Eight foot Delphiniums! Yipe! Worse than foxgloves.

If you haven't got Berberis already - you might want to think twice. Their thorns rate with Prunus, Chaenomeles, and Cereus for sheer misery on contact. Roses are fluffy ducks by comparison.

Love the sound of that robot!

If you're coming up north at all, and you pop in to Moss Green up the Akatarawa Valley - they have these amazing copper cone garden misters - looking like chaps spouting fine spray. I think the constructor has a penchant for puns...

The nearest I've been to a trail was a trip over the Wairarapa this week. Greytown's main road gardens were awash with roses and other delights. They really play to their heritage status and the rest of us have plenty to enjoy.

I have one Delphinium - 'Percival' - which is known by me as 'Sooty' because those pristine white flowers with the black centres turn into a streaky charcoal and grey spire regardless of the weather.

I'd love to hear about other people's experiences with this cultivar and any possible ways to combine its sootiness for good effect.

Vetivert - Yes, I know about the thorns on bereberis, had one growing in my lst garden and always approached it very carefully. The worst thorny plant that I ever came across was an erythrina indica, commonly called the coral tree. Has bright flowers and the biggest sharpest thorns that have ever stabbed me! It used to grow in a neighbours garden which bordered our very narrow driveway and unwary callers who had to squeeze past it often got ambushed!!
Moss green sounds like an interesting place to visit, was up in Wellington about four years ago but only went to Te PaPa and a visit to Parliament.
Sounds as if your Percival is what is known as a 'bad dier' like some heritage roses. Perhaps it has sooty mould?

I think poor old Percy actually has a bad deal on mascara. The slightest amount of dew or other damp and the black pollen is dribbling everywhere!

Nice to know I need to park the Erythrina away from the paths. I've got a three year old seedling that's just starting to develop its armoury. Another of those 'repot while wearing leather gloves' plants.

Are you a 'try anything' gardener, bonza - or one of those who have developed style, taste and discipline?

I was reading something the other day where the author remarked, in very haughty tone, that a garden he had visited 'had no theme' (so was beneath his attention). About the only 'theme' in this garden is that the plants will grow in my soil and climate and I have affection for them (or pity). A grim combination of loving a challenge and tender-hearted.

Planting schemes are fine when I start, but I haven't the heart to haul out thriving plants so winter's pansies and pot marigolds wander on into summer to natter with the Impatiens and summer marigolds. All a bit crazed, really.

Colour schemes are fine, so long as you look down only - otherwise the clash of colour from another planting a bit further on hits the eye. I'm getting better. Promise! It's slow-going, though, as I often have no idea what flower colour one of my 'rescues' will produce. The charm of novelty!

So it is Percy's pollen that caused the problem. As I read this the thought popped into my head that hair spray could hold the pollen in place!!! Funny how minds work.

Am I a tasteful, stylish and disciplined gardener? I would like to be but my garden could be described as being very ecletic - all sorts of things all growing together. Always happy to recieve cuttings from friends and family and make for the garden stall at any fete. The only thing I don't take home are cacti. Once had a big round one growing in a pot, it had wonderful flowers but weeding it was very painful. Chucked it away and have not had another one since.

However there is a new border being prepared along the section frontage and I have planned it out carefully, should be stylish, tasteful and disciplined as long as I leave it as planned. Only time will tell whether I can stop myself putting in a little bargain I picked up at hte half price stand at the garden centre.

Decided not to buy a berberis ( only wanted it for the colour) and went and bought a Leucospermum called 'Wiri Kerry', same coloured foliage as the berberis.

I have got a mystery plant growing in my garden. I was given a cutting and was told it was called 'lion's tail'. I t was about six inches high when I planted it in May. It is now about two and a half feet high and the same around. It has sent up a flower spike ( with more to come )about a metre high. This stem has flowers that are pale yellow which grow ina tight ring around the stem. There are six of these roundels soparated by a lenght of bare stem. The leaves are up to a foot long, heart shaped. The texture is crinkled and rough. It is not lions paw as I checked it out on the net and their description did not match my plant.. It looks pretty good actually but I would like to know what it is - any ideas vetivert? I suppose I could take a leaf down to the garden centre and they may be able to identify it for me. But would love to hear from anyone who can name it for me.

