MAY GARDEN DIARY
The warm weather has resulted in over 40 hours work in my garden; continuing mulching, moving plants and tidying up. As I am constantly thinking of new planting schemes, I find it easier to move just before the end of flowering otherwise it gets forgotten when the next plants come into flower. Even my seedlings have been looked after and I look forward to the plants I have coverted in shows. The exotic indoor Hibiscus residing in the bathroom has 9 buds at one time, so I must be looking after it well. It keeps my memory alive of the holiday in Barbados last year. One job I had been putting off was the yearly clean out of the wormery placed outside the back door and is handy for lobbing in vegetable waste. It turned out to be relatively easy to dismantle as they are very clean creatures, and I had lots of top grade compost for the patio tubs.
It's not been all work, but we've had lots of meals out on the patio and using the new wrought iron table and chairs under the arbor at the bottom of the garden. I found I was mesmerized by the tulip display which seemed to go on for ever. Purple seems to be the new 'rock and roll'in gardening circles, according to my favourite writer and tulip guru Anna Pavord. Together with magenta, pink and blue she dares anyone to introduce a dash of orange! Those are my colours. Pity she doesn't rate Prunus pisarda and purple hazel in the scheme. I noticed she was interviewed on the RHS Chelsea Flower Show during the last week in May, by a stand of 'beloved' tulips. She also made a very profound statement in 'The Independent' which deserves to be quoted 'Gardening strengthens and reaffirms a commitment to more ancient values - continuity and renewal'. All good stuff!
Patio area The white waterlily in the pond is 3 weeks earlier flowering compared to the same time last year. Although the pond has been topped up in the hot weather, the water level has dropped and I suspect a leak somewhere on the join with the concrete. I think we shall have to live with it as it would need a complete make-over. The gardening TV programmes rarely deal with these problems, although Alan Titchmarsh did clean out his pond last month. My neighbour did his and had high jinks with the frogs leaping everywhere! The pansies 'Ultima - pink shades' on the narrow strip bordering the pond, continue to flower (I've certainly had my money's worth since last autumn) and are now intermingled with the blue spikes of Aguga repens.
The Rockery has it's next flush of flowers, pink London Pride, white Saxifrage and a dark purply-blue viola of unknown name, whilst the adjacent gravel bed is a mass of blue. Tall blue, frilly tower variety of Aquilegia shine in the evening with the light from the setting sun, with a blue blob of Ceanothus repens at it's base and the last remnants of forget me nots. A big clump of Allium neopolitam has been dug up, leaving a few small bulbs of the white flowers to give a lift to the planting. Pink is creeping into this bed with the sprawling Saponaria, and transplanted Oxallis adenophylla. The latter I have moved so many times, it must have an identity problem. It now resides in a sunny spot by the stone rabbit (lurking in the blue grasses) where I think it will be very happy as long as I mark it's spot before it dives underground. The white Vinca minor is taking off by the apple tree (masses of blossom) but the blue and white lupin is too big for this bed and will have to go, as it is shading the newly replanted lavender hedge by the wall. Convolvulous cnorum from under the Buddlei is having one last chance to flower in a pot. I saw a magnificent specimen in full flower in Cambridge Botanic gardens and fell in love. I've never seen any in good shape in our part of the country although it's sold in the garden centres.
Left hand Border Bed 1 In the bottom corner on show are white Aquilegia vulgaris contrasting with the dark, almost black flowers of Geranium phaem, unfurling ferns, white,mauve and blue Spanish bells and a myriad of self seeded violets. The latter have spread to the adjacent uncut grassy area by the birch and I am trying different plants to prolong the season before it is cut - this year Star of Bethlehem.
The Woodland From the birch tree end, the white frothy wild pignut looks good in the grass with bluebells. At the beginning of the month I was disappointed with the Red Campion as it was covered in black fly and they had produced too much leaf area. However once the flowers opened they were more acceptable. I need to thin them out more and encourage grass to grow in between as in nature. The large bluebell area at the far end is much improved with the fern and I have lots more have been planted up there. I also intend to back the area with a beech hedge to contrast with the holly and screen from the school woodland. The waterfall area has had a spring clean, with the stones and otter having had a thorough clean, together with removal of old fronds of the ferns. I love the newly emerging fresh green fronds. Pink Primula japonica purchased from Rode Hall ,have been planted in the bog area and the whole area looks spendid backed by the white May blossom.
