On the whole it was a gloomy, wet and windy week here but a little milder than of late. It was with some trepidation that I ventured out into the garden to collect this week’s six but gardens have a great way of taking care of themselves and providing a few surprises.
One
One of the major projects of this year was the laying of the garden path. It was laid on top of the old path which worked well in most places but as the path rounded the corner to meet up with the lawn the height differential came into play. The weather was so hot and dry that plans to build up the lawn height were put on hold until about a month ago. Part of the lawn was stripped off and the soil level was built up. My lawn is a patchwork quilt of grass, creeping buttercups, wild yarrow, clover, daisies and much more. The stripped off turves did not hold together and when re-laid there were several scrappy patches which needed seeding. I had given up hope of the new seed germinating but I really was very excited to see that the first new shoots have appeared.
Two
This new growth reminded me of one or two other things in the garden that had sorted themselves out. Last winter I lost a French lavender plant given to me as a house warming present. It had done so well over its first summer but winter was just too much for it. Or so I thought. A few weeks ago I noticed new shoots of lavender appearing alongside the English lavender I had planted in its place. This is the strongest of the bunch and I’m hoping that sheltered by the English lavender it might make it through this winter. There are a couple of smaller seedlings that I am going to lift and overwinter in the greenhouse. I would love to report back to the giver that I do still have the French lavender.
Three
This young yew tree was given to me by the birds! I can’t bring myself to pull it out and would love to find a corner of the garden where I can nurture it along into something significant. Maybe I can start up my own wild hedgerow along the back fence. I’ve got a few wild blackberries that need to be taken in hand. Throw in a dog rose and some years of patient waiting and I could be onto something.
Four
The back fence is already home to Iris foetidissima and these have helpfully self seeded very successfully. The orange berries glow brightly through the gloom and a good colony of these in the dark corner will provide a much welcomed lift to the spirits through winter.
Five
I collected some Hollyhock seeds to bring with me to the new garden and now the seeds from those plants are starting to colonise well. I have had to take a few in hand as they managed to get themselves going some distance from the main site. I never know what colours are going to appear which is part of the fun.
Six
Another great self seeder is the foxglove. I did not have any in the garden so I bought a packet of seeds and did some sowing around the end of August. There was a good success rate and I have moved some out into the garden and left some to overwinter in the unheated potting shed. I’m hoping this belt and braces approach will give me a reward.
The fireside keeps calling me but the garden won’t let go just yet! Have a look at what everyone else is up to by visiting The Propagator’s blog – there’s no way Mr P will be putting his feet up just yet!
I garden in London and so get a little complacent about frosts. But this week the lawn has had a light frosting and it was clearly a sign that cold weather gardening had to start. Last year’s fleece was in shredded tatters in the shed and I hate all those white flaky bits. I hot footed it to Homebase and found some delightful green bags of 35gsm fleece with very handy draw string pulls. I usually fleece up the agapanthus armed with a stapler but these jackets were easy to pull over the plants and the fetching shade of green is slightly less obvious than white. Job done.
I was certainly lulled into complacency by the balmy days I experienced in Suffolk last week but the cold evenings are changing the colours of the garden. The persimmon tree is looking beautiful even as the leaves are falling.
The previously sun scorched hydrangeas are also taking on their winter hue.
But elsewhere the summer container plants are still in good health and I will leave them out throughout the winter. In mild years I have been able to carry the geraniums over into the next summer.
The white antirrhinum sowed from seed is still in flower at this end of the garden but elsewhere I have collected seeds from another plant that has done its bit for summer.
I recently planted out some gaura and pennisetums in a west border and alongside them I put in some Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’, which still thinks there’s time to put on a display. Thank you!
Daphne Eternal Fragrance. I had resisted buying this all year on the grounds that I wasn’t sure I had the right spot for it. But there it was on the bench in front of me with a label that said suitable for containers. I’ll find a space for it soon.
I have moved the scented leaf pelagoniums into the potting shed and taken a few cuttings for insurance. That meant two summer containers were sitting empty. There in front of me was a tray of winter pansies.
Recently added to the wish list was Brunnera macrocephala ‘Jack Frost’. Described as good for shade and for ground cover, I thought it would be ideal for under the snowberry tree. These were lurking just around the corner from the pansies. Speaking of lurkers – do the slugs like brunnera?
I was almost at the exit point when I spotted the pots of Gaultheria Procumbens ‘Big Berry’. I’ve had these in winter window boxes before with some ivy. The red berries are usually plentiful.
I had to walk back to the beaming cashier past the bulb section and remembered just in time that I needed to top up the alliums and fritillaries.
I count myself as quite restrained – I can’t give you a full six from the garden centre purchases! My last for this week is something that is giving me cause for concern. These Liriope muscari ‘big blue’ went into the garden in autumn 2016 and have not flowered once. The RHS site promises ‘small violet-purple flowers carried in dense, erect spikes to 30cm in height in autumn, followed by black berries.’ To quote our esteemed leader ‘Nothing, nada, zilch.’ Any suggestions?
I’ve planted the same group of plants either side of a small path.. The Agastache ‘Alabaster’ were in the garden already and they have now been joined by Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’, Gaura lindheimeri ‘Whirling Butterflies’ and Pennisetum villosum. Fingers crossed for next summer.
On the diagonal opposite to this area is what was fondly known as ground elder corner. After three summers of digging it out I think I have the upper hand and so I am beginning to put in some permanent plants. First to go in is Trachelospermum jasminoides, a firm six on saturday favourite. I’m hoping it will very quickly cover the great expanse of unattractive brown fence.
Also adding some late colour are these Lillies. Yet more naming debates: are they now Schizostylis, or Hesperantha? I know which one I prefer. These came from the old garden and are bulking up nicely.
And since repetition is allowed and because the late colour is so fabulous, I give you again the Salvia ‘Amistad’ and the Rose, Darcy Bussell. The Salvias mooched along all summer but they have really established themselves in the last month. Darcy Bussell just keeps on putting out new buds.
This week I dug up the last of my sarpo mira potatoes. This is the total haul from two plants. Barely enough to mash and I was certainly crushed.
The tale of woe continued. Into the greenhouse I went to pick some tomatoes. I noticed that the romano peppers needed tying in again. But as I brought the stems together to tie them in they snapped. But these things happen, don’t they? This photo was taken after a good many of the peppers had been used for the evening meal.
This bright cheerful zinnia, grown from a tiny seed, continues to shine.
The astrantia major are flowering again.
Autumn is coming and softer colours take their place in the garden. I call these ice plants but I’m going to venture to suggest the Latin name of Hylotelephium spectabile. Yes or No?
So I add to my crimes, ignorance. I had no idea the bulbs would flower this year. What a blissful ignorance it was. Without it I would not have been half so thrilled and excited as I was when I saw this flower and I didn’t step on it!
