2021 tree following 9: A Lombardy poplar character

A tiny face looking out from the bark of the Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra ‘Italica’) in Victoria Park, Cardiff

The weather continues to be changeable in South Wales in early September. For a few days it was so dry with an easterly wind that I thought I would have to water the garden. Then the weather broke – luckily with no thunderstorms here but heavy rain.

This was just at the time I needed to visit the Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra ‘Italica’) in Cardiff’s Victoria Park, so I delayed going until it cleared up on Sunday, a day I normally stay at home.

The poplar still looks very fresh, with none of the tiredness you might expect towards the end of summer.

Here are my pictures…

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Victoria Park in August – fading fast

Raindrops on “daisies” in Victoria Park

It’s time for another monthly visit to Victoria Park in Cardiff. In June all the flower beds were bare, in July they were full of colour, but in August the flowers are already fading. Here are my latest snaps…

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2021 tree following 8: Lombardy poplar in August

Populus nigra ‘Italica’) in Victoria Park, Cardiff, in August

I’m sure we were expecting a mini heatwave in South Wales this month but instead August has been cool and mainly wet.

The light rain did ease off enough for me to visit the Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra ‘Italica’) in Cardiff’s Victoria Park this week.

Nothing much changes in mid summer but I was able to take some general views and found some details to photograph.

Here are my pictures…

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Victoria Park in July – and in bloom

Everywhere in Victoria Park this month were daisy-type flowers – this was in the narrow bed near the ice-cream shack and I think it is a beautiful Rudbeckia

Another month, another view of Victoria Park in Cardiff. In June all the flower beds were bare with brown earth ready to be planted. Just a month later they are full of colour. Here are my latest snaps…

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Snapshots of Victoria Park in June

The bandstand in Victoria park, Cardiff, in June 2021

Once again I took some general views of Victoria Park when I went this month to visit the Lombardy poplar I am following.

April in Cardiff was dry, May was wet and June has been changeable. But it’s good for the garden. What is also good is that our council Parks department staff have been in everyday non-emergency action again. Since last month they have cleared out all the dead tulips and fancy daisies (Bellis perennis ‘Bellissima’?) and the flower beds are ready for summer bedding plants. They will probably be a bit late but everyone here thinks summer is late this year anyway, because of a cold and wet May.

Here are my pictures…

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Snapshots of Victoria Park in May

Oak in Victoria Park in May

Every month when I visit Victoria Park in Cardiff to check on my Lombardy poplar tree I also take some general snapshots to show how the seasons are progressing. Here are my latest photos…

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Tulip time in Victoria Park

Tulips in Victoria Park in April

As usual I took some general pictures around Cardiff’s Victoria Park when I visited in April for the monthly Lombardy poplar tree following update. I found it was tulip time and the cherry trees were also in blossom. Here are the latest images…

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Snapshots of Victoria Park in March

Everywhere in Victoria Park on my March visit there were crocus growing in the grass – although these were accidentally in the middle of a flower bed

As usual I took some general pictures around Cardiff’s Victoria Park when I visited in March for the monthly Lombardy poplar tree following update. Here are the latest images…

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Snapshots of Victoria Park in February

Edwardian drinking fountain in Cardiff’s Victoria Park

As I visit my favourite Lombardy poplar in Victoria Park every month for a tree following blog post, I am taking snapshots of everything else in the park on these trips as well. In these Covid times I don’t get out much. Here are my February snaps…

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Snapshots of Victoria Park in January

One of the very few flowers in Victoria Park, Cardiff, during these pandemic days

Here are some of the snapshots I took on a recent visit to Victoria Park – it makes you realise what hard work the Parks department usually do to bring colour with seasonal bedding plants. The flower beds are almost bare this year…

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