Pictures
| Today's weather
06.03.2010 Don't be upset with me but this is more than we can bear ... |  |
| WE ARE OPEN!
27.02.2010 Hurray! The beautiful day with loads of warm sunshite made us open our garden centres already today. So from now on we are open every day, in Chlumec 10 am till 6 pm, in Prague 9 am till 6 pm in March, and till 7 pm from April until October. So come over, there is plenty to see :-) |  |
| Magnolia grandiflora "Bracken's Brown Beauty"
27.02.2010 And in order to make you believe that there really is a lot to see now I am posting a few images of what struck my eye this afternoon. For instance this bull bay magnolia is the queen of the garden with its thick, leathery and glossy, evergreen leaves, making a beautiful specimen all year round. Even after this year's long winter the foliage is unharmed. |  |
| Nandina domestica "Firepower"
27.02.2010 What do you think about this heavenly bamboo? It brigh purple-red leaves look exquisite not just against the sun. This colour remains on the plant until new leaves emerge in mid spring. |  |
| Calocedrus decurrens "Aureovariegata"
27.02.2010 Or do you prefer vivid yellow colour of this Californian white cedar? Its colour shade is the deepest just now, on sunny days of end winter. It is easily recogizable from a distance. |  |
| Leucothoe keiskei "Royal Ruby"
27.02.2010 I like all varieties of leucothoe. The top leaves on the shrub of Royal Ruby are bright burgundy red in winter. |  |
| Pinus koraiensis
27.02.2010 Korean pine is a great, slow growing pine, beautiful all year round. We will soon have new plants for sale. |  |
| Prunus lusitanica
27.02.2010 The next set of photos is not that pretty but nevertheless educative. Is your soil wet and still you decide to grow evergreen plants in it? It is not so easy. All of them need moist soil even in winter but hate wet soil = waterlogging. Can't you tell the difference? Well, the plants can as is obvious from the photos. |  |
| Prunus laurocerasus "Caucasica"
27.02.2010 In boggy soil the plants simply cannot make extensive root system with enough capillaries - they tend to rot in wet conditions. So the roots are struggling to keep the plant itself alive, totally forgetting about the health of its leaves. But there is a solution ... |  |
| Ilex x altaclarensis "Golden King"
27.02.2010 The solution is simple though it may look a bit unexpected in a garden. My grand grandmother was from the Třeboň region. Everyone knows that the soil is wet almost everywhere there. When she planted young trees (even fruit trees) she said she had to put them "up the hill". So she made no drainage in wet soil where the water would remain dangerously longer. Instead, she elevated the root ball some 20 cm above ground and filled the "foot of the hill" she made with soil to make the hill gradual. |  |
| "up the hill" planting
27.02.2010 And this is what it looks like. Did you think the pine was planted this way because it looks good? It wasn't. But you don't have to tell your friends that :-) Most conifers hate wet. On the other hand, pine trees can live on a steep hill because they have a long, deep root. Quite the opposite case is the Portugal laurel on the right. Evergreen broadleaved plants need a gradual hill as the most quality roots they make are horizontal. |  |
| Swimming pool
27.02.2010 But that's enough for today, Mr.WiseMan. The last image of today is stylish - again in two parts. The one on the left shows our swimming pool which we currenly use as a big tank for omnipresent snow which we stock and ship for dollars to Vancouver. There they decided to set the winter olympics while the weather instead decided to let the cherry trees blossom ... And the second photo is the same pool, taken in summer, and should give us courage and faith that soon (in 2-3 months perhaps) we will again be able to dive in ... water, for instance :-) |  |
| Conservatory ... Amaryllis
21.02.2010 Yet on Friday I was saying to myself that the rise of temperature from the forecast came almost unnoticed. It is true that snow is slowly melting away but sun is gone. So at least one more pic from the conservatory where this gorggeousness showed its ruby velvet. |  |
| Could that be ... spring?