Bottom Border Bed 4Minor changes to this bed have included removal of perennial sweet pea and honeysuckle from the fence, as each year the maintainence was high and the fence not large enough to cope. Together with the white bells, lilies and peony gone it was just as well as the Acancthus leaves are enormous this year due to the absence of frost and I have high hopes for it's first flowers. A new Photinia graces the corner. The purple heads of Allium aflatunense contrast with the spectacular white layers of Viburnum plicatum, with pretty soft pink Aquilegia and remnants of pink and purple tulips completing the scene. Fronting the bed is a sprawling mass of the intriguing mauve-orange Erysimum. Pinky-green Nora Barlow Aquilegia stand stately infront of the Fatsia japonica with lots of new fresh green foliage. The standard Japanese Willow is being surrounded by lots of Japanese anemone foliage. Backed by the bamboo, now 2 feet high, this part of the bed is fast becoming orientalised!
Bottom Golden RockeryThis year the ultimate desired effect has been achieved with the blue Clematis macropetela threaded through the apple tree flowering at the same time as the blossom. I have been very happy. At the base of the tree, blue Aquilegia alpina enhanced the tiny yellow flower heads of Euphorbia cyparissias. A complete chance planting scheme. As was a large patch of self-seeded purple violas tumbling over rocky outcrops contrasting with the vivid orange tiny flowers on tall erect stems of Geum 'Mrs Bradshaw. The scene was completed with my new waist high terracotta pot - an opportunist buy from a gardening friend importing a load from Portugal at extremely reasonable prices - who could resist such a temptation. Even my husband has commented how 'Monet' it looked leaning at an angle by the apple tree. I was horrified to see at the back of the bed my Aquilegia 'William Guiness'(black and white) covered in greenfly, but a quick squirt of soapy water seemed to cure the problem.
The Courtyard has started to become interesting again after the early spring flowers with my neighbours pink Montana reaching up to the mauve lilac, giving a nice combination. The mauve Aubretia softening the edge of the paving stones backed by pink wallflowers in a big tub. A Purple Jackmannii Clematis entwined in the purple Potato vine in flower enlivening the area. The bronze Fennel curtaining the vegetable patch I noticed has started seeding in between the paving.
Vegetable PatchThe onions, potatoes, peas, and parsnips are all doing well. As usual the carrots have failed and I'm sowing them in modules before planting out. Lettuce, leeks and courgette have been transplanted and protected from the elements and pests. Sweetcorn has been sown under poly bottles and interspersed with sunflowers. Having removed slugs the brassicas have recovered and are doing well under the fleece. Pak Choi has been nibbled despite protecting with 'Snail ban'. I could do with extra large polybottles for the duration of the growing season.
Cranberry Cottage Garden I was impressed by this 1600's Cottage and garden last year when it opened as as part of the National Garden Scheme and suggested a visit for the group. Unfortunately it was the only cold day at the beginning of May, but we enjoyed being shown round by the owners Paula and Malcolm Bright. Being a few weeks later I noticed many more plants, especially the Rhododendrons. Their woodland area was maturing nicely and beds of red, orange and yellow tulips were spectacular.
Joan's Garden This was a first for the group as Joan is a painting friend of Nora's. Situated high up on Congleton Edge, this garden was again predominately 'cottagey' with lots of meadow land and a developing pond as a vista from the house. It was a gorgeously hot afternoon and tea was taken on the terrace.
The Quinta Arboretum This was recently bought from Sir Bernard Lovell (of Jodrell Bank telescope fame) with Lottery money by Cheshire Wildlife Trust. The Conservator Rhod Taylor gave us an informative conducted tour after our lunch at the nearby Swettenham Arms. It was a trip down memory lane for me having worked on the estate when I worked for Youth in Action. It was great to see the fruits of my labour 5 years on. The hidden valley by the 39 steps walk was a magical with spring wild flowers in dappled sunlight by the babbling brook. Back in the formal arboretum I spied a mature Eucalyptus debeuzevillei (I have one in my garden). Was it big and reminded me I must keep mine pruned. I was fascinated by the fact that it takes Rhod two and a half days to mow the grass in summer and this is his total work time!
Diane's Garden This visit was towards the end of the month and although dry we were confined to indoor tea after the tour. We had a comfortable amble round her interesting garden. She has her greenhouse, vegetable plot and a herbaceous patch in the front garden which is very tastefully designed after removing the grass. In the extensive back, there is an intriguing high level walk leading back to the house from the lower garden. A large orange azalea , purple aquilegia and honesty seedheads caught my eye.
Joyce and Pete's Visit These are long standing friends from Derbyshire who came on a Wednesday and we visited the local garden centres and chatted about gardens all day. Joyce is more ardent than me and was so inspired after having her garden article in Water Gardener Magazine, she had a letter and photos published in Gardener's World Magazine. Now she is going on Stefan B's TV show 'Garden Doctor with her ailing patio peach!