Way back in February our lovely mimosa was busy heralding the approach of spring although, despite its best efforts, nothing much happened for at least another month.
By that time the rocket in the Growing Garden had gone to seed and the dandelions, muscari and comfrey in the wild garden were just getting into their stride – helped by the fairly vigorous pruning we had given to the apple tree above them with my wonderful new extending handle (to 4.7 meters…) tree saw.
The idea was to repave the area under the apple tree where the grass has really struggled, not helped by the pigeons hoovering up the birds’ discarded bits. And here is Sue in full paving mode. (Everyone is very sniffy about our ‘paving’ as we refuse to use cement to bed the stones in, just sinking them into a decent layer of sand in the grass. This does mean that they can crack, but it also means that you can move them if you decide you got it wrong – which seems of much greater benefit to me.)
Over the other side of the garden, I subjected the climbers on the fence to a fiercesome hair cut. The bed they are in was the first thing that I was able to plant when the builders were still here five years ago and I was so excited that I vastly over planted: three jasmine, a clematis montana, a solanum and a Blush Noisette rose in a space which really needed an absolute maximum of three plants! As a result it was a total jungle and the clematis and solanum had climbed far into the holly tree and the birch behind them.
I was pretty sure that they could take it but they did all sulk for a good six weeks. Finally I noticed the solanum poking out a slightly tentative leaflet ten days ago.
The big border around the patio, thanks to the regrowth of the pollarded poplar behind it, does not get that much direct sun so is a bit slower to come back to life. But here are the macaleyas, the cotinus and the geranium Rozannes all sniffing the air to see if spring is really on its way.
The cardoon, however, has no such doubts and is already charging ahead – as are the ever faithful heucheras – without doubt the most reliable and best value plants in any border!
Not only generous in their colours, their flowering time and their general jolliness – but happy to give and give in terms of off shoots when you split them after a couple of years. Here are just some of the pots with roots of both heuchera and alchimella mollis, all of which will be for sale on our opening day on June 21st!
More ‘moving’ has gone on over on the wild strawberry mound under the holly tree. They did pretty well last year but it is very unpromising terrain (dry and totally lacking in sun) and a lot of them headed off down the slope to more fertile ground. So I have been digging them out and moving them back up again – and so far successfully as they all seem to be taking.
And then there is the fig – and the ferns….. The fig seems to be doing splendidly – but do I neet to protect those little fruits from predators? While the ferns are weaving their usual magic. I so love watching them gradually unfurl from those tight little coils into feathery, floaty leaves.
And finally…. I am not good with bulbs and they don’t really like me but every year I seek out a few really weird tulips and a couple of them usually come up trumps.
And…. the garden in the evening from the living room.
Meanwhile, don’t forget – 21st JUNE – OPEN GARDEN DAY. The main garden and the Growing Garden (for recent updates on our Growing Garden go here) – plants to buy, home made cakes and scones (with cream and home made jam!) – and a saxophone quartet!!
Book your tickets ahead of time here.
Autumn colours