21.02.2010 But today I woke up to a beautiful day with azure sky. The land is bathing in the sun and I hope the sun is shining bright in every corner of the country. Such weather might help the snow melt away soon so we could open our garden centres as planned next Monday, on 1st of March :-) Have a great Sunday (and sundae :-)) ! |  |
| Winter beauty ... Deutzia magnifica "Tourbillon Rouge"
21.02.2010 In such beautiful weather you feel like walking down the garden, looking at what is pretty at this time of year. |  |
| The chase after squirrels continues
21.02.2010 |  |
| The chase after squirrels continues
21.02.2010 |  |
| The chase after squirrels continues
21.02.2010 |  |
| Winter
11.02.2010 Just by a quick glance out of the window it is clear that the weather knows exactly what to look like in the middle of Februray ... |  |
| Winter
11.02.2010 Well, I do, too. |  |
| Italy
11.02.2010 So those of you who do not quite fancy the icy weather I will try to comfort with a few pictures from Italy. We went there last week to choose new goods for our garden centres. Look at this tangerine tree. It is standing right at the bus station next to a news agent like for instance a hazel tree. Unharmed, unnoticed by the locals. |  |
| Italy
11.02.2010 I bet you have no idea what this traffic sign means in Italy. It means STOP! (wherever you are). Take a note of the person standing at the white car in the background. She is a driver from the black fiat who just met a friend of hers and she desperately needed to have a few (which in Italian means about million) words with. And she stopped perfectly just where the traffic sign says so :-) |  |
| Italy
11.02.2010 And even if you come as a good client do not expect to be always driven in a limmousine ... |  |
| Italy
11.02.2010 ... well, but still better than this :-))) |  |
| Italy
11.02.2010 And while the men are climbing dangerous hills hunting for the mysterious and rare plants ... |  |
| Italy
11.02.2010 ... Monika is trying hard to win local steeple-chase on a horse named Francesco NaPoli. Even with a great load of enthusiasm and being supported by the loud crown in audinece she did not win because she ran out of coins just before the finish. What a pity. |  |
| Italy
11.02.2010 It was quite cold and as the locals say much colder than usual at this time of year but at least we enjoyed a couple of sunny days which we have not had for a long time at home. |  |
| Italy
11.02.2010 The winter was harsh even at the seaside where temperature dropped too low below zero, it was down to -12°C. Such unexpected frost damaged a lot of plants. Some of them got away only with burnt leaves as is the case of this palm tree, others were not so lucky - e.g. mimosa trees are totally kaput. |  |
| Italy
11.02.2010 On the other hand most of the plants are completely hardy even for our winter and these are the ones we chose for you. A great example is this heavenly bamboo which turns fiery red or burgundy red in winter. |  |
| Italy
11.02.2010 And the species of nandina even bears attractive racemes with bright red fruit in winter. |  |
| Italy
11.02.2010 Aren't those pinea pines beautiful! |  |
| Italy
11.02.2010 Unfortunately, the last day was not very nice and the sun hid above the clouds so this beauty could not show off completely. |  |
| Will the spring come soon?
