June 24 – Slug Life

Ch-ch-changes

Moved the cold frame to give storage space for the bike. Looks much tidier. Pack of nicotiana from Columbia Road planted in front of the fatsia. Re-potted the mint and tarragon into slightly bigger pots. Moved clumps of black grass from the east bed where it was being engulfed by woodfruff, to the opposite side – something the slugs won’t like?

Successes

Yellow everywhere from the dandelions in the lawn and the corydalis and loosestrife. Flowers on the Alchemilla coming up. Hydrangeas and feverfew performing beautifully. Heuchera still going. Growth on the crocosmia much sturdier than last year.

Tadpoles flourishing in the pond, by late June tiny toadlets visible on the ground, hiding among the creeping jenny. I hope they grow fast and start eating slugs.

Flowers on the epimedium, though that will be better next year when it has properly established. Fatsia putting out lots of new leaves. Fuchsia growing better than last year, but doesn’t have height it had before when it was in the west facing bed.

Dahlia recovering strongly from slug attacks. One of the tomato plants in the ground is doing well, one has already been devoured by slugs. Growth on everything else is rampant and lovely, even the rose which I thought I’d killed off last year.

The back bed is lush – flowers coming on the hydrangea, flowers on the acanthus – although leaves suffering from mildew – maybe from microclimate caused by overhanging lime trees? Good growth on the Nandina

Possibility that the gladiolus bulbs planted last year which did nothing may be coming up by the cordyline – there’s deffo something there! Verbena bonariensis self-seeded from last year’s plants by the echinops doing well. Growth at the base of the cordyline, first spotted this time last year, is strong and healthy.

Lemon verbena moved last month is thriving.

Hmmms

No sign of the seeds scattered to the ground so far, although some of the Nigella planted last year have self-seeded in the west-facing bed.

Slugs have killed the clumps of shasta daisies I tried to split up and replant – despite being surrounded by wool pellets. I will never know if I did it right! Tray of Cosmos seedlings disappeared overnight, so no repeat this year of last years biggest summer success.

Astilbe has small flowers but not thriving as I would expect given all the rain it’s had. It’s now a very old plant – time to replace?

Verbascum in west bed has flowered but only got to about a foot high – not the towering spire I was hoping for.

Weather

Torrential rain interspersed with sunshine but few days have felt tempting to be in the garden.

May 24 – the sun’ll come out tomorrow?

Ch-ch-ch- changes

Mixture of purple poppies, wild flower mix and and Escholzia scattered and raked into the bare ground in the rear bed. Tray of zinnia and nicotiana planted in pots to see if they do better than their outdoor cousins. Planted dahlia Bishop of Llandaff in a pot in the west facing bed over the (probably dead anyway) Poundland kniphofia.

Mid-month cleared two large bagfuls of wild garlic for the butcher. Rebuilt a wigwam for the honeysuckle and trained it to grow up the legs and towards the ceonothus. Moved the verbena which would otherwise have been under the honeysuckle, to the front of the bed with the geum and heuchera.

Planted out the tomato seedlings. Three in the ground surrounded by wool pellets, two in pots on the table. Rosemary in pots seems, gulp, to be surviving the curse of Neu.

Successes

The big change from last May is the disappearance of the photinia – it’s a huge improvement in the garden, opening up one whole side so it can be seen properly from the house, and creating space for the pond. This month there are lots of new leaves on the water lily and growth on the sedge. The tadpoles are thriving and clearing the blanket weed very efficiently.

Hmms

Slugs stripped the dahlia of almost all its leaves as well as inflicting possibly terminal damage to the achillea in front of the echinops. Put the pot up on the table, surrounded the plant with wool pellets and picked off the slugs – it seems to be OK.

Weather

Cold, wet and overcast for all but a handful of days. Holiday in Italy was lovely but means seedlings in pots weren’t watered and were dead on my return.

March 2024

At the point in the year where this all started, so can start doing some comparisons of progress next month, but here’s the final piece in the 2023/4 cycle

Ch ch ch changes

Trees in front garden pollarded March 20, so will wait to see what happens. Hawthorn and laurel hedges in the front garden are luscious, flowering and green. Dogwoods cut back by the end of the month, leaving a few longer stems as a framework to support the allium leaves. Split up clump of Shasta daisies and planted clumps of varying sizes and likelihood of survival along the west facing bed. Planted a tray of morning glory seeds and tomatoes (hope over experience, although shoots did appear within a week on both).

