Sunday, October 05, 2008

Garden fripperies

Meet Myrtle.


Not a particularly good shot of her, and not in her normal resting spot, which was too dark and dingy for photography. She normally hangs out by the back door, admiring the tree ferns. She was a bit of an extravagance, but she's looked good (albeit sometimes rather chilly) in a couple of our gardens for several years now.

We ordered her from Tatton Show, although I'd had my eye on her for a while. What sealed the deal was the chap on the stand - wearing a linen suit and a Panama hat, he looked rather louche, and a bit Alan Rickman-ish. He spoke lovingly of Myrtle and her colleagues, and patted their bottoms proprietorially.

Here, Myrtle is sporting her summer hairdo. In the next few weeks she'll have to move to her winter 'do. I'm not sure what to give her this year. In the past she's had dwarf irises (rather strange and only looked good for a few weeks), houseleeks (long lasting but a bit common), and a Stipa tenuissima (bedraggled in the rain). I was thinking of an ornamental cabbage, but somehow I feel that she's too classy to have a smelly cabbage plonked on her. Any suggestions, folks out in blog-land?

14 comments:

Esther Montgomery said...

Is she sinking?

Cherry tomatoes? (The kind used in hanging baskets.)

Esther

Julia said...

She'd look great with a Blechnum spicant - it would cascade over her head!

HappyMouffetard said...

Hi Esther - no, she's not sinking. She's a little lacking in the leg department. Also, the wetness of the grass has given her two-tone legs.

I'll keep the cherry tomato idea for the summer - it would be nice to get something edible from her.

I like the idea of Blechnum spicant - it would continue the ferny theme of where she normally resides.

Arabella Sock said...

She's lovely. I think she needs another flowing cascade over her head. The sempervivums would be too spikey although you have not to call them common!! I've got loads of quite classy semps! I could only think of some sort of small leaved ornamental ivy.

Amanda said...

A crown of Bittersweet would be um, sweet.

walk2write said...

How about some lemon thyme? I have some that is variegated and cascades over the edge of its pot. It would enhance the overall aging effect. Besides, you could snip some regularly for the kitchen, thereby keeping her 'do fashionably short.

Anonymous said...

The only things I can think of are rather summery - but she is quite divine!
Karen

Anonymous said...

She's a beauty! :)

Steve said...

What a foxy creature! She could use a nice compact stand of Kale up there, I tend to agree. It would have to somehow sit nice and tight to her head and maybe give just that hint of a sort of Palin Beehive. Yeh, that's tha ticket.

Anonymous said...

She's very attractive.
What about violas. Common but cheery. Or Ophipogon planiscarpus nigrescens for that gloomy and mysterious effect.Or both together!

emmat said...

I am really liking the Kale idea, but I would go for a huge stand of cavolo nero myself

CanadianGardenJoy said...

I have to agree with walk2write .. variegated lemon thyme would not only look great but smell lovely too ! She is amazing and I wish I had her twin ! : )
Joy

HappyMouffetard said...

Kale would be good - I have some lovely pigeon nibbled cavolo nero down on the allotment.

Silvia Hoefnagels . Salix Tree said...

Carex would be nice as hair. I like the thyme idea too, or even chives.