Digging and planting

The delivery of a large package containing 3 blackcurrant bushes and a blackberry cane persuaded me it was worth the effort of wrapping up well and ignoring the gloomy weather today.
The small border at the very end of the garden, backing on to my neighbours' tall fence, has long been a bit of a disaster zone so earlier in the year I decided to cut back and kill the root of the rampant jasmine which was taking over and turn it over to soft fruit. I knew the earth was full of stones but didn't anticipate just how many bucket-fulls I would have to remove: it took the best part of three hours. There was also a surprise in store. At one end of the border about a foot deep I hit something hard but not totally solid which turned out to be the bottom of a large up-turned bucket evidently buried deliberately. As my imagination went into overdrive I decided to leave it where it is! Maybe in many years to come someone else can discover what is hidden underneath it. I found only a few worms so evidently the soil wasn't very healthy so I've dug in some manure and compost and popped my 3 "Wellington" Blackcurrants in a small row. It is a sunny spot so fingers crossed they will thrive so I can make blackcurrant jam next year!
The "Merton" thornless blackberry has gone in next to the loganberries which seem to thrive so hopefully the location will suit that too.
Having left my daahlia tubers to dry in the green house they looked so healthy I decided to attempt another means of over-wintering them by packing them in a box filled with polystyrene "Wotsits" that arrived as packing-material for some pots of growing narcissi. Again, we shall see what happens!

Looking back and planting tulips

The past summer has been one of the best growing seasons since I began my garden with a great balance of sun and rain. Since I did a massive cut-back of climbers, most particularly my Kiftsgate rose (which had become very badly mildewed with attendant black spot) the grass has even grown quite well.
I grew my first ever courgettes with comparative success, a massive crop of climbing French beans var.Cosse Violette planted both in and outside the greenhouse and a very passable crop of cherry tomatoes from just 2 plants in a growbag, also in the greenhouse - all of which ripened. I had forgotten how much better they taste than the shop-bought ones!
The dahlias also performed well providing flowers for the house beyond the end of October. I picked this bunch on October 21st! Those I had left in the ground did nearly as well as the greenhouse-raised plants although some were slower to get going. I was pleased with my colour selection this year but my attention to plant-positioning left room for improvement. I need labels with pictures!
I totally missed any gardening last sunny weekend but did manage a very soggy, muddy day's cutting back and tidying during the week, lifting most of the dahlias and replacing them with tulips from Parker's as per pictures attached. In a rush to beat the weather and catch the light they went in rather randomly so the results should be interesting again!

Late frosts and rain at last

The old saying "Ne'er cast a clout 'till May be out" came to mind last week when we had a frost which actually caught some of my courgette plants. The origin and meaning are doubtful - particularly whether May refers to the month or may blossom (hawthorn) which is out now! See more at:http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/till-may-is-out.html Happily they have survived but are struggling by comparison with those in the greenhouse which are flourishing. The broad beans are much hardier - after all they germinated in freezing weather!
All of the dahlias I bought from Sarah Raven have started growing. Secret snail-visits have resulted in the paper labels being consumed (they must like the glue!) so I have found a good use for wooden coffee-stirrers. They make great labels!
It's been so dry I haven't had to cut the grass in over two weeks but, of course, the bank holiday has brought much-needed rain. Although everything has been flourishing in the sunshine the lack of rain was beginning to tell and I had started to water a few things. The up side of this is that everything has been very well-behaved and stayed quite neat and tidy with comparatively few slugs and snails. Now I am expecting a great rush of growth with associated propping and tying up - and judicious placing of slug pellets.
The cold weather seems to be keeping some of the bugs at bay too - famous last words! No lily beetles YET - so many buds this year look promising.
The tulips turned out fabulous again - in spite of the "Brown sugar" error. Interestingly, parrot tulips Princes Irene not in pots did not grow as tall as most of the other varieties but are still gorgeous. In another life I could spend a whole week just photographing them.
In terms of growing things from seed, the broad beans, courgettes and french beans are doing well and I am experimenting with mixed salad leaves and herbs in a wooden box which I can move about (currently in the greenhouse). My sweet pea seedlings have come up a bit spindly and I should have thought to plant Cobea scandens sooner as apparently they take about a month to germinate, although one seems to be struggling through after only two weeks. Apparently they are perennial in some climates - how good that would be....
Last but not least, I sometimes despair over the rampant growth of my one comfrey plant, but who can deny the beauty and elegance of its unfurling flowers.

