Leaves

It has been beautifuly warm this week with a little bit of sunshine here and there. Perfect weather to show off the peak of autumn colour just before a big temperature drop and proper winter sets in. In essence, this time of year is all about the leaves.

There are the ones on the trees, red maples, like this one in one of my gardens, and bright yellow field maple and hazel dotted along the country lanes as I travel around to work.

Cotinus

This Cotinus, probably Cotinus coggyria Royal Purple, looked stunning backlit by the morning sun, was in another customer’s garden.

They look amazing on the trees, but then they fall. When they first come down, leaves can look pretty good on the ground too but they are not great for lawns, where they block out the light to the grass and they are not so welcome on paths and driveways where they become a sticky, slippy mess and get trampled into the house.

Beech

Luckily I only have one garden where I rake leaves, the others have someone else with the proper equipment or they deal with them themselves. I don’t mind leaf raking, it’s good exercise and it keeps me warm.

The start of the raking

More leaves!

This is a pretty traditional garden for an old lady and I suspect the system has been in place for a long time. The leaves get raked up and narrowed to the leaf pile in the corner.

Leaf pile

A few weeks ago I forked last year’s pile over the wall at the back into the bay behind

One year old leaves, with a few new ones from the beech above.

The pile that was here, so two years old, has mostly been spread on the garden borders but there’s a little bit left and it looks like this.

It’s a bit lumpy because of the conker shells, all the conkers have to be picked out because they tend to grow.

When I look up and all the leaves are gone, it’s a good moment because the leaf raking has taken place over several visits but now it is done for the year and time to leave the leaf pile to work it’s magic.

And this is where I walked!

Small changes.

It is mid March, and there is an abundance of primroses and violets. They do make a good combination and good to see because, with the exception of a few days, it’s still cold and blossom is late this year.

A rare sunny lunch break.

1st chilli seedling

When I couldn’t resist the urge any longer, I sowed some chilli seeds in a homemade propagator on the windowsill. All 3 have germinated now. The peppers didn’t do anything so I have tried some aubergines instead.

This is my corn salad and rocket, overwintered in the polytunnel, the pots had some good roots so I have planted them, still in clumps, into the ground within a cold frame.

As there was no frost forecast, lettuces and other salad, under cover and a few broad beans have been planted at the pub.

With a bit of space created, I have been able to sow the spring onions, beetroot and various brassicas. Germination has happened albeit slowly.

This is the beginning of the seed sowing for the pub, in early March. There are a few more now.

Daffodils are beginning to come out and the blossom is nearly there!

I’ve held back on my successional sowing while I wait for it to warm up a bit, I may have mentioned it’s been cold! My village seed swap has gone well, I have sent out about 40 packets of seeds and I’m very proud of the sustainability of all those seeds being put to good use.

Last weeks weather included blue sky, strong winds and rain and the curious Cumulus mammatus cloud.

Cumulus mammatus clouds.

So at the moment, work is picking up and I’m feeling in control of the gardens. It won’t be long before everything starts growing fast, including weeds, and seeds and seedlings will need a lot more care. That’s is when start panicking that I don’t have enough hours in the day. I’m looking forward to it really!

It has taken me so long to write this that at the beginning of another week I have returned to work to find that the cherry plum blossom has finally burst open and the hellebores are getting better and better.

Back at work- January 2020

My first week back at work after the Christmas break and it’s been hard.

There have been a few highlights, finding the aconites and first snowdrops and hellebores.

But it has been relentlessly cold, I know it is January, and sometimes wet.

Braving the rain in my 4 hats!

I had 1 day off because the ground was too sodden and a brief glimmer of sun on Thursday afternoon

More Hellebores in the sunshine

I’ve had quite a few chats with resident robins and discovered, through an online thread, that it is common practice for us horticulturists to chat with birds, snails, plants in fact, most living things and sometimes stones too. Very relieved that it isn’t just me!

So to Friday, minus 2°C as I drove to work and only reaching 0° all day, and foggy too. This garden was more flooded than I had expected and I knew that it would be quite damp.

Over full pond and flooded lawn

Flooded flower bed

I managed to find enough to do out of the water but it was really, really cold and I hope it goes down soon. The weather forecast isn’t great for next week!

Keep looking for those signs of spring.

I almost forgot, I harvested the first flower sprouts this week.

May 2020

 

I can’t believe that it is the end of May already. I don’t know how other people fit in blogging with everything else going on in the garden, there’s still lots of sowing and pricking out to do but here is a quick look at, what has been a very dry May.