Leonotis leonurus? I'm not sure about the heart-shaped leaves, though. See if that fits at all.

Sounds that you have a lovely sunny garden - or patches of sun. I love my shady spots provided by the fruit trees (and the fruit harvests, too) but if I could have my cake and eat it, I'd like a large sunny patch for Mediterranean-type 'treats'. I don't think I'd be greatly successful with the South Africans - protea and leucospermum and such. The mulching would bring them to a sorry end in no time.

Hair spray?! The Buzz family would be beside themselves! (Ms Buzz set up home in the garden shed, in a jute sack, in a box, and now has a hopeful family of several. I tried to move the box along a touch during some rare spring cleaning and she Knew. Many indignant fly-pasts until the box went back to its Right Place. Who says creatures don't think?!)

And if you have a reliable recipe for a Bumblebee Motel I'd be glad to have it. I don't mind the Buzzes. I just think I'd like to choose where they hang out instead of letting them become squatters.

Current minor skite: two of my Pacific Coast Iris seedlings have flowered. Nothing spectacular at all. More on the subdued and dainty but I'm pleased because I kept them growing on for three years. Uusually I pass things on to others. This time I persevered. I wonder: if I back-crossed them would I start to get the usual gorgeous PC defferences? Time to hit the google.

Vetivert - thank you for identifying the mystery plant, Checked this family out on the net. What a lot of information i found out about this plant. Have decided that it is leonotis nepetifolia or very close to it. It is classed as an invasive weed in some parts of the world. That gave me pause for thought. It is fast growing and a free seeder, will give it house room for another season and see how it behaves itself.
Pacific coast irises seedlings growing for you. You obviously are a patient gardener. I gathered seeds from Christmas lilies and lifted and replanted them and they flowered ( one bloom only) in the second year. in the third year they were two and three flowers. It is very satisfying to see the results of perseverance.
Bumble bee housekeeping? Now, that I know nothing about, I thougt that all bumble bees were male. Will have to look them up on the net to learn something about them.

We have Leonotis leonurus, very pretty when in flower but oh how fast it grows! We've trimmed it into a hedge and it looks very tidy, but I'm constantly trimming it back. A few houses away from us has it trimmed into a huge ball in their lawn. Looks very impressive in flower - a huge flamming orange sphere.

Bonza, you sound like my kind of gardener! I have tried to have a garden plan and planting in colour schemes, but they've all gone out the window. I keep taking cuttings and seeds that are no way related to what I initially had planned...ah well, I have lots of birds and insects so I'm happy!

Thanks for that green fingers, my leonotis only has pale lemon flower heads, not as dramitic as the orange variety. I think I will have to dig it out in the winter as it is outgrowing its position and I don't have too much ground to spare. went into a garden centre this morning and there were so many beautiful plants on show but I kept a tight rein on myself and only bought seedling white begonias and blue, white and lilac blooms soif I stay on that track for my front borders colour sheme. Then I will be able to go back to my see it, love it, get it - no matter if not planned for.

Hi bonza Did you buy tuberous begonia seedlings - or the semps? Green leaf or bronze? I like the effect of green leaves and white flowers with the semps. Cool and fresh no matter what the weather. It's maddening the way some of the semps die out over winter while others survive to give a patchy effect come the next season - right when I'm too busy to divide the clumps and plant them out. Last season I had semps and white Impatiens in a big standard terra cotta pot. Looked like a giant icecream! and stood out well against a bronzey japanese maple. A very variable season for lilies, so far. The pixie lilies have done very well. Two clumps of asiatics are telling me it's time to dig up and sort out/feed; and some special ones have decided to succumb to rot. It's enough to send me off to buy plastic ones! Hope everyone's garden is looking groomed, pristine, and a fit setting for the festive season. May all your presents be plant vouchers... PS Has anyone else noticed that attempts to add white space to a posting are being ignored? Do they want us to keep it short and seemly?

