garden

Six On Saturday: Back to the garden

/ n20gardener / 21 Comments

I was absent without leave last week, fully intending to post before a week’s holiday but not quite managing it. I was only one week away from the garden but what a transformation. The garden had rewilded itself, choosing to cover any open space with oxalis, chickweed, willowherb and enchanter’s nightshade. On the upside the agapanthus had burst into flower and it seemed that there had been enough rain and sun to keep everything happy. Here’s this week’s six.

One

Here’s one that was destined for last week, hypericum in the front garden. Looking very cheerful in the sunshine. It’s a decent sized shrub that I inherited. No trouble at all and quite joyful.

Two

These agapanthus are the ones that grow in large pots and have to be wrapped in fleece over the winter. One was divided this Spring and three sections were replanted. They have all produced flowers this year so I am very pleased with them, and myself!

Three

Thalictrum delavayi. I’m not sure if I have these in the right place, perhaps a little more sun and certainly some more space and some support would help them show themselves off a little better. I really enjoy their airy frothiness.

Four

I am in the process of reshaping the planting in the old gooseberry patch. The focal point being taken up by two oak leaf hydrangeas. This is the second year in the garden and they have put on a good amount of growth which is encouraging. Even with their relatively small plant size the flower heads are quite impressive and I look forward to them fully growing into their space.

Five

The shasta daisies, like many plants this year, seem taller than ever. I got in early with my supports and I hope this will hold them upright off the paths.

Six

I mixed the overwintered scented pelargoniums with some trailing lobelia this year and the combination works well. The snails like to sneak themselves inside the rims of the pots so vigilance is the word. The geranium is pink capitatum, my favourite of the three I bought many years back from Sarah Raven.

Jobs for me this weekend, include, of course, the weeding but also picking some courgettes, deadheading the roses and cutting back some more hardy geraniums. The psilostemon are threatening to self-seed themselves even further and geranium Brookside has had its first wave and needs to kept in check before the paths disappear. Have yourselves a good gardening weekend and don’t forget to check in with Jim, host of the SOS meme for updates from his Cornish garden and from others around the world.

Six On Saturday: Midsummer madness

/ n20gardener / 12 Comments

It is that time when the borders spill on to the paths but even as the alchemilla mollis froths up over the edges I know that the garden is moving to a new phase. The roses have had their first sprint and now stop to draw breathe before the next round. New flowers are stepping up. Day lilies, hebes, shasta daisies and stocks are just beginning to open. The veg patch is being productive with French beans, strawberries and in a day or two the first courgettes. New potatoes are about to be dug up. Here’s six from this week’s garden

One

I can’t take a photo in the garden these days without geranium psilostemon crowding in. The star of this photo is the rose, one that is still pumping out the flowers, ‘Natasha Richardson’. It came to me as an allotment purchase from someone who no longer wanted it in their garden. It is superb! I’ve seen it described as a modern floribunda. I describe it as floriferous, beautifully scented and a winner.

Two

I almost missed this Turk’s head lily, ‘Lake Tulare’. It’s tucked away at the shady end of the garden behind an apple tree. It’s happy there so I won’t move it. It came from Beth Chatto’s garden – honestly purchased! I have to fight off lily beetles but it’s worth it.

Three

Ox eye daisies seed freely down in the veg patch and have to be kept under control. I always allow one or two clumps to flourish, for me and the pollinating insects.

Four

The veronicastrum have opened up this week and will give glorious height to the border. This is ‘Fascination’ which is prone to fasciation. Apparently not harmful but probably a genetic weakness.

Five

I am amazed by what I lose over winter and what survives. This is a white antirrhinum majus that came through a wet winter. I am also lucky enough to have another one that has self seeded itself. I grew these antirrhinums from seed a couple of years ago – the tiniest seeds I’ve ever sown.

Six

And finally how about this for a surprise? I have a hellebore in flower, with plenty of buds too. Another happy moment!

