Tuesday 30 June 2009

Another from the inch of soil!

Still intrigued by backgrounds and surface pattern (see previous bench post), I took this June photo of my 'Garden in an Inch of Soil'. I've never been a fan of tarmac, but the pink chippings in the road surface do go rather well with the pink spiraea blooms!

The spiraea is (I think!) 'Goldflame', and next to it is my favourite Stachys byzantina 'Primrose Heron' and budding Sedum 'Autumn Joy'. All thriving in the one-inch deep flowerbed over concrete!



22 comments:

Rune Eide said...

Now, that is a new way of looking at it for me! Absolutely brilliant way of making a mini-garden - and suitable for people without green fingers (like me)

PS Than you for the comment and it is well taken! I wrote the post with my tongue firmly in the cheek, but there is a very clear policy of reducing the number of post offices and moving what can be moved to electronic media (whether suitable or not).

Diane AZ said...

You always catch the most beautiful light in your images. The pink spiraea do look nice against the road surface. Really marvelous that you can grow those lovely plants in hardly any soil.

Prospero said...

I really must see if I can make my own one inch garden. It would be great here since good soil is in shortage. Your micro-garden looks great!

Phoenix C. said...

Thank you RuneE! The one-inch garden was an experiment (or should I say xperiment!) which has turned out unexpectedly well.

It's interesting that the Xhibition building on your photo has dropped the 'e', whereas the post office are dropping the mail in favour of e-media!!

Phoenix C. said...

Thank you Diane C! I do try to capture the light as I see it, and I love the low evening light best.

I'm not sure how the plants grow, but they do seem to like it there!

Phoenix C. said...

Prospero, thank you! I'll be interested to see photos of your one inch garden if you create it. I bet you'll have some really interesting plants, and glorious photos!

Rob (ourfrenchgarden) said...

I'm amazed that the spirea exists in so little soil.

Phoenix C. said...

Me too, Rob!

Bim said...

It looks good - almost like a painting or drawing to me.
Do you fertilize them in any way?

Phoenix C. said...

Thank you Bim!

I don't use fertilizer as such - occasionally add some compost, (about once a year), and sometimes some stewed garlic!

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

That is amazing!! I think I saw that Stachys, but couldn't remember what yours was called. I remember it from the previous post, now I can go back for it.
I love your header painting, did you change it recently?

Phoenix C. said...

Hope you manage to get the Stachys, Catherine!

Thank you - yes I changed to the current header painting for the summer. It is based on the view I had from my sitting room when I was lecturing at Houghall College.

Monica the Garden Faerie said...

Pink int he tarmac--wow, cool!

Phoenix C. said...

Our tarmac is so artistic round here, Monica! :)

Barbara Martin said...

I'm tucking away your idea for a mini-garden whenever I move out of my north-east facing apartment. My poor garden consists of palm trees and orchids in pots next to a window that only receives a sliver of a direct beam of sunlight from April to early September. I started some potted flowers but they didn't do so well. Perhaps I need to find something that does better with indirect light, and is non-toxic to my lovebirds when they're allowed out.

Phoenix C. said...

Barbara, there are many shade-loving plants which would do fine on a balcony. I don't know much about indoor plants, but I'm sure the same applies.

Lovebirds - how nice! Do you let them fly around the room?

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Alexandra MacVean said...

How lovely! Makes me miss my old garden! =) Quite a lovely blog you have here.

Phoenix C. said...

Thank you Unseen Rajasthan! I'm really glad you like my blog!

Phoenix C. said...

Thank you Amelia! I still think of all my old gardens with fondness.

Anna said...

The plants all seem to be very much in the pink :) It never ceases to amaze me how plants thrive in perhaps not the most ideal of conditions. They obviously don't read the books.

Phoenix C. said...

Anna - I love the idea of the plants not reading the books! Or maybe they do, and think - haha - we'll show 'em we know better! :)