Things are looking far from pristine, just very waterlogged! Not long ago I was desperately doing rain dances, and now I'm pleading with the clouds to move on as it's been raining here for almost 2 weeks now. I feel like a duck! My lilies have not done well at all - the only ones actually doing what they're meant to be doing are the Christmas lilies. Most of my other fancy ones in pots sprouted huge, fat shoots but only grew 5cm high before rotting before my eyes. Even the poor veges are beginning to suffer now. They're flowering like there's no tomorrow, but with all the rain, there are no bees/insects to pollinate them. All the flowers are falling off and no veges are forthcoming anymore :( I've been kept busy with bottling, making jams, sauces and chutneys - The farm SIL is renting on has an old orchard that's been let go. The plum trees are huge and leaning over with the weight of all the fruit. Have no idea what variety, but for small fruit they are so juicy and delicious! Used up 3 buckets of plums so far. I think I'd better stop as we're going to be eating all things plums for a while as it is! Hmmm. I wonder if my white space is going to disappear? Seems to be happening on a few message boards lately. Happy festivities to you all!

Hi Vetivetrr and greenfingers. Vetivert -now that the Xmas preparation and day are now over have time to reply. The begoinias I planted are the semps variety, bronze leafed. Last spring I planted a few green leafged ones and they are now very well grown on and covered in blooms. Did lose a couple of them over the winter and I know what you mean about patchy effect in the border. I will also have to divide and fill in the gaps. I do like your idea of planting them in a pot, I can see it in my minds eye set against the bronze maple. My Christmas liliesa are not out yet, my fault as I did not plant them in full sun, they have to wait until the afternnon before the sun reaches them. The asiatics bloomed well but am still waiting for stargazer to bud up, this is also in the wrong place and will be replanted in a more favourable place. Greenfingers - did enjoy your earler posting about your garden. It sounds great and must be a wonderful place to wander around and admire the blooms and as for all the edibles -Yum. Wouldn't it be great if we could post photos on the site so we wouldn't have to imagine how things look but see the actual site. We have also had lots of rain but not too much so the garden here is behaving it self. Have received thirty dollars worth of garden vouchers and am off the the garden centre this afternoon. Not the best time of the year to be planting new things, the hot weather gives new plantings a bit of a beat up. Learned my lesson last year when I planted seedling flowers and the poor things all shriveled up. Have just found one stock which survived last summer and then being swamped by sweet peas I planted next to it. Wouldn't you guess what sort it is - a white single flowered one which looks very lanky and unhappy. Received a weeping cherry blossom tree as a present. It is called 'Falling Snow'. Also a standard rose - 'Iceberg'. Already have a climber of the same variety and it is a mass of bloom, it has always been a favourite of mine. Intend to have climbers growing all along the fence on one side of the section. Have got four so far, Warm welcome, Top brass, Dublin Bay and Schoolgirl. Will do a new posting to ask a question about the best orange and best pink climbers to plant. See what replies this generates.

Ohhh, you lucky thing! I'd give my left arm for garden vouchers. I got close though - a spray gun (one of those 2L Cambrian compressed air ones), some fungal spray (yay! perfect timing as the blight is just beginning to show its ugly head), a secateaur pouch for wearing on the belt(but I'll still forget where I've put the things down!), and a subscription renewal for the New Zealand gardener. I also got a pair of Wolf leather gloves free when I bought a pruning saw for a present...all ready put the gloves to good use deadheading my 2 roses! It's just started raining here again, nice soaking-in-kinda rain. I've had to have the sprinkler going here the last few days, it's nice to have a break from running the hose around! I'd love to see others gardens - I've got heaps of photos, just not in digital format! I should go and get them scanned onto CDs sometime. Guess the next task after that would be to learn how to create an online photo album!