Greenhouse

Side border

Gate out to the vegetable plot

Bench seat almost hidden by plants

New garden seat

The pond and Georgie (she is looking for frogs)

It just goes to show that the flower borders can manage themselves for one season at least – and that the camera can make weeds magically disappear.

On Saturday I am going to Greece for two weeks so will not be blogging for a while. I am hoping to be more organised by the time I return – I am desperate to get back to regular blogging and hope the break will provide a kick start to my mushy brain!

]]> http://greenforks.com/2010/06/the-summer-garden-does-its-own-thing/feed/ 11 http://greenforks.com/2010/04/in-with-the-new-fence-out-with-the-old/ http://greenforks.com/2010/04/in-with-the-new-fence-out-with-the-old/#comments Thu, 29 Apr 2010 08:19:48 +0000 easygardener http://greenforks.com/?p=3945 We have had a new garden fence installed. I find a new fence very satisfying, even if ours does look very new at the moment. I am sure it will look very weathered by next year.

New fence

This gave me an opportunity to remove the garden arbour and paint the roof. The cat walks by in disgust – she refuses to sit there unless the cushions are in place.

Newly painted Arbour seat

By the time the seat was back in place the Daphne nearby was flowering.

Daphne tangutica

The flowers are extremely fragrant and a beautiful colour. Daphnes are one of my favourite shrubs and would feature in my top ten list of “Shrubs that are a must for the garden”.

The fragrant flowers

I am thinking about this  while I weeded the garden borders. The mind has to do something while the hands are busy. I took advantage of the sun and managed to tidy up a couple of areas. The black  pots in front of this one contain Alliums which need planting out once I find some space for them. I had better hurry up as they are growing very fast.

Conservatory border

The large green shrub by the garage is a Grevillia ‘ Canberra Gem’ which will soon be covered with small red flowers that the bees adore.

Garage border

More and more Spring flowers are appearing, including one of my favourite blue ones.

Scilla sibirica

As well as the ever reliable Ipheions which come in white, pink or a very pale blue.

Ipheion 'Alberto Castillo'

There are the flowers I almost miss unless I look closely. One of the advantages of hand weeding.

Hacquetia epipactis

And one wild flower I always look forward too as it seeds itself all over the borders.

Viola odorata

Now I am wondering….if I breathe in deeply….it will be summer by the time I have breathed out?

The Rock Garden on February 11th

There is a broad mix of planting in a fairly small space so there is always something interesting to look at. This Sempervivum has survived the snow and frost without any damage at all.

Sempervivum calcareum 'Extra'

A clump of Snowdrops among the rocks. This is a late flowering variety that is at its best in mid to late February. It is fragrant, grows very tall for a Snowdrop (almost 30cm/12″) and spreads easily.  At the moment the flowers are still closed so you are not seeing them at their best.

Galanthus 'Sam Arnott'

Finally, there is a Scilla, just breaking through the surface of the gravel. The flowers appear first, followed by the foliage.  It looks so vulnerable without the protection of leaves.

Scilla mischtschenkoana 'Tubergeniana'

Thanks to Katarina at Roses and Stuff for hosting Blooming Friday.

Visit her to see more Blooming Friday contributions.

I prefer Narcissi ‘Jenny’ with its pale colouring.  It is a cyclamineus hybrid as you might have guessed by the swept back petals.

Narcissus 'Jenny'

Swept back petals are a feature of  Cyclamen as you can from this pink one which is flowering at the moment.

Cyclamen coum

Magnolia stellata has just started to flower. This is a small shrub and very useful if you want a Magnolia but haven’t got the space for one of the larger tulip shaped varieties. It has lovely furry buds too.

Magnolia stellata

Then there is Pulsatilla vulgaris ‘Rubra’ with a feathery leaf providing a frame for the  flower. Pulsatilla vulgaris, which is native to the UK,  flowers around Easter time.  This accounts for its common name of  Pasque flower.  Pasque means of Easter and comes from the Hebrew word for passover which is pasakh.

Pulsatilla vulgaris 'Rubra'

Who can resist a blue flower? – not me. This is one of my favourites but the camera can’t quite capture the depth of colour.

Scilla sibirica

I’ve also got two beautiful Primulas flowering in pots. This one…..

Primula 'Maria Talbot'

….and this one which has finely toothed leaves with a silver edge.

Primula marginata 'Clear's Variety'

Thus proving that Spring does not have to be yellow, yellow and more yellow!

I’ve embarked on my garden border spring clean. This involves a general tidy up, renewing plant labels if they have faded and digging up and moving plants that I squeezed into unsuitable spaces last year. Oh, and finding plants that I forgot I’d planted. Exciting times! The sun was shining and the bees were buzzing so I felt glad to be getting my hands dirty.

Bumble Bee on a Crocus

I find there is something deeply satisfying about removing weeds. I also took the opportunity to move pots containing Narcissi and Tulips from their winter storage spot to where they can get more sun. This little raised bed holds my Ginko biloba tree which I am attempting to prune heavily so that I can keep it in the garden. There are also Primulas, Crocus and Allium schubertii. The lower part of Ginko trunk is ringed with plastic netting to stop the cats shredding it and to support the self set Ipomoeas (Morning Glory) which will appear later on.

Tidy borders

Here is one of the trunk shredding cats (Georgie) walking alongside the Hellebore border. My Canna Lily on the left is still covered by straw and the protective structure I rigged up last year.

Hellebore border and Georgie

…….and here’s a close up of the synchronised swimming!

Hellebores do synchronised swimming

Floating them in water is the best way to fully appreciate the flowers. I do it only once each year then I leave the rest of the flowers to hang their heads as usual.

Snow on the arbour

My bird feeders hanging  on the line across the garden each have a snowy hat.