Successes

Euphorbias marching down the east facing bed, glowing acidly in the shade. Odd to look at them and think that the parent clump started off where the dogwoods are now. One of the verbascums coming into leaf, Leaves on the fuchsia. First sight of the lily of the valley at the beginning of the month which had put on lots of growth by the end. The wild garlic is back in profusion. Plants put into the west-facing bed as a stop gap when the pond was put in all seem to have established, so that bed now has the pinks, a clump of Japanese anemones and the beginnings of a patch of sweet woodruff. The heucheras planted at the front edge of the main west-facing bed are doing well with flower spikes on the red one. The geum in that bed is putting on growth really fast.

March 20 Equinox: So much fresh green growth in the garden. Growth on both hydrangeas, the honeyberry, honeysuckle and guelder rose. Astilbe seems to have put on 4 inches of growth overnight. Everything looks fabulously full of promise for the spring. Pond-ful of toad spawn. Everything feels supercharged with energy and promise.

Hmmms

Main disappointment has been the daffodils – there have been two flowers, one of which was demolished by slugs, others came up blind (Monty Don has had the same problem apparently, so not feeling too bad about it. He blames the weather in the autumn, so so shall I). Will remove the bulbs in the pot with the birch tree when I top dress it. Forsythia also disappointing, some flowers but not as many as last year.

Weather

It rained and rained and rained, and then it rained some more.

January and February 2024: Still not much doing

Not much to do and not much to look at. A tour round the garden on New Year’s day showed the first sight of spring bulbs coming through, buds on the forsythia, honey bush and guelder rose, and the ahonia continuing to do well. The acanthus in the back bed have lots of leaves, so maybe will flower this year although they have had to be cut back or they will crowd out the nandinas. Dogwoods as always are giving colour and structure to the mid-winter murk and the wild garlic is starting to come back in the west-facing bed.

Come February there was the first Hellebore and yellow crocuses in the bed in front of the lilac. Bulbs coming up strongly through the dogwoods , although so far only two actual daffodil flowers (one of which has been destroyed by – presumably – hungry slugs, which are also attacking the shoots of the day lilies in the bed around the forsythia.) Lots of fresh green leaves on the lilac which doesn’t seem to have suffered much from its drastic prune last May- shape is better with lots of strong vertical shoots.

Apart from one short, very cold snap, it’s been a mild winter so far. But it has rained. My God has it rained.

Gardening year 2023

So that was (most of) 2023. The pictures show a surprising lack of change over the year – the shrubs fill out and then die back, but there wasn’t much in the way of colour (although this angle doesn’t show the heleniums or the Japanese anemones in all their glory. This is a hard garden to capture from one angle , although the idea of doing a comparison through the year kind of works). So in 2024 I need much more colour, to compensate for the lack of height that the photinia provided on the east-facing bed and to finally do something about the state of the lawn (possibly by getting rid of it). This will also be a year of working out what to do with the pond…

Looking back at the individual entries for the year it does feel as though there were lots of successes but, as always, lots to improve. So this year I want to:

Plant more seeds and be more successful with seedlings. The cosmos, one solitary zinnia and a couple of verbena bonariensis were all that came up this year. Things can only get better!
Fill in the gaps in the west-facing beds. They should be prime real estate in this garden, but not working properly yet.
Do something about the state of the soil in the beds on each side of the lawn.

November and December – not much doing

As the title suggests, not much was done, though not much needed to be done bar cutting back the most obviously dead stuff and pretending that the rest was left “to provide shelter for wildlife”. Garden feels well and truly asleep, though there has been good colour thanks to the berberis in late November/early December, the mahonia and the dogwoods. Probably says it all that the only image I have of the garden in November was taken from inside the house.

October – all work and no gardening

Ch-ch-ch- changes

Moved the sarcoccoca to the back of the pond, planted a chrysanthemum in a pot by the pond and six large cyclamen around the front. It looks much less bleak. A basket of grasses in the pond looks good and offers a way for the frogs to get out of the water. Was worried they were trapped, now wondering if they will ever come back.