06.02.2010 Well, one never knows. Perhaps Phil, the ground hog can tell. According to his forecast winter in the USA should last for 6 more weeks from Feb.2nd because he saw his own shadow. But what about us here in Europe? I quickly checked my wisteria creeping at my bedroom window this morning and noticed how big the flower buds look as opposed how awful the sky was. I realize we will still have to wait a couple of months to see its beauty but for now have a look at the second picture showing what will become of it when the spring comes. Take it as a promise. |  |
| Conservatory ... Ornithogalum dubium
06.02.2010 And since the weather outside is really grey and unpleasant take my invitation to the conservatory which plays with colours as the tropical and subtropical plants are flowering just now. |  |
| Conservatory ... Schlumbergera 2
06.02.2010 This Christmas cactus seems to want an extra portion of Christmas gifts as it began blooming again about two weeks ago, and I would say that even more heavily that at Christmas. |  |
| Conservatory ... Schlumbergera
06.02.2010 The flowers are bright coral red to salmon pink and the plant remains very compact owing as I never transplanted it from a small pot. |  |
| Conservatory ... Amaryllis
06.02.2010 |  |
| Conservatory ... Amaryllis 2
06.02.2010 While the previous amaryllis has already made 4 giant flowers open wide on one tall stem, this red velvet is taking its time and looks like ready for some persuasion. |  |
| Conservatory ... Amaryllis 3
06.02.2010 |  |
| Conservatory ... Nerium oleander
06.02.2010 |  |
| Conservatory ... Aechmea primera
06.02.2010 I bought this bromelia just flowering in a good garden centre about 4 years ago. A nice girl from the shop told me it would never bloom again under usual house conditions but would definitely be decorative eough with its foliage. I was a bit sad but wanted one anyway so I bought it and guess what - about 6 months ago one of the new plants formed from the mother plant produced this magnificent long-lasting flower. Beautiful. |  |
| Conservatory ... Strelitzia reginae
06.02.2010 Strelitzia is supposed to be one of the most beautiful flowers in the world. One stem bears up to 7 flowers opening vertically from one horizontal bud. It looks like a bird´s beak that just snatched something tasty and is spinning it down its gullet. This is the first time after 6 years in the ground that it produced two stems with flowers. Perhaps as a reward for extreme drought I brought on it in autumn. |  |
| Conservatory ... Phalaenopsis
06.02.2010 And as the last one in today's set I will show you a beautiful orchid which needs very little = pour one or two litres of water through its roots once a month or so. That's it, believe me. |  |
| Trade fairs, exhibitions, novelties ...
30.01.2010 January is usually a month of trade fairs and exhibitions for professional gardeners. There nursery owners present their best selections to attract buyers and to offer them to garden centres. As every year we visit the most important ones and offer you the most interesting, beautiful and quality plants that can grow in our climate. First of all somebody else seems to grow amongs those Danish roses :-) |  |
| Rosa "Olya Hit"®
30.01.2010 Olya Hit® is one of them. It struck me with its gorgeous shade of orange colour which I can´t think of seeing ever before in my life! It will become available in our e-shop very soon same as all the following plants. Keep watching NEWS section where we will show all newly added plants! |  |
| Euonymus fortunei "Sunspot"®
30.01.2010 Among evergreen spindles there are a few novelties and Sunspot® is a real jewel. |  |
| Magnolia "Genie"®
30.01.2010 Many exhibitors made an extra effort to force some magnolias in their greenhouses to make them bloom during the show. One of them namaged to make this new gem from New Zealand called Genie® flower. It has so deep coloured petals that it was almost impossible to take a picture of it. In the end I did and I swear that this is the true colour. |  |
| Ilex aquifolium "Ferox Argentea"
30.01.2010 For holly lovers we have something special - ferox in Latin means dangerous which this plant surely is. Just look at its spiny leaves. Nevertheless, it still is beautiful. |  |
| Mahonia bealei
30.01.2010 And talking of spiny leaves this mahonia is surely worth mentioning. |  |
| Cercis chinensis "Avondale"
30.01.2010 Probably the most profusely flowering judas tree is this variety. The flowers make the bark totally disappear. |  |
| Hypericum moserianum "Tricolor"
30.01.2010 The last one today is a multi-coloured variety of St.John´s Wort. |  |
| Pictures from you
