, 2010

 

fabulous, love the colours

23 Jul, 2010

 

All that hard work has really paid off, brilliant.

23 Jul, 2010

 

I love that particular cistus but in your front garden what you have planted is a great improvement. You do want colour all summer in such a prominent spot and this has the WOW! factor.

23 Jul, 2010

 

Lovely blog and lovely planting Spritz. I am another one that doesn't like bare soil. Also love pinks and mauves, my garden has mostly pinks whites and mauve too.

23 Jul, 2010

 

We have Rhapsody in Blue and it is a wonderful rose has flowered for months now, and the jolly Bee is such a pretty geranium, excellent choice of plants, couldnt do better myself lol

23 Jul, 2010

 

Looks fantastic, well done. I love Rhapsody in Blue, I have two of them and they flower on and on and on.

24 Jul, 2010

 

well that is a job well done. do you fancy a working holiday in east yorks? I have a bed to empty for the conservatory oh wants to build.
and what a beautiful selection of plants too. love the shape ad form of the flowers. most of my pensham penstemons did not survive the winter :o(

24 Jul, 2010

 

Lots of plants there Sh. !
Have you had some rain to help them settle in ?

24 Jul, 2010

 

Thanks. folks! What nice things you've all said. I looked out of the window this morning and was sooo pleased that the Cistus had gone.

I hope my Penstemons survive, Sbg!

Did you all realise that 'Rhapsody in Blue' is the rose of the year? No wonder it's doing so well, Dd! :-)) I hope mine does - it's got plenty of buds on it.

Tt - none forecast - I'll be out with the hose again, I reckon. :-(

24 Jul, 2010

 

Looks great Spritz :o)

24 Jul, 2010

 

Great ideas in your new border. Amazing what can be done with what you already have too! I love your Penstemons, I've tried to grow them but they just don't survive our winter here.

24 Jul, 2010

 

Thanks, Carol & Clematisa.

Clematisa - how about taking cuttings each year? They do root easily - I do mine in water! Have you got anywhere to over-winter them?

24 Jul, 2010

 

nice blog :) i see what you meant when you said about different flower shapes and textures... makes it look really interesting :))

24 Jul, 2010

 

the new look is great, love the plants you've chosen, IMO far nicer than the cistus :-)))

25 Jul, 2010

 

Gardens never stand still. a lovely choice of plants Spritz

25 Jul, 2010

 

Thank you - and Jennyfer, it it helped, that's great!

Grindle - you saw the Cistus, so I'm pleased you approve. :-)

Mageth, no, they don't - I'm always on the look-out for where I can improve things.....

25 Jul, 2010

 

love Ur color combination as well, my garden is mostly those colors ,so relaxing, wish we were nearer so cud see it in the flesh .

25 Jul, 2010

 

So do I - but you never know, Cristina!

25 Jul, 2010

 

;0))))) u never do

25 Jul, 2010

 

I booked a holiday in Somerset so I could go and visit Spritz's garden! ! !

25 Jul, 2010

 

There you are, Cristina - that's the answer. :-)))

25 Jul, 2010

 

Spritz, perhaps you could come to an arrangement with Haven where they supply cheap accommodation and you supply a regular customer base! Lol

25 Jul, 2010

 

LOL.

25 Jul, 2010

 

A lovely blog Spritz, it gives so much information and its lovely to see how all the plants come together.

26 Jul, 2010

 

Thanks, Stroller. The wind over the last two days has blown all the petals off the rose - but it has lots more buds. :-))

26 Jul, 2010

 

well now theres an idea ermmm have to have a word wth oh. lol. how nr to essex r u ?

26 Jul, 2010

 

Right across the other side of England, Cristina - from the east coast over to the west!

26 Jul, 2010

 

Ah, that looks lovely now! It's a lot of fun 'revamping' isn't it!! I love your colour scheme and you're so right, it is really soothing, and also very very pretty! :))

27 Jul, 2010

 

Thank you Karen. I enjoyed creating it! I like it sooo much beter than that Cistus. :-0))

27 Jul, 2010

 

Ah yes, a lovely feeling....new border to feast your eyes on!

28 Jul, 2010

 

indeed....:-)))) It's almost by the front door, too, so that's a bonus!

28 Jul, 2010

 

I just finished planting the newly dug ex-boggy area and have a similar feeling....job well done and a freshly planted area.....:))))

28 Jul, 2010

 

Good for you, Karen - where's the blog, then? ;-))

28 Jul, 2010

 

breath taking colour in your pictures ...... sigh =))

29 Jul, 2010

 

lovely dog cate!...yes, I just uploaded a couple of pics....no time for blogging today! :))

29 Jul, 2010

 

Thank you, Cate....I appreciate that!

Oh well, Karen, I'll just have to make do with photos, then! lol.

29 Jul, 2010

amy
Amy
 

Pinks and Mauves my favourite colours in the summer , I always take Penstemon cuttings in the autumn just in case they don't survive .. .. I don't think you will miss that Cistus at all Barbara it's much prettier now .. :o)

29 Jul, 2010

 

Thank you, Amy. I agree - not a loss at all. :-)))

30 Jul, 2010

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