Tulips up-date

Here is another view with the tulips a little more mature showing those mentioned in my last post - notice the size of "Brown Sugar"! - along with old favourites "Ronaldo" and "Ballerina" and "Blue Heron" which is pretty but rather delicate plus a few strays from last year.

Tulips in 2017

My trusted Sony camera has gone wrong! So I am limited for images of my tulips just now. But suffice it to say that this year I have learned to look at the height descriptions of tulips. "Brown sugar" is a lovely and long-lasting flower but it is massive in comparison with the rest of my collection, rather dwarfing them.
Successes have included "Black Hero" which I have been meaning to try for years and it is really living up to expectation; not so dark that it looses it's colour but a wonderful contrasting note, "Slawa" with a really rich contrast of deep purpley-plum and orange edging and "Shirley's Dream" which really does open pale cream with a hint of pink edging and then mature to a delicious soft mid-pink - great with "Black Hero".
The small red and white "Pinocchio" is also a real treasure which I've tried out in a new spot nearer the house.

Spring energy

Over the past couple of weeks, with the milder weather and sun, everything has begun bursting into life. The grass is responding to moss kill, weed and feed, the roses and clematis are sprouting and suddenly the tulips are coming out. The first one opened on Wednesday. Here it is.

In my newly instated vegetable patch the broad beans are coming along with varying degrees of success. Three look to be forming flowers already but two or three look very sad. I suspect the birds have been pecking at them and am intending to protect them with some plastic bottle surrounds. The greenhouse is tidier although with still much work to be done but I am excited that my first home-grown courgette seedlings have emerged and the climbing french beans are also well on their way. Planted another potful yesterday in addition to 13 dahlia tubers, all from Sarah Raven this year. Some looked a bit puny but we will see. (The ones I dug up and tried to overwinter in the shed were a soggy mess again, fit only for the bin.)

Greenhouse home to wood mice

The greenhouse has long been overdue a massive clear-out and renovation (the former being easier than the latter due to lack of enthusiasm by various tradespeople to do greenhouse repairs - offers welcome!) so I began a couple of weekends ago. How does one accumulate so many old flowerpots and chairs? I appear to have seven garden chairs, yet seldom use more than one!
I am thinking to get some proper staging installed after years of making do with old planks etc.. In removing some of these to clean I noticed a pile of rubbish which, in my clean-up mode, I failed to question. Why would there be a pile of rubbish UNDER a plank of wood. A little prodding later I realised it must be a wood mouse nest. There have been plenty around and I soon identified runs tunneled through the soft earth. Perhaps this also explains some of the bits of concrete which seem to have come away from the footings. I am still happy to welcome the little fellows though. I don't think they alone will demolish a greenhouse.

Seed-planting time

The other day I was reminded how remiss I've been about keeping up this Blog so here's to a better year this year! First of all, these are the seeds I'm about to plant.... Climbing bean Cosse Violette, salad mix Oriental Nice N Spicy and Courgette Black Beauty Dark Fog. After the success of the climbing beans last year I thought I'd have another go, from scratch. My courgette consumption has gone up considerably since the purchase of the wonderful Kiwi brand papaya grater (much better than any spiralising gadget!). I am excited about the progress of broad beans Aquadulce Claudia planted in the autumn, which germinated in the worst cold frosty weather. Some are doing better than others so I may plant a few more seeds just in case. Now must do some gardening!