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Goodbye Mrs Popple

14 comments


Mrs Popple was just too successful! She was getting bigger & bigger each year despite being cut down mercilessly. It was getting to the point where we had to battle with her to get up the path so she had to go.

Mrs P took up a lot of space & now I have filled it with edging sedums, mazus, silene, phlox, tanacetum & veronica plus geraniums in the middle part of the border & a variety of heucheras & perennials on the far side.
It all looks much better & provides more interest.

In the little pink watering can I put a bit of houseleek which has sent up a strange looking spike. Does anyone know which one it could be?

The spike is flowering now & looking very pretty.

Edit: I’ve since found out that what I put in the pink can is Sempervivum montanum not a Sedum, as I had said. It has a variety of common names such as “Welcome-home-husband-though-never-so-drunk” — a name it sometimes shares with Sedum acre. I read that the sap takes the heat and itch out of all sorts of skin irritations…. sunburn, nettle stings etc. A natural anaesthetic. Hmm interesting.

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Comments

 

Goodbye Mrs Popple. I hope you rest in peace and didn't leave too many seeds behind. That sedum is very unusual. I like it. It almost looks like a miniature palm tree.

18 Aug, 2016

 

Sometimes you just have to go for it.......we have a massive grass which needs splitting.......it's just getting around to it.... love the border so much interest and look how much room you gained!

18 Aug, 2016

 

looks great now though, love it all no idea on the sedum or is a sempervarium lol. you know what I am like, it begins with S..................... lol

18 Aug, 2016

 

Its a bit late now but are you sure it was Mrs Popple? Doesn't look like her to me. Still it makes no difference now...

18 Aug, 2016

 

You are quite right, Olive, I've been told it's Sempervivum montanum, I'll make the correction.

Stera, I've always thought it was Mrs Popple but it could have been Riccartonii.

19 Aug, 2016

 

I always get the two muddled up Greenfinger, as I said it begins with s ..... lol my memory is shocking especially when I am tired. lol that's my excuse and I am sticking with it.

19 Aug, 2016

 

well I think what you have done is an improvement, all those extra plants. :o)

19 Aug, 2016

 

Olive, you do very well, I know cos I've read your blogs, anyway you're quite right, it does begin with s..., lol.

Thanks, Seaburngirl, it is certainly more varied & interesting to see how they progress & change.

19 Aug, 2016

 

The flowers on Mrs P are bigger than those and Riccartoni is a lot taller. It looks like one in my Fuchsias 2 blog which I never knew the name of. Hywel suggested Glazoviana but still not convinced it matches. One of life's little mysteries...

19 Aug, 2016

 

Ah well, Stera, whichever it was it was too big & has gone now, lol

20 Aug, 2016

 

A Fuchsia is a Fuchsia whatever name you give it! I admire several big bush (shrub?) Fuchsias I see around town here. In fact there is one near the side door of our church - it also gets cut back each year but not very drastically.

Just a couple of minutes walk from where we live there is an enormous climbing Fuchsia which gets up to the 1st floor bedroom windows of the house where it grows.

I don't know if there are more climbing Fuchsias other then 'Lady Boothby', which I have "surviving" on the balcony, but I wish mine did a whole lot better!

22 Aug, 2016

 

I hadn't heard of a cl. fuchsia getting much taller than 6ft so the one near you must look amazing.
The one we took out had been planted by previous owner so I don't know how old it was but we've been here 10yrs, its roots went down more than 3 1/2ft & disappeared under the concrete path.
For one in a pot I would suggest a large deep pot with plenty of well rotted farmyard manure & a spring feed of phosphate & bonemeal.

22 Aug, 2016

 

Poor old Popple......but you've replaced her with some good plants!

24 Aug, 2016

 

Greenfinger you can find a photo of the climbing Fuchsia on my photos page.

26 Aug, 2016

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