plants

Six On Saturday: Storm preparations

/ n20gardener / 12 Comments

It’s been a busy week here with the shed base frame work being completed on Monday. It was too cold to lay a concrete base for the greenhouse so the project continues into next week. We had snow that didn’t linger on Tuesday. On Wednesday the new shed arrived and the move back in began. But many things were too wet and that continues to be the case. Today Storm Bert arrives and I was out making safe the greenhouse contents and moving the pots in sheltered positions. Here’s a sad looking six from the garden this week.

One

Let’s start with the new shed with four windows which do give a little more light. The skip came in very handy and plenty of stuff was got rid off. I held on to most of my collection of bricks and old roof tiles, pleading that they always came in handy.

Two

And today they were put to good use, weighing down the builder’s bags that hold the collection of plastic pots, netting and seed trays that came out of the greenhouse.

Three

The water butts have all been emptied of their contents now and are huddled together in a corner. I’d hate to see these rolling across the garden.

Four

I still haven’t had time to take the scented leaf pelargoniums inside so they have been huddled together against the winds. Next week is mild so they will good for another week outside.

Five

The pellies are still pushing out the odd flower here and there.

Six

And still looking quite green, these ferns are in the shelter of the larger rhododendron. Dryopteris filix-mas possibly. I inherited them so I’m really not sure.

I have abject apologies to send to our lovely group of SOS bloggers I have not been able to do much reading over the last two weeks. I’m hoping life settles down a little and I will be able to get up to speed again. Jim hosts the SOS group so drop in and have a good ready anytime. In the meantime I wish you all a safe weekend from any storm and happy gardening if you can get out there!

Six On Saturday: Careful what you throw away

/ n20gardener / 13 Comments

It was a drizzly start to the day here. The skies grey but once again the temperatures were mild. The garden is slowly winding down which seems entirely fitting for November. I was doubtful I would be able to find anything for six today but this is a record of the garden over the year and this is what I found this week.

One

I have pushed the button on the new greenhouse and shed. Both bases will need some repairs and work to level them. The clearance of the site means we get to have a skip. This is always pleasing to me as there are endless bits and pieces that I keep just in case and once in a while it is good to take stock. There is also an accumulation of things put away in the shed that haven’t seen the light of day for years. Clearing out is the job for this weekend.

Two

Although the weather has been mild I decided to wrap the evergreen agapanthus. I still have to turf out the pellies from their summer pots in preparation for some tulip planting.

Three

In the borders, the deciduous agapanthus leaves are turning colour and I need to cut these back before the go slimy. Another job on the ‘to do’ list.

Four

These are the berries of iris foetidissima. The plant is prolific here, distributed about the garden by the birds. I let them grow in difficult corners but dig them out from the main borders. It seems that I missed this one.

Five

Last week I mentioned that the hebes were flowering again, and they still are.

Six

There’s always one more rose having a go at flowering again. This week it is ‘Jaqueline du Pré. Lovely.

The plan for today was to mow up the fallen leaves, but the drizzle has soaked everything. That job moves to tomorrow. I’ve made a start on clearing the north facing border of the weed cinquefoil. I guess every garden has its difficult corner and this is definitely mine. I know it is a thankless task but unless I try to contain it the cinquefoil will run riot. I need the border to dry out a little more though.

Here’s hoping that your gardening jobs are more inviting. I have to say thank you to SOS host Jim for keeping this meme going. It makes me look at the garden every Saturday and this week I noticed that the pots of daffodil bulbs I had planted up had been disturbed by the wildlife – foxes, squirrels? They are now under the protection of an old freezer drawer. Things do come in useful. I need to careful I don’t throw too much out!

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.

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