Wishing you all happy moments in your gardening spaces this weekend. Jim, our host, as always offers a varied SOS and hosts the links to other SOS gardening pages. I’ll be weeding out the willowherb which also steps up to flower at this time of year! And those roses need deadheading.

Six On Saturday: Things that go wrong

/ n20gardener / 17 Comments

I was sympathising with fellow SOSer Jude in Cornwall about disappearing plants. We mainly blame slugs and snails of course and definitely not our gardening skills. But gardening, in my case, is a bit hit and miss. I veer from having very sensible plans to organise heights, colours and textures, as I am encouraged to do by the gardening press, to responding haphazardly to the situation on the ground – or not responding! So things can go a little awry. Here’s six slightly wrong things.

One

This looks quite good. It is my one surviving delphinium and a peony. I didn’t plant the peony, it may be a remnant from the previous owners’ garden and it has only just flowered. Both are jammed right up against the rose bush behind which causes both plants to take desperate avoidance measures. In reality they are twisting and flopping and needed to be propped up with supports. But they survive.

Two

My collection of hostas. It’s clear what has gone wrong here. Despite layers of gravel and coffee grounds the slugs munch away. It’s interesting that the hosta ‘Francee’ behind which has thicker, darker leaves is fairing much better. I think the ‘Thomas Hogg’ in front are acting as sacrificial plants.

Three

This is an interesting one. Two things ‘going wrong’ here. First the classic example of digging out seedlings and wanting to keep them somewhere ‘just in case’. This is meant to be a symphony in white and green with some late purple. Instead ‘Johnson’s Blue’ and psilostemon steal the show. Behind is persicaria polymorpha, planted to hide the fence, which is doesn’t quite do and worse, it smells awful! But it is ideal for semi shade and is long flowering. Perhaps I will get used to the ‘perfume’.

Four

Phlomis russeliana, whorls of pale yellow flowers is what I was promised. I find these rather strident, especially as the aforementioned Jude did suggest, delicately, that I could have chosen the more subtle tuberosa pink version. Worse, when the rose arch collapsed I had to move ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ to a new location and the only possibility was the wall behind the phlomis. The dark red of ‘Tess’ and the yellow phlomis is far from ideal. There will have to be a rethink here.

Five

This is a case of re-appearing plants. It isn’t in flower yet, but this is a globe thistle, echinops ritro if I remember rightly, I planted them in my quest to find blue flowers that the slugs didn’t eat. Several years ago I dug them out because they were mildewy, covered in blackfly and, well, thistly. I still don’t want them but as you can see the slugs don’t eat them and they are determined.

Six

If I Ieft the garden to its own devices it would be a forest of verbena bonariensis. It’s hard to take a photo that really captures their character. I like them and this year they are incredibly tall. Not a problem really but this group are in front of a new hibiscus that is about half their size. A clear case of wrong heights and quite probably overcrowding. At least the hibiscus can be seen through the verbena. The path is becoming a little less visible though.

Gardens eh? We love them even though they challenge us every day. I’ll be out there again this weekend, weeding, feeding, watering and enjoying it all. I hope you will too. Jim, our host, almost certainly will. Do have a read and join in.

Six On Saturday: Chaos!

/ n20gardener / 20 Comments

I’ve been away from the garden for a week for a short break on the East coast of England where it was cold, rainy, windy and occasionally sunny. Before I left I hedged my bets with the outdoor tomatoes, planting some outside, leaving some in the greenhouse and a few still in pots in a sheltered space. I was expecting those in the greenhouse to dry out, those planted out to be eaten by slugs and had my fingers crossed for those in the sheltered space. All have survived, so I may have a surplus of tomatoes, if there is any sun to ripen them. In the meantime the garden has romped away. Geranium psilostemon has never been so tall, nor have the verbena bonariensis. The weeds are flourishing and beginning to flower and the autumn fruiting raspberries need tying in. There is much to do, but not today as it is raining again. Here’s my six for this week.

One

It’s hardy geranium time. The first is an unknown magenta variety that came with a batch of white ones ordered for a north facing border. It was swiftly relocated.

