10.06.2025 Salix Integra 'Flamingo'.

 

  Tuesday 10th 53F/11.7C. Overcast and raining steadily. A long, wet day is forecast. Windy from the south. Nothing recorded by the cameras overnight. Except for moths attracted by the LED lights. 

 A pair of magpies were foraging on the gravel yesterday evening. They aren't popular with the little birds. Magpies have a reputation as nest robbers. 

 Up at 6am after a fair night. I shall be visiting my English friend. Going in the car due to the rain. Now canceled until tomorrow due to his B&B commitments. 

 12.10 Back from the village after doing some grocery shopping. I also made an appointment for a trim tomorrow. In the last of the original, Danish hairdressers. While I was in the village I had a good look around the garden centre in the pouring rain. I was sorely tempted by a golden Hedera [ivy] but it was rather too small for my intended location. I'll look around on my travels for a larger example. 

 Then I found and came back with a very pretty willow. Salix Integra 'Flamingo'. [Hakuro nishiki?] For 100kr or only £11 equivalent. Quite a bargain for so much vegetation. This willow is very winter hardy and tolerates many different soil types. It doesn't like drying out but will even survive temporary flooding. It can be easily propagated from cuttings and pruned early in the year. To improve the shape if needed. It grows quite rapidly to 2-3m high.  It is a bushy willow with pink leading shoots in May-June. Starting as variegated leaves with cream leading shoots early on before becoming pink.

 I was warned by the staff that the colour might fade in too much shade. It will be against a north facing wall under a roof overhang. Close to the entrance door. So early sunshine for several months and in a fairly open situation. If the colour begins to fade I can easily move it out into the sunshine. 

The plastic pot is root bound. So I will be able to re-pot into a larger, traditional pot. Of which I have two in different sizes. I shall probably use the medium size to avoid root saturation. Until the root ball can expand into its larger premises. I shall gently tease the roots out to help them find the new soil. 

 The inverted log basket has slightly raised moldings on the bottom. Which will prevent the pot's drainage hole from becoming sealed. The basket lifts the bush [?] up to a more comfortable height for admiration and increased stature. While providing greater stability on the gravel. 

 The damaged background paint does it no real favours. 20+ years of having pots, garden furniture and assorted stands pushed up against it.

 After lunch I drove to a couple of garden centers. The gorgeous black elder in the garden [top image] had given me an idea. It had rained hard all the time I was searching their stock and is still raining. I returned with four, deep red/black plants. These will provide the missing contrast with the Salix. Each of the plants has the potential to reach 2m or over 6' in a few years. No doubt my initial arrangement could easily be improved. 

That's an antique, single glazed, lanceolate window on the right. It was already fitted when we bought Chez Hovel.

 Dinner was baked beans on toast and bread roll. 

 9.30 I had to light the stove. It was getting too uncomfortable at 64F/17.8C. It won't take long to warm the room with only a few scraps of firewood.  

 

  ~o~