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- Still in love with tulips, like everyone else. This week, the turn of Queen of the Night, such a reliable and classy performer. Here in combination with Euphorbia polychroma, another great plant, in my opinion. I keep meaning to take cuttings from this and always forget. Maybe this year.
2. The Queen again, this time in pots, just looking pretty good for one of my clients.
3. I have been slow to recognise the virtues of deciduous Azalias. This was already in a client’s garden and is about to burst into a yellow/orange profusion of bloom. It is absolutely spectacular. The rest of the time, it needs little attention, minimal pruning and holds its space nicely. Underplanting with bulbs is a must, I reckon. It is a bit of a martyr to mildew in Summer, but that is all I can hold against it.
4. Trachelospernum jasminoides. What a plant! Great for year-round foliage, which colours nicely in Winter. Lovely flowers and scent. Trouble free. Just needing a light prune around now if it is a well established one. This is one I put against a client’s new fence, with Hakonachloa macro Aureola to hide its feet.
I really hate those green plastic strips which bind up climbers in garden centres. So many people leave them on, it drives me mad. I take a particular pleasure in cutting them off and fanning a climber out.
5. Burials in Bloom update. It has been very satisfying to see such an appetite among the citizens of Walthamstow for adopting graves. 23 are now taken, and there is some lovely progress being made all over the site. We are currently swamped by Cow Parsley and Cherry blossom, which is delightful in itself, but it is the mundane bits of grass cutting, weed pulling and tidying that pleases me most: less work for me, innit?
6. Chelsea Fringe walk on May 26th, 11-1pm. Along with two other community gardeners, I have been planning a guided walk around the street gardens of Walthamstow. The photo above is a bed we planted last year.It is a golden time in the area for community projects and little strips of improved land. We were much encouraged to be mentioned in Gardens Illustrated this month, P.22. The details are on the Chelsea Fringe website, if anyone is interested. You would receive a warm welcome and have an interesting two hours, I’m sure.
Tim Hewitt, Gardener 
A lovely idea for people to take on a gravesite and keep it tidy and beautiful.
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Beautiful combination in the picture 1, pretty colors … My trachelospermum jasminoides is bigger and I still don’t see its flower buds. It gives a wonderful smell when we eat on the terrace.
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A really nice blog Tim, Impressed with all you do in the community. If I lived closer I would have come down for that walk, I want to do more community garden but too busy at work.
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Thanks. I am lucky to be able to work and do bits and bobs around the area. Also lucky that there are a lot of other like minded people here too who inspire me to do more. I know what you mean about work though:I’m knackered!
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Love the tulip/euphorbia combo. Those broad maple-shaped leaves add to the effect – are those Japanese anemones? Lovely bed, there. I’m another person impressed by your community work, too. It’s so great when a community takes on the public spaces.
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Thanks, Lora, yes Jap anemones.
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That tulip and euphorbia combo is inspired. Just beautiful. Your walk sounds fabulous. What a great idea.
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Thanks, Ali, we are excited about the walk.
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I agree, Queen of the Night looks wonderful with the zingy lime green of that Euphorbia.
I planted Trachelospermum jasminoides on chalk in our old garden and it took a long time to get going – hadn’t really done anything after three years and then we moved house, although I have heard that they are slow starters.
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I have seen quite a few in East London that just romp away. Probably the heavy clay.
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We could not grow deciduous azaleas fast enough! They sold faster than we could grow them. However, I do not think that they ever looked good in the nursery! They really do not want to grow in black vinyl cans. They are always happier in the garden.
So far, I think I have the distinction of the only post ‘without’ tulips!
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Nice one, Tony, you stick to your non Tulip ways! I’d buy a deciduous Azalia off you though.
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Yes, the tulips and euphorbia together make a refreshing combination. I’ve bought some queen of the night bulbs time will tell how successful I’ll be with them.
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I really like The Queen, a bit later than some, but very versatile and classy. I haven’t found that she comes back much, but she is a luxuary I want to afford!
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I’m about to buy a jasmine as a housewarming gift for a friend. It’s a new build house with an empty garden. Maybe I’ll be buying something to cover the feet now! Wishing you well for your guided walk.
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Lucky them!
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Adopt a grave! Interesting idea. I can picture a conversation “Well thanks for visiting. Would you like to come and have a look at my grave? You could help me dig it.” I planted a couple of Trachleospermums last autumn, probably too late to take on winter colour so they stayed green. Waiting and watching them now. I hate those green tapes too, particularly when they’re put on so tightly it’s hard to cut them off without damaging the plant. We home gardeners can now buy little machines that put the tapes on, by the way.
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Ha, ha! Why would you buy such a machine? The tide is turning on pointless plastic!
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Agree here too….that tulip and euphorbia combo is delightful. I love the adopt a grave scheme too!what a fabulous idea.
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Thanks, I am so pleased with the response. I will update on it in future.
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I’m with you on the Trachelospernum jasminoides. The smell and flower or a jasmine, but not as unruly as jasmine. Glossy dark green leaves and not deciduous. It’s ticks all round. Funnily enough, most times a friend asks me to recommend a climber I suggest this. They just seem to fit the bill in most situations.
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My queen of the night is not out yet, slow coach. I remembered i have a honeysuckle planted out which almost certainly has those plastic strips restraining it. I’ll get out and fan it out at some point this week….
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