For a couple of years I posted about the slope every Thursday enjoying seeing the changes week by week, month by month; for this Thursday 19 th May I thought it might be good to look at it again.
The images were taken last Saturday, a day when there was bright sun and stormy skies all on the same day. Today began with rain, then there was some warm sunshine which after I had put washing out to dry turned back to a black sky and rain!! Tomorrow we are promised a better day.
Looking up the slope from the entrance gate
Stipa tenuissima wafts in the breeze
I took cuttings from this plant last year and the new plants are already almost the same size as their parent
I am going to cut the flowers from the Phlomis as soon as it finshed flowering as it shheds itself just a little too generously.
The tree in the centre is a persimmon
Phlomis, Cistus and Eschscholzia are the main flowering plants at present
I forgot to mention on Monday night there was a tremendous amount of rain here; but about 25 miles away at a slightly higher altitude there was SNOW, snow in May, in Italy!
Brrr we are also looking at wisps of snow on weather forecasts.
I must add a Phlomis to my garden, that buttery yellow!
What can I say, Christina? An amazing garden you have created there! And nice to see ‘The Slope on Thursday’ again. I missed it and wondered if I was out of the loop. Very heavy rain and thunder here last night (Wednesday). First wet, cold spring in our 4 1/2 years at Chatillon,
Lovely to see the stipa with the orange poppies and cistus. The slope looks mature and perfectly planted for its location.
Just beautiful, Christina. What a great example of how to use stipa in a mixed planting. Phlomis doesn’t self seed in my garden, more’s the pity, but the shrubby forms propagate very easily from cuttings. I love the seed heads as much as the flowers, but I can see your dilemma.
There are literally hundreds of Phlomis seedlings, I have used some but they send down a strong tap root very quickly so if I don’t transplant them quickly or put them in a pot they die when moved.
Your views look very mature and satisfying. I like the persimmon.
So far we haven’t had more than one or two fruits but maybe as the tree gets its roots down into the slightly damp rock it will bear more fruit.
The first picture shows just what a lovely effect can be achieved with grasses and Euphorbia. Nice to see your slope again!
Thanks Cathy, I used your idea from “Tuesday at 2” when I started doing the slope posts, perhaps we should both start again. It is a great way of showing all the changes that happen during a year. If you wanted to start it as a meme I’d join in and I think maybe others would too.
It would certainly get me back to blogging more often… I seem to have posted little more than my Monday vases for months now! I will think it over and let you know.
I’m posting a lot at the moment but by next month I know it will be less and a single view doesn’t take long but would keep me thinking about posting so I do hope you decide yes.
Hi Christina its outstanding looks wonderful and mature. Plants used are very nice. I like a lot of cuttings which says that took her past year and new plants are as high as manage your parents. Silver gray foliage contrasts in a fantastic way with white flowers: it’s beautiful. I love Phomis, Cistus and Eschscholzia with their beautiful colors that complement each other. Greetings from Margarita.
Silver foliage is a feature of my garden, it thrives in our hot dry summers.
Such a beautiful slope. The mix of the grasses and the blooming perennials are perfection! the second photo, especially, really captures the beauty you’ve created. Well done!
Thanks Tina. The slope was a good exercise in planting only plants that thrived in the situation.
The weather is truly weird everywhere it seems. We’re still getting “May gray” skies but, instead of clearing mid-day as they’ve done in the past, they’re persisting throughout the day. No rain, though.
Your slope had lots of green, as well as color. I love how everything is mingling so nicely. I hope my plants will mingle as well someday.
I certainly can’t complain about the lack of rain this spring and from experience the spring rains make a big difference to how the garden survives the summer. It is the cold that I am disliking, I’m still putting on a cashmere sweater to go out with a jacket, that really is unusual in May. Many of my Italian friends have already done their ‘change of season’ in their wardrobes – they are looking very cold!
The garden looks so full and beautifully shaped . I have showery weather here, it is fast turning the washing on the line into an historical exhibit!
I had the same problem with the washing this week! Today was forecast sunny with a few clouds instead it is seriously threatening rain again!
Lovely to see your slope again. Beautiful, as ever. I’m hoping to encourage my stipa tenuissima to behave more like yours by giving it a severe trim. I am also waiting for the phlomis I grew from seed to flower for the first time. Yours looks a lovely soft yellow, there are several in the village that are a much stronger, more saturated yellow, which really wouldn’t work for me, so fingers crossed!
My Phlomis is quite a strong yellow, I think it might be the strong light in my images that make it look soft. The Phlomis will grow very quickly from seed as I mentioned the other day it is almost invasive here.
Oh my snow….we had snow around us in high elevations last week….crazy weather. I really enjoyed seeing the slope again…what beautiful views of the blooming spring flowers.
I may begin showing the slope again on a regular basis; it is the part of the garden that changes most during the seasons.
Interesting to see details of the slope again, especially after the posts earlier which showed it in context with the rest of the garden. The cistus is a gorgeous colour! We tend to learn by experience which self sown seedlings to yank out ASAP don’t we? The yellow Welsh poppies are the first to go here.
Yes, you’re right Cathy, I don’t mind Stipa and lots of other things seeding around but anything that has a root that will continue to grow even when the rest of the plant has been removed, e.g. the Acanthus, need to be removed straight away.
The slope looks as good as ever Christina! The phlomis, poppies and stipa really work well together.
I hope it might have given you some more inspiration for your slope.
Definitely. I’ve got more Californian poppy seedlings coming along so I’ll put them by the phlomis 🙂
Looks wonderful. I like the soft grasses combined with the yellow and orange flowers.
Your slope looks fantastic! Sounds odd that it is still so cold where you are – the flowers make me think it’s high summer!
We had a very warm March and April which encouraged everything into growth but May has been unseasonably cold which has lengthened the flowering times of many of the flowers.
Which I suppose could be construed as a positive thing – even though it is oddly unusual. 🙂
Yes I think so
I love your slope and it is a great inspiration to see it evolve. Amelia
I’m considering recommencing with showing the slope, and maybe some other fixed views each week.