The amazing Nicotiana mutabils is sprawling six feet across the front garden and shows no sign of stopping!
Despite the cloudy greyness that dominated the day, I spent a lovely warm Sunday pottering in the extensive gardens here at Dolores Delargo Towers. Until it started raining, I busied myself basically clearing off some of the vestiges of Spring. The Brompton Stocks that have been scenting the air for months are gone or are soon to go (to be replaced by dahlias, Ammi majus and cleomes), pots of primulas that brightened up the front of the house on wintry days have been split up and the least faded re-potted for a last-gasp bit of jolliness on the windowsills, and I planted up the first of the summer displays - including, yes, some fuchsias - in various pots and troughs. Whew!
[And it's a Bank Holiday tomorrow, so I anticipate more of the same...]
Throughout the day, I was accompanied by a selection of "space age pop and incredibly strange music", courtesy of the faboo Retro Cocktail Hour and our own extensive lounge music collection - including this one. With a rather swishy accompanying video of some "interpretive dance" performers, here's Eartha Kitt's accompanist-of-choice Monsieur Henri René and his Orchestra with Sleep Walk:
Sunday music at its most soothing...
i actually sowed nicotiana from seed years back with success. i remember them smelling not so delightful. this year, my seedlings have gone from okay to moldy.
ReplyDeleteThe mutabilis has no discernible perfume, unfortunately. It is actually a seedling from last year that never flowered and survived the winter (admirably) in a sheltered corner, hence its advanced stage of growth and size. We have a few Nicotiana sylvestris that are herbaceous so won't be scenting the air for a couple of months yet. Ornamental nicotiana hybrids smell gorgeous, but we will buy them as plugs this year as we're too late for sowing them indoors. Jx
DeleteDahlias and fushia's!!!! If I had a few gins, and that lovely music clip, I could spend all day in your oasis. Sounds all so divine
ReplyDeleteWe're expecting quite a show this summer, fingers crossed! Jx
DeleteOh, what a beautiful Nicotiana! You are so organised with your garden, Jon - you're putting me to shame (I'm so lazy, I've done almost nothing apart from a bit of tidying up so far this year).
ReplyDeleteTidying is the hardest part! And once it's done (weather permitting), the fun begins - the planting. It's true I/we put in a lot of effort at this time of year, but come summer (in the UK that's those two consecutive hot days in August, of course) we can sit out there, drinks in hand, and reap our rewards. Jx
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