Another crazy week in the garden. Doing the hokey cokey with the greenhouse plants: in, out, in, out and trying very hard not to shake them all about and the layers in the new borders are building up. This week it is the turn of the alliums.
One
These are Purple Sensation. I hope they stay around long enough to look good with the Rosa Blush Noisette which is just in bud behind. Now the path is complete I need to find some low growing edging plants to drown out the weed seedlings. Or maybe I move the geraniums forward. Hhmm, I think I’ll do that.
Two
These are Allium Mount Everest, looking suitably tall. The tulips are really past their best but there is enough life in them to make the border look quite colourful. Some of the Mount Everests have done a disappearing trick, about six have gone awol causing me to set up a spreadsheet for the autumn bulb order. Otherwise I am sure to forget that I need more. I like the height they give to the border at this time of the year.
Three
And the bonus tulip is …orange! These are in a border that only gets afternoon sun and they are lasting rather well. I though Queen of Night was the lone gatecrasher in this border but this late arrival is a real stand out.
Four
The pheasant eye narcissus have been a joy in the last few weeks. Their scent drifts across the back of the garden and they are looking very happy in combination with the bluebells and pulomonaria. This corner is going to look quite empty when the spring flowers finish. More layering to be done.
Five
This is geranium phaeum which came with me in pots from the old garden. This is its second year in the new border and it has really established itself well. It’s far more stately and elegant in this garden than it ever was before. I do love a geranium and will be dividing this up and spreading it around.
Six
And lastly, the dwarf azalea has revealed its true colour and I think it has earned the chance to move out of its pot and into the border. It is just the right height for the front of the north west facing corner. But there is work to be done on that border, currently the most neglected part of the garden, home to ground elder, geranium robertianum and the ubiquitous sherperd’s purse. The RHS advice gleefully informs me that ‘a single plant is able to produce an average of 2-3000 seeds each, with three generations per year.’ Plenty still to be done there then.
Don’t forget to check in with The Propagator, host of the Six On Saturday meme for a mesmerising selection of gardening delights from around the world. Happy gardening.
The trees in the garden are beginning to put on a show. First up is the persimmon tree. There was a bumper crop last year but I’m not a fan. I inherited it with the garden and it does look fabulous in winter when the leaves have dropped and the orange fruits remain.
I also inherited a number of apple trees and here is some delightful apple blossom from one of them. Again, there was a bumper crop last year, we don’t store the apples and there are only so many we can eat so the majority of them are taken off for juicing. We are still drinking the 2017 vintage.
The leaves on the fig trees are just opening. Not such a good year for figs for me last year and the squirrels always get the best of them. I managed to bag a handful!
And after my winter pruning efforts it is always a great relief to see new leaves on the vine. It does produce grapes but so far they have split before we get the chance to taste them. The grape variety is Black Muscat, which I understand is also known as Black Hamburg. Again, I was fortunate enough to inherit this well established vine which shades the pergola.
There is a great foaming wave of Choysia in one sunny corner of the garden. It’s perfectly lined up with a view from the window. Many thanks again to the previous owner.
Finally, all my own work! The white triumphator tulips are still hanging on and are a great companion to the irises that have just begun to flower. There is also a glimpse of the almost open allium ‘purple sensation’ – something for next week!
So this is the path looking shockingly new but I will soon get that sorted out with a few trips up and down with the wheelbarrow!
The clematis pruned before the last batch of cold weather has survived and is surging onward. It will soon be covering the trellis again.
A sure sign that everything is growing. This is most likely an ash tree seedling. Neighbouring gardens are well forested and every year I have to be super vigilant to pull up all the seedlings that come my way. Ash and sycamore are the most common and then the odd oak courtesy of the squirrels.
The tulips are coming through. This beautiful pink edged leaf could be from China Girl or Angelique. These two were planted along with Spring Green in a mixed clump in November. They should be in flower come April/May.
Right plant, right place I think. I planted half a dozen cowslips in a very wet border last year and this year there is a great crop of seedlings. I shall gently separate them and spread them around this border and elsewhere. Lovely free plants!
Don’t they look tempting. The first lush shoots of the delphiniums. I can just hear the slugs smacking their lips. More vigilance required.
My old path was broken, uneven and collected water. The new path will be well drained, carefully sloped and smooth. But I am already missing the patina and idiosyncrasies of the old path’s age. The builders are taking great care to keep the new path clean but I will be out there soon rubbing in the mud and possibly some yoghurt!
The laying of the paths sadly means that some things in the garden get trampled on or have been dug up to allow for the base to be laid. I don’t think I will see any fritillaries this year and I know that one or two tulips have been snapped off. As I always say ‘you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs’. And of course I will have the chance to add something new to omelette! On the upside I will lose the ugly concrete edges and gain a precious couple of inches of border.
I managed to get out the greenhouse this morning and was very pleased to see that the rocket seed sown on 16 February has germinated. The sweet peas sown at the same time are only just breaking the surface but they too are on their way.
My daffodils are still in bud, the pheasant eye narcissus are coming along but the pulmonaria is definitely in flower. The clump was planted last year from divisions given to me by a friend. I think I’m going to divide this up again this year and use it to soften the edges of that new path.
And here’s a couple of new ingredients for that omelette. Some nerines – bowdenii Ostara, and dahlias. The dahlias are a combination of greeny whites and are destined for pots. The path should be finished by Wednesday, whereupon I will become a gardener again.
n20gardener 