Removed the dahlia mignon from the corner by the cold frame – it was still flowering, oh the guilt! Replaced it with a fatsia japonica which will hopefully fill that space. Took the sage from its pot and planted it by the clump of Shasta daisies but I think it’s dead or at least dying. Moved the rudbeckia to the gap where the sarcococca used to be. It might work with the Heleniums if/when they come back next year, but the soil in that bed is like dust so it might be the end of it. Still buds coming on the cosmos

Planted 26 pushkina ibanorica bulbs: ten around the front of the pond, ten on the West- facing bed opposite and the remainder in the patch under the Bay.

By the end of the month the pond had a small waterlily and a small pot of sedge. Other than skimming off the dead leaves I am going to leave it now until the spring. Gardener’s World tells me water hawthorn will like the shaded nature of my pond where the waterlily might not, and that a fibre optic plant – scirpus cernuus – will do well semi-submerged – to remember for next year!

Moved the rosemary to the edge of the pond, latest move in the ceaseless quest to find the bit of the garden where rosemary will grow for me. Took the oregano and thyme out of the pot on the patio and planted it out to in front of the cordyline to see if they will overwinter there where there’s more sun. Still flowers on the erigeron and the gaura and buds on the fuchsia. Lemon verbena still growing beautifully. Alchemilla still green.

Hmmms

Took out the autumn fruiting raspberry which has never done well. Hydrangeas have been disappointing – no flowers on either of them. Guelder rose is hopefully just getting established, but no sign of flowers or fruit. Sedums were good for a short period but seemed to be over very quickly.

Weather

Start of the month it was warm and sunny with temperatures up to 25 degrees – unnatural. Weather has been wetter since then but not what you’d call cold. The trees haven’t really started changing colour yet.

September – the frog days

Ch– ch- ch- changes

Pond installed at the end of the month. Within 12 hours there was a frog in it, peak frog so far is three, keeping a watch on it every day like an anxious parent hovering over a sleeping baby. No plants yet, and the space around it needs filling in with greenery, but it will be a good addition to the garden. Have split up a large clump of grasses and planted them in front of the pond to screen it.

Cut back lots of brown shoots from contoneaster against the east facing wall. Now has a smaller frame but hopefully healthier growth, no sign of berries yet.

Successes

Have had lots of berries on the pyracantha (although not as smothered as in previous years), looks like the wild garlic is growing back in the east-facing bed. Shoots at the base of the cordyline look healthy as does the flush of leaves at the top, but the bark above the new shots has started to split. Lots of feverfew self-seeding around the place. The sedums have flowered really well this month as have the Japanese anemones

Nandina putting on growth after it’s pruning in the spring. Half a dozen fruit on the Raspberry and a new cane is sprouting. Berries starting to appear on the ‘Burncoose’ white skimmia in the back bed. The lemon verbena and the hyssop have both grown well this year.

The cosmos has continued to flower and produce buds throughout the month – a great success, I will plant more next year.

The transplanted alchemilla has done well and the heuchera moved for the tree removal is doing well.

Hmms

Has been a poor year for the astilbe, no flowers on the acanthus. Have been disappointed in the hydrangeas. The fuchsia survived its move but not much new growth and few flowers. Some buds on the nigella seeds sown earlier in the year, but almost no flowers. One slightly spindly sunflower made it from my random chucking of seeds at the ground. A couple of verbena bonariensis and one zinnia, also made it, but generally the seed sowing wasn’t a huge success.

Generally it’s been a quiet month – not enough time to spend in the garden.

Weather

Started in a mini heatwave, rain and high winds at the end of the month – heading towards another mini heatwave in early October.

August – dog days

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Lots of movement promoted by the removal of the old Photinia. Cleared the bed around it leaving the huge clump of anemones to fend for itself.

heucheras and hydrangea to the main west-facing bed.
small clump of Japanese anemones,,small skimmia to the bed between the bay and the echinops. Pinks to that bed too.
some of the little black and green grasses, which were edging the bed, to the West-facing bed between the Bay and the berberis
moved the small skimmia from in front of the bay to beside the original skimmia in the east facing bed.
moved the three failing Actaea to around the lilac in the West facing bed – let’s hope it can revive them. By the end of the month two of them looked dead already – but they died right back last year and revived and may do so again – the third is valiantly clinging on.
transplanted some self-seeded Campion from the bed under the photinia to the bed with the verbena and lavender. Lots more self-seeded plants in the lawn in front of the old photonia bed.
Moved some clumps of sweet woodruff out of the photinia bed with varying levels of success – clumps in the west-facing border with the other transplantees seem to be doing fine, Clumps round the cordyline have turned up their toes.