Two

These are the white ones, geranium sanguineum ‘Album’. They were given a strong talking to earlier on in the season as in previous years they were a little underwhelming. ‘If you don’t flower you are going.’ They have flowered, quite delicately so but enough to allow them to stay. And so to has the insidious cinque foil weed. So difficult to remove unfortunately.

Three

This is a low growing geranium, perfect for edges of borders, trouble free, flowers well and just gets on with things. Geranium sanguineum var. striatum if you are interested.

Four

The astrantias have also come into flower, this one is ‘Roma’. I feel sure I have some ‘Claret’ elsewhere but I haven’t spotted them so far.

Five

Knautia macedonica joins the magenta team. I like this, but I have too much magenta in the garden this year. It is normally offset by the blues of delphiniums but you know who ate them all.

Six

The last for the week comes from Suffolk, where the edges of an old railway track were lined with towering foxgloves. They looked wonderful.

I’m hoping for a dry day tomorrow. I have courgettes to plant out, euphorbias to cut back and weeds to be pulled. I hope there will be time for your gardening tasks this weekend and also time to stop by Jim’s site to visit other SOS gardens.

Six On Saturday: Unexpected gardening opportunities

/ n20gardener / 14 Comments

It’s been an eventful week here. My neighbours to one side repaired a fence. This gave me an opportunity to go through the border and dig up the ever spreading bluebells – as best I could. I now have a tidy looking border waiting for some new additions. It’s a dry shady area which will challenge my planting ideas. My neighbours to the other side had a hawthorn tree from a neighbouring garden fall into theirs and then on Friday, a blustery day here, their horse chestnut tree lost a limb and fell into their garden across the fence line with ours. I can’t tell you how relieved I was that it missed our remaining greenhouse. It is quite possible that this side of the garden may now benefit from a little more sunshine. If only there was some to sunshine to enjoy.

One

The horse chestnut which elegantly draped itself along the fence. My poor neighbour now has two lots of trees to deal with but all is in hand and perhaps we will both benefit from a little less shade. Although we do both enjoy the screening of the gardens that the trees offer.

Two

The clematis have really begun to open up this week. You may remember I bought two obelisks to replace the rose arch, intending that the clematis would entwine itself around these supports and add height to this space. The slugs had other ideas and both clematis in that area were munched to the ground. Elsewhere, there was a little more success. This one is ‘Etoile Violette’.

Three

This one, such a beautiful colour, is ‘Madame Julia Correvon’, another vitticella type. It’s there to weave in among the ‘Blush Noisette’ roses which it is just beginning to do.

Four

The plant focus here is intended to be the sisyrinchium, The psilostemon has self-seeded into this border and I’m not sure I can cope with the colour combination! There may be some relocation on the cards.

Five

Balancing self-seeders with other planting is a challenge here. This is another one that always finds a place to settle into. Iris foetidissima. I like it and it does fill a shady corner – maybe I can move some to the old blue bell patch?

Six

A rose to finish on. It is ‘Lady of Shalott. This looks absolutely beautiful but in truth is probably having a battle with surrounding planting in an effort to become fully established. I will be nurturing it.

June, heh? It is quite cold here this morning but there is promise of some sunshine later. It would help us all enjoy things a little more. But the summer bedding is in the pots, the scented leaf pellies have been re-potted and I did risk planting out some seedlings. I am still keeping my tomato plants in the greenhouse but they will have to go out soon. Courgettes and cucumbers are also waiting for a little more warmth before they are moved outside. Wishing you all time to enjoy the garden this weekend and time to stop by Jim’s garden in Cornwall for the SOS links and Jim’s own garden ruminations.

Six On Saturday: Trials and tribulations

/ n20gardener / 14 Comments

There has been an attack on free speech in the N20 household. I have been restricted to “two or three mentions” of the slug word per day. I am hoping that this is my safe space and I that I can fully rant at length about the slimy munchers and you won’t take too much offence. So here goes, and then I will shut up. After a day and half of continual rain even the slugs decided it was too much and invaded the greenhouse where they took the express elevator up the damp glass to the top floor where the tomato plants were thriving. Fortunately only one loss there. The coffee grounds placed around the onions were only a temporary deterrent, and soon the onions came under attack once more. Slugs are also eating the potatoes stems. The beer traps have caught two. Two! As you can imagine that is not a great impact. I could go on, and on. But even I am becoming a little bored by the whole thing. In amongst all this there are some positives and I am back singing the praises of roses and their scent.

