What’s In Season

At this time of the year, Jacaranda trees take centre stage. In these warmer parts of New Zealand, Jacarandas are in full flower and looking just stunning;  festooned with mauve/blue flower heads and soft, fern like foliage-try not to gaze at them while driving!!

Originally from Brazil, Jacarandas are a firm favourite here and Australia. The train from the city to Kings Cross in Sydney, crosses over Woolloomooloo where Jacaranda trees flower profusely in early November-coinciding with Melbourne Cup day!

Seen from above, the Jacaranda is an even more delightful sight- if you have a sloping section, consider planting a Jacaranda. Good drainage is essential and of course the sun. 

At West Lynn Garden our Jacaranda overhangs the main lawn and is currently in full bloom - you can’t miss it-enjoy!

A huge thank you to Joy and Michelle for their Caterpillars donation to West Lynn Garden.

We expect to see butterflies in our Butterfly House in the next 12-15 days.

As soon as you arrive at West Lynn Garden, you will see our lovely Butterfly mosaic  feature in the garden opposite the Reception window. Currently, the butterfly is almost surrounded by flowering Lychnis Campion plants - brilliant cerise red with pale green: greyish foliage all about 50cm high. These are also called Rose Campion. 

Given part sun and part shade your Lychnis will flower in spring and all through summer. When each plant has faded somewhat, just trim the stalks back to about 30cm from the ground and they will send up new shoots.  The plants will also drop seed and you’ll have new seedlings appearing throughout the season - they transplant really well. 

Lychnis are useful for filling in the background of a border garden - very undemanding and very rewarding through spring and summer.

It’s that time of year of the year again. Our Brazilian Iris is flowering in profusion-you have to be there to see this display-remember, each flower lasts just one day and fortunately we have several plants now and obligingly, they produce flowers on differing days. However the flowering season for this charmer is short and sweet.

Each flower is an intricate puzzle of purple and white-well worth the effort to observe and admire. If you haven’t guessed-the Brazilian Iris is one of my very favourites. See and enjoy! 

Ericaceae genus native to  southern USA and South America. Flowering at West Lynn Garden over recent weeks, this little shrub goes mostly unnoticed until the flowers appear.

Very much like its cousin, Pieris, the flowers are creamy/white and hang from each small branch amongst variegated foliage.

Grows to less than a metre high and looks great massed under other acid loving plants like Azaleas and Rhododendrons.

The leaves of this variety can be a mixture of cream, green touches with pink. 

Rhododendrons - even the name arouses interest and stories galore about beautiful, blossom laden shrubs, trees and parks. Almost everyone has a story to tell about these stunning plants that vary in colour, shape and size. Just one visit to a park featuring Rhododendrons in flower will remain in your memory forever.

In case you haven’t guessed, now is the time to start seeing these plants at their best. West Lynn Garden has several on display in the grounds at present - mainly pale mauve to deeper lilac, there is also a pink  and others on the way. 

The name is of Greek origin…rhodon - meaning rose - and dendron - tree. Originating from Asia, Europe, China, Malaysia and North America. First introduced into England from the European Alps in 1656. Many thousands of species and hybrids have been discovered and named since then. From white, pink, reds and purple to cream, yellow, apricot and orange. 

Give Rhododendrons an acid soil, cool but not waterlogged, lots of peat, decayed compost and in most situations, these plants will just quietly grow and flower year after year. Put them on your Must see list over the next few weeks.