My wife and I started gardening in Fukuoka (Japan) in 2003. There was nothing but muddy clayey sloping land. At the beginning we made several structure such as steps and paths, and planted turf, fruit trees, roses, herbs etc.
In 2010, we visited several famous English gardens, including Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Mottisfont Abbey Garden and Hidcote Manor Garden. We were shocked by the glory of those gardens. Since then, we have been trying to make small but glorious gardens by ourselves.
Trailing abutilon (Abutilon megapotamicum) is native to Brazil. Bright red (tubular calyx) and yellow (petals) flowers look like suspended lanterns. It is evergreen and red lanterns can be seen all year round even in winter in our region.
The trailing abutilon is an evergreen shrub with a succession of red flowers on long, slender branches, giving the appearance of many hanging red lanterns. If you look closely at the individual branches, you can clearly see how the small pale yellow buds turn red and gradually enlarge, producing yellow petals and dark red stamens at the tips. In warmer areas it is evergreen and flowers almost all year round.
Trailing abutilon is a perennial herb native to Brazil and is evergreen in our region. It is still flowering a lot in early spring. The red lantern-like flowers look very pretty in a row. You can see red lanterns almost all year round.
Trailing abutilon (Abutilon megapotamicum) is native to Brazil. Bright red and yellow flowers look like suspended lanterns. It is evergreen and red lanterns can be seen all year round in our region.
Mexican marigold is a perennial plant with bright yellow flowers in early winter. It can be easily propagated by cuttings. It is a valuable plant in a season when flowers are scarce.
Another characteristic is its strong fragrance. The sweet scent of the plant can be smelled when passing by. The flowers do not last long when cut, and their strong fragrance makes them unsuitable for indoor display.
Trailing abutilon has been trained to the welded wire fence, which have been flowering since summer. The yellow petals have fallen off but the red calyxes remain, giving the plant a lovely appearance of a series of small red lanterns.
At the end of the garden there is a Camellia sasanqua, which is now in full bloom. It is also a flower of early winter, and the ground is covered with its pink petals.