The Garden
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Time to chop down Karl Foerster
It’s the time of year to chop down ‘Karl Foerster’, don’t worry it’s a grass not a person! Official name Calamagrostis × acutiflora – tall grass to most of us. I discovered this grass about six years ago, when a neighbour gave me a clump in a large pot after splitting his own. Now at this point I would normally say, “beware of other gardeners baring free plants”! They are usually things that spread like a weed, but not always. This neighbour is a particularly good gardener with some lovely plants in his gorgeous garden borders. He told me that it was a well behaved grass and that it stays upright, well he…
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So we did get snow this week!
Well, the weather forecast was certainly correct, we did get snow this week! What a strange weather week it turned out to be! Up until Tuesday it was still feeling like spring had sprung, with more flowers appearing each day in the warm sunshine. The now familiar daffodils all along the grass verges were bursting into flower. But Tuesday morning. I thought it seemed a bit bright when I woke up. Sure enough we’d had a sprinkling in the night, just enough to make everything in the garden look really pretty. By mid-morning though, the sun had come out and the snow was a just memory. We had clear blue…
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Pulmonaria – Perfect plant for a shady border
If you are looking for, a ridiculously easy to grow; hardy plant; with beautifully coloured flowers; a long period of interest, and something that grows in shade, then look no further. ‘Pulmonaria’ – or its rather unpleasant common name, ‘Lungwort’ – is the plant for you! When most perennials haven’t even started to wake up, and only the small snowdrop and crocus bulbs are out. Pulmonaria’s have shot their little flower spikes up and are flowering profusely. I hadn’t come across this fabulously good value plant until we moved here in summer 2013. There weren’t many flowering plants in the garden considering it’s size. A few nice bulbs, some grasses,…
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Demolition in the Garden
Well the last of the three original conifer trees was demolished this week. When we started to take them down eight years ago, we decided to keep the one, to use as a bird feeder. The birds have enjoyed it so much, especially being so close to their holly hedge. They flit between the feeders and the hedge, where they sit on the branches wiping their beaks . If you look closely you can see a goldfinch looking back at you! Totem Pole It’s become known as the totem pole and we grew some winter jasmine up it, to make it look a bit more attractive. It’s done a good…
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Another Late Holly Chop
I thought we were late doing the annual holly chop last year, but this year we are even later! Winter is the correct time to cut a holly hedge, but as I’ve mentioned before we have to wait for the perennials growing under the holly to die back. This has been getting later and later over the last few years with such mild autumns. Luckily we had a very hard frost in mid December which did for all the remaining perennials, that were doggedly hanging on. Unfortunately due to other commitments we weren’t able to get it done before Christmas, which would have been ideal. Then the weather hasn’t been…
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First snow of the year – No Gardening this week!
We’ve had the first snow of the year. I did hear someone mention snow last week, but I didn’t realise it was for our area. We don’t really get very much these days, and when we do it doesn’t normally last that long. There’s certainly no physical gardening gone on this week! The snow came on Monday night and there’s still a little around where the sun hasn’t reached. As I’ve said before, I absolutely love the snow but… I want the snow on a Friday night when I’m home for the weekend. It’s not much to ask, is it? It is a shame we can’t get exactly the right…
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New years resolution? Get rid of the weeds!
What new years resolutions have you made? And do you think you’re going to stick to them? My only thought for a resolution, is to try and get back on top of the weeds this year! No Weeds in the Flower Borders I’ve honestly never really had a problem with weeds, until the last couple of years. This is mainly because I use a mulch of bark on my flower borders. It’s something I’ve been doing for as far back as I can remember and it really works! I only do it every other year and this is the year, as it’s rotted down to the point where you can…
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Happy New Year 2023
Happy New Year everybody! Today I’m looking back at last years garden, before moving ahead with this years tasks! First Flowers These feel like the most special flowers of the year. After that bare dormant stage, they emerge like little miracles, through cold damp soil. What on earth possesses them to show their faces in January and February! Snowdrops, Hellebores, Crocus and Pulmonaria. I’ve had some gardening vouchers for Christmas and one plant that’s on my list is another hellebore. Late Winter, early Spring, brings Daffodils The Daffodils are probably the flower most associated with spring, and they are also pretty hardy, coming up when it’s still so cold. Even…
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Frosty Week – A Winter Wonderland
Well, hasn’t it been pretty! The weather forecasts were right, it’s certainly been a frosty week! And so, our year of extremes has continued. From heatwaves and dusty, dry gardens, to more rain than we know what to do with. And now freezing temperatures, lasting longer than we are used to. I certainly brought my chilli plants inside at the right time, and got those lovely lemon trees into the greenhouse in the nick of time. We do have a small tube heater in there, that just keeps the very worst of the cold off, so I’m hoping everything will come through. It has been looking pretty frozen up though!…
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Time to put things to bed in the Winter Greenhouse
The incredibly long lived tomato plants I was showing you last week, finally bit the dust. They still had flowers on and tiny fruits but as the cold finally closed in this week it would have been futile to leave them. Besides I needed the space in the greenhouse! A stay of execution for the Lemon Trees! As this weeks frost was forecast, I desperately needed to bring the pots containing tender plants into the greenhouse. Mainly Agapanthus and Nerines but also those contentious two lemon trees. Do you remember the garden apprentice saying, if they didn’t fruit this year, they were history? It’s because he can’t abide plants with…