16.01.2010 This time we received a set of pictures from Iveta from Plzeň. You may be surprised to learn that these snapshots were taken by a mobile phone. Quite incredible, isn´t it? Nowadays even mobile phones can make such quality photographs (thanks to super lenses by Sony Ericsson). Thanks for the photos, our classification is AA :-) |  |
| Pictures from you ... Iveta from Plzeň
16.01.2010 |  |
| Pictures from you ... Iveta from Plzeň
16.01.2010 |  |
| Pictures from you ... Iveta from Plzeň
16.01.2010 |  |
| Pictures from you ... Iveta from Plzeň
16.01.2010 |  |
| January
11.01.2010 So how much have you got? Of snow, of course :-) There is 30 cm here, 40 cm elsewhere. It looks fantastic ... unless you have to clear it off a pavement half a mile long :-))) |  |
| Evergreen ... Chamaecyparis lawsoniana "Columnaris (Glauca)"
06.01.2010 Steel blue foliage makes this cypress truly outstanding. |  |
| Evergreen ... Lonicera nitida "Maigrün"
06.01.2010 On the other hand this honeysuckle shines with its fresh green colour where each leaf is glossy like a tiny jewel. |  |
| Evergreen ... Leucothoe keiskei "Royal Ruby"
06.01.2010 If you like red colour in the garden, this leucothoe is anothr plant for you to focus on. In autumn it starts with burgundy red tips on the newest leaves, any by mid winter the entire plant bears this colour. Moreover, this variety is very hardy and can be grown in outdoor pots. |  |
| Evergreen ... Prunus laurocerasus "Renault Ace"®
06.01.2010 Variety names of some plants are interesting, some are funny, and other lead to questions like: why Renault? Why not Trabant or Audi for example?? |  |
| Evergreen ... Dryopteris erythrosora
06.01.2010 Among hardy ferns there are some evergreen ones which can take quite deep frost and still look nice, such as the following two, this winter they have withstood -14°C already. |  |
| Evergreen ... Dryopteris affinis "Cristata The King"
06.01.2010 This is my favourite fern with large fronds. |  |
| Evergreen ... Fargesia murieliae "Simba"
06.01.2010 Bamboos are another nice feature in evergreen gardens. Simba is a popular, not invasive variety. |  |
| Evergreen ... Ilex x altaclarensis "Golden King"
06.01.2010 |  |
| Evergreen ... Prunus lusitanica
06.01.2010 Now, this is my love = my most favourite evergreen plant is this Portgugese laurel if grown on a stem. With its relaxed habit and drooping leaves it brings me the feeling of summer and comfort. Annd more importantly it is very hardy here. |  |
| Evergreen ... Osmanthus heterophyllus "Tricolor"GOSHIKI®
06.01.2010 |  |
| Photographing a squirrel is over
05.01.2010 A great picture of a squirrel taken in an English park. As requested, the second picture shows the same place without a squirrel to confirm that the picture was made by the one who sent it to us. These two images were posted by our customer who admitted to fabricate the second picture so that we could see how easy it is. Anyway, thanks for both and have fun taking pictures of everything that moves rather quickly in your gardens! :-) |  |
| Winter beauty
05.01.2010 Another customer did not bother chasing a squirrell with a camera and made a fantastic shoot of bullfinch. Thanks for the pic! |  |
| Another one
05.01.2010 And this sweetheart was photographed yet before it snowed. |  |
| PF 2010
01.01.2010 We wish you all good in the new year. Let it be filled with love and happiness, wisdom and sound health, enthusiasm and meekness! |  |
| Our garden
01.01.2010 New Year´s eve was not cold at all this year and snow had been gone yet before Christmas. In such weather the garden looks splendid mainly with the evegreen plants. |  |
| Evergreen ... Picea abies "Nidiformis"
01.01.2010 Low growing conifers are very popular with Czech and Slovak customers. This dwarf spruce is my favourite. |  |
| Evergreen ... Ilex "Nellie R.Stevens"
01.01.2010 Nellie R.Stevens is a holly with large and glossy leaves and profusion of berries which turn deep red only in winter. Since they mature quite late, they remain rather firm until strong frost softens them. Only then the birds can relish on them. Our experience is that when it happens they de-fruit one plant in 2 days! |  |
| Evergreen ... Calocedrus decurrens "Aureovariegata"
01.01.2010 |  |
| Evergreen ... Prunus laurocerasus "Rotundifolia"
01.01.2010 One of the most attractive cherry laurels is called Rotundifolia. It makes a dense shrub with symmetrical layers of densely leaved branches. It is not suitable for the coldest parts of the country. Ideal for hedging. |  |
| Evergreen ... Nandina domestica "Firepower"
01.01.2010 Leaves of this heavenly bamboo are reliably deep red or burgundy red every year from autumn until spring. This compact shrub is an intensely coloured jewel of every garden. |  |