One

This ‘Darcy Bussell’, which last year was having a battle with black spot. This year the rain seems to have encouraged a mass of flowers.

Two

‘Scepter’d Isle’ has a wonderful scent and is always a reliable flowerer.

Three

I visit again ‘Blush Noisette’ the myriad of buds are now rushing to open and its fabulous scent fills the evening air. The David Austin notes describe it as having ‘a rich musky clove fragrance.’

Four

This just about to unfurl bud is ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’. It is a climbing rose and used to cover the rose arch. I am not entirely convinced by rose arches, the roses on the top do well but the sides seem to suffer. Our arch rotted away and so was removed last winter. ‘Tess’ was moved to a wall and is putting in a remarkable effort to re-establish itself. The long stem that was bare up the side of the rose arch has just put out at least half a dozen new buds, which may or may not make it to flowers this year. Watch this space.

Five

Elsewhere the hardy geranium ‘Kashmir White’ has opened up. I do like this one and it could be ready for a division this year.

Six

The foxgloves have been severely munched (there I go again) but one or two have made it to flowering. Excuse the blurry astrantia, more from those next week.

It has been a strange May. The greenhouse does not seem to have been consistently warm, it’s either cold and wet or very hot. The cosmos seedlings are really slow growing. In the border my white alliums, ‘Mount Everest’, had their stems stripped of the green and the flower heads are much smaller. They are almost over without making the impact they usually do. On the positive side courgette seeds were sown about two weeks ago and have germinated, even the very old seeds that I decided to use up. I can’t imagine when I will be foolish enough to plant them out!

Thank you for listening to the rant. I’ve more time this weekend and it’s a long one. Dead-heading roses is top of the to do list and I spotted some tulips that need to be dealt with too. Happy gardening everyone. Jim as usual hosts and share his garden with us all at Garden Ruminations.

Six On Saturday: Help!

/ n20gardener / 16 Comments

Mid May madness has arrived. The combination of sun and rain has led to lush growth and the stronger plants are crowding out their neighbours. The slugs continue their onslaught, nothing is safe this year. A white form of the hardy geranium phaeum has been been munched. The potatoes need earthing up and the roses need deadheading. I’ve bought plants for the summer pots on the terrace. The weeds are thriving. I don’t know which way to turn first. The garden is calling out to me but other events are on the cards for this weekend. Here’s my six for this week.

One

Libertia grandiflora. A few years back I added four of these to the garden, confidently planting them in entirely the wrong place. Realising the error – not enough sun – I moved them two years ago, not really having the space elsewhere in the garden for four of them. They were squeezed in and fingers were crossed. They all settled into their new spots but this group is by far the most effective. I think there are two of them here. I realise now that I need to balance these up on the other side of the border and so, after flowering, one of the others is very likely to be on the move again.

Two

This is the rose ‘Gertrude Jekyll’. One of the first roses to be planted in the garden. It is a favourite but to honest until this year it wasn’t really packing a punch. This year it seems so much more floriferous, benefiting from the rain perhaps.

Three

Elsewhere the climbing rose ‘Blush Noisette’ has truly gotten away from me. My pruning has not been severe enough and it is falling away from the wall over into the border. It will look wonderful when all the buds open but I know it needs taking in hand. Here it is along side the rose Madame Isaac Péreire’, which has a fabulous scent.

Four

Here’s one of those plants that is crowding out its neighbours. Phlomis russeliana. I have already moved a hylotelephium and a dianthus carthusianorum. I think the geranium ‘Johnson’s Blue’ can hold its own.

