A lot of time has been spent in the garden over the past three weeks and it's beginning to show the benefit. It's coming into its best and things are developing nicely, though we did lose a few shrubs with the hard winter. Amongst the more serious casualties were the two pampas grasses that gave a lot of cover and privacy around the edge of the circles garden. On the plus side this has given us an opportunity to try other plants in their place. We're thinking of putting in a couple of hazels and keeping them shrubby at about 5ft high at the back of the border and putting a couple of specimen evergreen conifers in front to provide some colour through the winter months.
The Handyman has already removed one of the pampas grasses – who needs to go to the gym for a workout! We've planted a self-seeded HG hazel and Cypressus Macrocarpa 'Goldcrest'. This evergreen cypress should reach a height and spread of 15ft x 8ft in about 10 years but can be clipped, but not into the old wood. In the interim we've divided a huge clump of yellow rudbekia (aka black-eyed Susan) and planted two groups either side of the cypress. These will grow in excess of 5ft tall in a season which should provide some privacy on the circles garden through the summer and early autumn as well as masses of flowers the colour of liquid sunshine.
I've also planted seeds of runner beans – Butler and Lady Di, French beans – Blue lake, tomatoes – Principe Borghese - and courgette in the greenhouse and also have five varieties of small tomato plants – Gardener's Delight, Shirley, Tomtom - and a couple of cucumber plants that I've just potted.
So all in all, not bad progress for a few days effort.
Flower-wise about three weeks ago I sowed my sweet peas directly into the border where they will grow. At the same time I sowed a couple of pots in our cool greenhouse as a backup and, surprise, surprise, both sowings have germinated at the same time. Over the past couple of weeks we have begun to replace the seven or eight shrubs (in addition to the pampas grasses) that succumbed to the winter freeze – more of this in a later post.
The springtime flowers were especially lovely this year and are now being followed by foxgloves, roses, rhododendron and clematis coming into bloom.
The blossom on the fruit trees was glorious and about a whole month earlier than last year, so we're hoping for a bountiful harvest of apples, pears, plums and cherries later in the year.
Continuing on the fruit front we started to pull rhubarb a couple of weeks ago and should continue to harvest this until June. I have two established plants, Timperley Early and Victoria and have just planted a, currently, very small Pink Champagne rhubarb.
The raspberries in the fruit cage are looking good so my pruning and tying in efforts last autumn seems to be bearing fruit (excuse the awful pun). The redcurrants, whitecurrants and blackcurrants are loaded with immature berries, all of which should start to deliver fruit for the table and preserving pan sometime between late June and late July. I also have a small gooseberry bush but as it's only little I don't think it will produce any fruit this year.
So that's the garden round up for late April to mid May – it seems like quite a lot as I read it back! But there's still plenty more to be getting on with including: grass cutting, the Handyman's wild flower garden, weeding, deadheading and planting – always lots to enjoy in Holly Grove's garden, thank goodness!
The Handyman has already removed one of the pampas grasses – who needs to go to the gym for a workout! We've planted a self-seeded HG hazel and Cypressus Macrocarpa 'Goldcrest'. This evergreen cypress should reach a height and spread of 15ft x 8ft in about 10 years but can be clipped, but not into the old wood. In the interim we've divided a huge clump of yellow rudbekia (aka black-eyed Susan) and planted two groups either side of the cypress. These will grow in excess of 5ft tall in a season which should provide some privacy on the circles garden through the summer and early autumn as well as masses of flowers the colour of liquid sunshine.
I've also planted seeds of runner beans – Butler and Lady Di, French beans – Blue lake, tomatoes – Principe Borghese - and courgette in the greenhouse and also have five varieties of small tomato plants – Gardener's Delight, Shirley, Tomtom - and a couple of cucumber plants that I've just potted.
Clematis Piilu is making its way through a multi-stemmed silver birch, though it has taken a bit of coaching to begin its journey. Miss Bateman (pictured above) adapted more easily to the natural life and scrambles through a small shrubby tree that was a legacy from a previous owner of HG. Whilst Dr Ruppel (pictured below) is making progress through small and ancient apple tree.
Other clematis coming into flower on the more traditional trellis support include Crystal Fountain (below right), The President (below left) and the lovely pink Hagley Hybrid (below centre).
The garden has moved beyond the fresh flowers of spring, the daffodils are well and truly over, as are the primulas, and the aubretia is due a haircut. In their place come the hostas, aquilegia and hardy geraniums, to name but a few. The summer flowering clematis are covered in large flower buds and are streaking up their various supports and flower buds are forming on the peonias.
In the kitchen garden it's time to manage the various legumes: plant out french and runner bean young plants, sow some more peas and feed the broad beans. The first flowers have formed on the tomato plants in the greenhouse and the courgettes are coming along well.
Above: Hosta Frances Williams
Further along the fence is a supermarket 'bargain buy' planted last summer and, I fear to say, neglected and forgotten, until a couple of weeks ago when the lovely blooms appeared as a delightful surprise.
This clematis 'Early Sensation' has its roots in the dry shade of a large conifer. It seems to have prospered despite, or perhaps because of, my lack of attention.
By the gateway to the kitchen garden is an arbor covered in Rosa Arthur Bell and its beautiful yellow blooms. There are also various clematis in shades of blue including the shrubby clematis integrefolia hendersonii (see photo) and a sweetly scented honeysuckle. A lovely place to sit with a cup of tea whilst contemplating the vegetable planting plan or just recovering from a weeding session.