Successes

The echinops/achillea combo has been as good as ever, enhanced by the yellow fennel and white cosmos, which has flowered magnificently throughout the month with lots of buds still coming.

A good year for Japanese anemones – they must like the wet. Clumps along the east side in bud or flowering, clump under the ceanothus which I thought died years ago has produced buds (but not flowered). Heleniums looked great all month. Lots of green growth on the hebes; no longer just on the ends of long stems but the centre of the plant is filling in. The hard cut-back seems to have succeeded.

Lots of flowers on the little dahlia. Masses of new shoots on the trunk of the cordyline (should I be cutting them back?) Took out lots of the dead lower leaves in the crown and there’s still strong growth from the top. Fleabane daisies are flowering beautifully. The corydalis is everywhere, bringing a flush of yellow in the walls and up the steps. Lots of flowers on the hyssop. Flowers on the sedums.

Hmmms:

Spent a lot of time hacking back the blackberry, buddleia and honeysuckle growing over the wall from #87 and the ivy from #91, muttering under my breath all the while.

Think I lost the Peacock orchids in the tree removal, but will wait to see if they survive the trauma – might get something next year? Gladioli bulbs planted under the cordyline have not survived.

Fuchsia is flowering but nothing like the height it had last year – recovering from the move or just not as good a position or weather as last year? Burncoose hydrangea in back border has green growth but no flowers, in fact none of the Burncoose plants are doing much except the skimmia in the back bed: green growth but no blooms on the guelder rose and honeybush, some growth on the nandina.

Acanthus in the back border looking sad – no flower spikes this year

Weather:

A poor summer. Cool and very wet, although September is starting with a mini, back-to-school heatwave.

July – green is also a colour

Ch ch ch changes

Hasn’t been much time to do much in the garden what with visiting Dad in Devon, Dan in Edinburgh and starting work at GamCare, but it all seems to be doing its thing; it just needs more colour. Did plant a rudbeckia in the gap near the Shasta daisies and moved the worst of the three actaea to the West border in front of the Bay, replacing it with the heuchera from the green pot which was being swamped by the fast growth of the other plants.

Confirmed that the photinia is definitely dead and am having it removed next month– possibly to be replaced by a pond. In preparation for the tree felling, moved the hydrangea, heuchera, pinks and a small clump of Japanese anemones to temporary homes in the west facing bed. The large clump of anemones and the fuchsia will have to take their chances…

Successes

The gaura is now romping ahead, it has happily survived the move. Lots of shoots coming out of the bottom of the Cordyline – waiting to see what happens. The feverfew which was the dominant thing in the garden in June is now over and I’ve cut most of it back revealing the buds and flowers on the heleniums and day lilies. Looks like there might be a second flush of growth on the geum I cut back after it flowered in May. Shasta daisies and bell flowers in bloom, lots of flowers on the hyssop. There is a forest of tall dandelions in the lawn which looks spectacular in the sunshine, when we have any.

Buds starting to come on the Japanese anemones. The delphiniums are starting to grow, apart from one that’s been massacred by slugs. The plants under the photinia look fine. Lots flowers on the cosmos grown from seeds. The Poundland honeysuckle is now definitely growing up my bodged-together climbing frame of bamboo canes. The self-seeded dill is 6ft tall and the prettiest thing in the garden.

Hmmms

I need to get something to go in the gap between the Echinops and the Bay and I need to do something about the bed with the alchemilla and the actea in it because it’s not really doing very much and that’s now a very boring patch of ground. The garden is a moving carpet of snails – never seen so many, for once outnumbering the slugs. Presumably they’re enjoying the weather.

Weather

Wet and gloomy all month. Amazing to compare the pictures with July last year when everything looked parched.