Five

This is the third year of my asparagus planting and so it is time to start picking them. If only I can get to them before the slugs! There is a blurry half eaten stem just alongside this one which has miraculously escaped. It’s not a bountiful crop and I seem to be only able to pick one spear at a time. Two of the plants are barely productive. Let’s hope for more next year.

Six

I have a very large and very old rhododendron in the garden and way back at the beginning of Six On Saturday it was identified for me as a Ponticum, a common variety. This year it is having a wonderful time. But it still suffers from a poorer performing top half. I share with you the best bit of course!

I’m rushing off to the garden now to try to make an impact in the two hours I have available today. Earthing up I think is top of the list. I hope you find time to spend in your garden and to enjoy everything there (except the slugs). Happy gardening.

For more SOS links pop over to Jim’s Garden Ruminations. All the links are there.

Six On Saturday: Gardening woes

/ n20gardener / 30 Comments

I was going to be so positive today. A week of rain, thunderstorms and cold weather but the garden is clearly pulling away, spots of colour splashing in amongst the lush growth. But I have to tell you that the number of slugs this year is unbelievable and they are damaging so much. I have dwarf green beans to plant out and yet I fear they will disappear overnight. This morning’s walk around turned into another slug collection and more damage assessment. Here’s what I found.

One

What me, Guv? The first attack on the red onions that were planted out a few weeks ago. I now feel that nothing will be safe from their chopping jaws.

Two

This should be a lovely clump of allium ‘Mount Everest’. The tall stems topped with white flowers mingle with the roses and geraniums to create one of my favourite summer combinations. But this year almost all the stems have been nipped off. A few valiant souls have made it to the top and are beginning to open up but the display will be less dramatic this year.

Three

Elsewhere the purple allium ‘Purple Sensation’ has survived and they are just opening out.

Four

The regular downpours of rain have had me running round the garden with lengths of string tying in the clematis that is romping away. This one grows over an arch and pretty much entwines itself. It is clematis montana Wilsonii and has a wonderful chocolate scent – in the sunshine.

Five

Aquilegia ‘Lime Sorbet’ looking rather pretty, with the newly emerging potatoes in the background. The canes are there to protect them from curious cats and foxes.

Six

A sunny corner and slug resistant plants: osteospermum and iberis sempervirens, something simple but effective to give a cheerful ending.

It’s a long weekend here, with plenty of rain forecast. I shall try to make the most of any sunny spells. One tray of tomato plants were potted on last week. The root growth was not great so I’ve left the second tray for another week. The true leaves have grown on and I think come what may I will be potting them on this week. I may offer up one group of four dwarf French beans, but with some acceptance of their probable fate. There are tulips to deadhead and weeds to pull. I will try to banish the gardening woes by enjoying what does defeat the slimy lurkers! Over to Jim’s place for more gardening stories. I hope you have time to enjoy your garden too.

Six On Saturday: almost in full voice

/ n20gardener / 21 Comments

It’s tantalising, so nearly there, one more week surely and the garden will take a leap forward. I’m impatient and yet wanting things to slow down at the same time. The sun has some warmth but cold winds and rain suggest it’s not a wonderful Spring yet. Perhaps May will arrive with a burst of energy. I took inspiration for my subtitle from a poem by Philip Larkin The Trees. Well worth a read. Here’s six from the almost there garden.

One

I was tempted at the garden centre by this low growing weigela, called ‘Pink Poppet’. It could be a replacement for the dying daphne you can see in the top corner. It supposedly flowers from March to August and is ‘perfect for pollinators’. I hope it’s a no-nonsense space filler. I could do with a few more things that just get on with it!

Two

The first rose opened and was immediately drenched by overnight rain. One step forward…. The rose is Jacqueline du Pré. I will surely be revisiting this corner of the garden to share with you in May.

Three

Definitely in the ‘just getting on with it’ category, the reliable geranium phaeum. It’s spread itself enough here that it is time to move a few on to other shady spots in the garden.

Four

The tiarella is also in flower in a shady corner. This one is tiarella cordifolia, planted in 2021 in a dryish shady spot. It doesn’t flourish but it’s an inhospitable corner. It should be snuggled in with some hostas but those have been dug up and placed in pots in a vain attempt to save them from slugs.