Snowy top garden

The Bamboo is drooping but looks very attractive.

Bamboo

White, white white!

The bottom of the garden

I must buy some winter boots.

Inappropriate footwear

Hellebore border

Well I just had to see if there was anything under there. Isn’t cutting back very therapeutic? Apart from making the flowers easier to see there is also a health benefit. Hellebore Leaf Spot can be a problem on old foliage so cutting back reduces the chance of this disease getting a hold.

Now it looks just as messy but in a different way. Like some grazing animal had just passed through!

Hellebore border after a trim

Bending down I see signs of life. Hellebore flowers are indeed starting to appear. Some of the plants are quite old (late 1980s) and came from the Nursery of the late Helen Ballard. She was a very famous breeder of Hellebores and had a particular interest in plain colours.

Helleborus torquatus (Ballard)

Helleborus x hybridus (Ballard yellow)

Helleborus x hybridus (Light red)

Today when I went out to look, the Hellebore pictured above had opened. It was my first Hellebore flower of the new year. Hurrah! They are fascinating plants with beautiful flowers. I am glad I made the effort to uncover them.

Helleborus x hybridus (Light red)

Conservatory border topped up with compost

Cat: Oh look, the weather is warmer today. She has gone out to top up the conservatory border near the house. Look at all that lovely loose compost. I know what I could do with that!

No, this is not a toilet area!

Cat: Damn! She knows me too well.

Halki

Cat: Might as well have a nap instead.

The back garden, like so many in the UK is in the shape of a long rectangle. We step out of the drive which runs along the side of the house and see the small border in front of the conservatory. This is mainly a spring garden with Snowdrops, Cyclamen, Crocus and Ipheions. Later interest is provided by Sisyrinchiums, Nerines and two hardy Geraniums.  The bricks are supports for some pots which stand here during the summer. The plants on the right will need dividing as they are getting too big. They look like they need a haircut while the left side looks bald!

Conservatory border (January 2009)

Now we turn round and look down the garden. It is hard to ignore the concrete garage but we will do our best! Behind it lies the greenhouse. There is a small water feature near some Phormiums and beyond them the Olive tree with twirly decorations. It has olives on it but sadly they are too tiny to use. You can also see my Canna covered with straw and bubble wrap.

Here is a more general view of the top half of the garden. There are Hellebores and Phormiums in the foreground.  Beyond, under my bird feeders, is a gravel covered garden which never dries out. It was originally meant to be a dry Mediterranean garden….Doh! (perhaps we’ll leave that story for another day). Plants in the gravel include Daphne,  Libertia, Sanguisorba, Erythronia, Ranunculus and various grasses. The visiting squirrels think the gravel covers a hoard of acorns so continue to dig holes in the hope of finding hidden treasure!

Top of the garden (January 2009)

A  Ginko Biloba tree grows in a small raised bed in the Gravel garden. The Ginko has to be heavily pruned as it is too near to the house but I would hate to cut it down as it has such lovely foliage. Self seeding Morning Glory climbs  it in summer. Assorted pots congregate here over the winter but will be moved later.

Raised bed in the Gravel garden (January 2009)

Her is my Tree Fern wearing its winter scarf. A  trellis divides the garden into two sections and is bare at the moment but an Akebia and a climbing Rose cover it later. I am wondering whether to cut a doorway in this part of the trellis so I can see the rest of the garden in summer. Unfortunately that would put the the rotary washing line, on the other side of the trellis, directly in my line of sight. Should I leave well alone? Do I  actually need a washing line? Are disposable clothes the answer? ……See what happens when you overthink.

This is also my bird feeding area.

Trellis and Bird Feeders (January 2009)

Next we turn left, go past the greenhouse, then right again to go through the arch in the trellis into the bottom of the garden. Again various pots are gathered together over the winter.

The side of the greenhouse (January 2009)

On the other side of the trellis  is the old tin bath which I think I might use to grow wild flowers in this year. It has looked reproachfully at me all year while I have considered various ideas.

Far Trellis border (January 2009)

Then there is the pond. It was a mistake to pave all around it so I’m considering lifting the stones at the back to blend the edge in with the border. The upturned pot covers a Zauschneria. There are frogs but no fish in the pond. Cats are good at fishing.

The Pond (January 2009)

To the left of the pond is a rectangular raised bed, mostly for Sempervivums and small hardy Geraniums. There is also the handy garden seat with the wildlife hotel underneath.

Raised bed (January 2009)

To the left and adjoining the Raised bed is the Rock garden. There are spring bulbs, dwarf hardy Geraniums, a tiny Daphne, Corydalis, Saxifrage and Dodecathons etc. Both this and the raised bed are very free draining.

Rock garden (January 2009)

The bottom border has quite a few Grasses and Ferns as well as a Ceanothus ‘Blue Mound’ and also Rosa ‘Ghislaine de Feligonde’ next to the seat. I’m just beginning to get interested in Ferns and some of them do surprisingly well in my light, dry soil.

Ferns in the Bottom border (January 2009)

Finally we see the Canary Palm (Phoenix canariensis) which sits below the Eucalyptus tree and has shown no damage from the -8 C temperatures we have suffered. Hurrah!

Canary Palm in Bottom border (January 2009)

Here is my Agave wrapped up for the winter. The bright green foliage in the foreground is an Epimedium and the rather attractive chocolate coloured leaves belong to a dead Crocosmia.  Our smallest allotment is through the garden gate, inside the chain link fence. Beyond the fence is woodland, home to Baby Hooligan and his family of fiendish, furry squirrels (lol).

Agave wrapped up for the winter (January 2009)

[I've just added the last photo to my original post. Somehow I managed to miss it out ].

I hope you enjoyed the tour. Thanks for coming.