Five

This is not the aforementioned hosta but another one, well established in a large pot – ‘Francee’. The new leaves are just unfurling and look wonderful. Vigilance is my motto and there are regular inspections for the slimey lurkers.

Six

Lastly a tale of woe from the fruit and veg patch. Before I left for Dorset I noticed flowers on the currants but I didn’t get round to netting them. The white currants have survived this unforgiveable negligence and fruit is forming. But sadly the red currants seem to be seriously depleted of flower. Picked off by pigeons is my bet. I’ll be netting both this morning. If the rain stops.

It looks like rain all day Sunday, which means that my weeds will grow even more luxurious. The tall ‘Maureen’ tulips have put on another 5 cms and seem amazingly resilient to the wind. I am planning to pot on tomato seedlings this weekend and that I can do even if it rains. Cucumber seeds have germinated and I have potted up rocket getting stronger before I risk offering them up to the slugs again. Flower seeds in a gappy and unheated greenhouse are going slow. I may sow again but keep them on a sunny window sill inside. Jim hosts all the SOS links and shares his own wonderful garden each week. Take a look and join in! And Enjoy your gardening space this weekend.

Six On Saturday: Winning and losing

/ n20gardener / 17 Comments

I shouldn’t be so competitive with nature. But isn’t that the essence of gardening, trying to cultivate our little spaces into our dream places. My dream space is filled with fresh spring flowers, scented roses, glorious summer abundance gently fading into the warm hues of autumn, leading to the bare trees and swaying grasses of winter. Aah, perfection, which of course, we all know, is not possible.

This week I have laughed at the ‘disasters’ that have befallen my garden. I realised that my asparagus was being nibbled by the slimey ones as it broke through the soil. It is now sheltered by plastic bottles, not attractive but it seems to be effective and fulfils the three Rs. Elsewhere a self-seeded euphorbia wulfenii has curled up and died, no doubt the endless rain was just too much for it. Last week Fred mentioned that he had an ailing hebe. I have a daphne going the same way. I read that slugs and snails do not trouble with foxgloves, the hairy leaves being not quite to their taste. Here they have munched them with evident enjoyment, leaving only the the coarser ribs of the leaves for show. But these are small set backs when compared with the lush greeness that is emerging. Nature takes it’s course, but I rise to the challenge and find ways around these troubles. Here’s my six successes for the week.

One

It always difficult to decide when the camassias are at their best but I have chosen the first flowers, which opened last week, as a definite high point of the gardening week.

Two

‘Queen of Night’ tulip has opened up and joined the tulip festival. One of my favourites and reasonable as a returning flower.

Three

I have a habit of losing euphorbia wulfenii, and so I tried out a more damp loving variety – euphorbia palustris. It’s not as mighty a plant but so far it seems to be happier in my garden conditions. It should reach about 90cms. You can see the struggling wulfenii version in the background.

Four

I am celebrating this one flower of iris germanica. I have others in bud but the slimey ones seem to be winning here. They are puncturing the leaves with what I am positively going to describe as lacey holes and then biting through the stems just below the buds. But I am celebrating.

Five

The sun persuaded this pink tulip to fully open and take in the warmth. I empathised wholeheartedly.

Six

Apple blossom. Glorious, what more could you ask for?

I declare the result a win! Ignore those irritations and love the beautiful new growth. The weather is improving and like that pink tulip we can embrace it. Last week’s mystery was answered. It was a cherry laurel seedling kindly donated by a neighbouring garden. I have left one in place to see how it does.

I’m ready to plant out my red onions from their modules and I’ve sown a few more flower seeds. I bought a new plant which will either replace the daphne or the euphorbia. It’s a low growing weigela. I’m struggling now to resist buying another rose. My default purchase when I have space. I am challenging myself to be more imaginative so any suggestions for shrubs would be much appreciated. Have a great gardening weekend and do join Jim for his ruminations with the other SOSers.