The lockdown has gradually been lifted and this weekend has seen lots of people making day trips. You can now visit RHS and National Trust gardens, if you book first. Meanwhile at work and home, the borders are filling up. The tulips have come and gone and the may blossom, hawthorn, has been spectacular.

It has been the month that the roses start performing, filling the gardens with their  beautiful scents and lots of other flowers too, and it’s still exciting waiting to see what is coming out next, year after year.

Really enjoyed sniffing this lilac!

Mine is always the first peony, left, I am afraid that I don’t know the variety as it came with the garden. There are so many different peonies, from dark red to pure white and from simple flowers to really frothy blooms.

These white ones are just coming out at the end of May.

Now a bit of real gardening where things go wrong. When I worked at a garden centre, I used to warn people not to plant out bedding too early because there is always a chance of frost until the end of May. This year I didn’t listen to my own advice and we had several frosty nights during one week in mid May. The dahlias suffered and it also caught my beans and squashes in the poly tunnel. Mostly they have  recovered but it has been a bit of a setback.

Apart from looking after the seeds and lots of watering, I  seemed to have pulled forget-me-nots up in all of my gardens throughout the month. Here is a quick before and after. They come up easily so it’s quite a quick fix job.

 

Towards the end of the month, there are bean pods forming on the overwintered broad beans and the climbing French beans are beginning to climb. I have now planted out all the squashes and courgettes.

The lack of rain has meant flower petals, like this poppy, have lasted well and having the family at home during lockdown, and in the garden more seems to have improved the chances of the alliums which usually get eaten by rabbits.  Here’s hoping the dahlias benefit too.

Just finishing off with this field of daisies in my village.

 

March 2020

Well we made it to March. There has been more wind and rain but the sun has a little warmth in it when it does come out.

With the weeds putting on growth, I’ve suddenly got a slight panic that I won’t be ready in time.  I have started to give the veg beds at the pub a good thick layer of muck but it’s slow progress and I have a way to go.

There is quite a lot of muck still to be moved but I’m weeding as I go so it takes time.

This is the other side, there are three beds with perennial crops, herbs, artichokes and soft fruit, and strawberries so less soil.

These are my rows of cut flowers, sown in the autumn and all but 2 varieties doing well.

The wild garlic is coming up!

I love the zingy colours of rhubarb. We had the first crumble of the year tonight.

In the greenhouse, the peas that I sowed a couple of weeks ago have started to come up and I have sown a few more seeds. It is much too wet to sow anything  outside at the moment.

 

In other news, I found my Okatsune secateurs 2 weeks after losing them and my Felcos have returned beautifully refurbished, although I am disappointed my name is no lo get stamped on the metal.

Mid February 2020

Here we are in mid February, after more stormy and wet weather. This week, I couldn’t wait any longer and started sowing seeds for the new season.

In the trays I have sown peas, for pea shoots and broad beans. There are some autumn sown broad beans which have overwintered outside for an early crop, and these will be the next lot ready to pick.

In the pots are sweet peas and a selection of herbs. I will sow more later. I am using my customer’s big greenhouse, where already the overwintered salads are doing well.

I have also been carrying on with the rose pruning.

Half way through the one in the centre. I have been hampered by only having my 3rd pair of secateurs. I have lost my favourite, Okatsune, and send my seconds, Felco, off for repair. The ground is also very soggy.

Earlier in the month we did have a warm spell when the bees and hoverflies came out to enjoy the early nectar in the petasites flowers.

I am getting the allotment under control although there is a lot more work to do. The rhubarb is beginning to grow and the leeks are hanging on in there.

The autumn planted onion sets are doing well and I have planted some fruit bushes, 2 redcurrant and 3 blueberry.

The snowdrops have been fantastic, see previous post, but are fading now. Lots of prunus blossom beginning to come out and daffodils on their way. Could do with a bit more sunshine though.

 

 

 

Chippenham Park Gardens – February 8th 2020

Chippenham Park Gardens is in Cambridgeshire, not far from Newmarket, and shouldn’t be confused with the other Chippenham in Wiltshire! I found it in the RHS The Garden magazine and was delighted to find it was open on my birthday and less than an hour from home. It’s not open all the time so check the website before visiting Here

It started with a walled kitchen garden, a bit bare in February, but we were able to peek at the pelagoniums overwintering in the greenhouse and admire the brassicas, then out into trees and grass and the snowdrops begin. You can make your own way round the garden, so we started with the fountain garden at the front.

We meandered past the tennis court to the lake and then over the Japanese bridge into the trees. Here there were lots of snowdrops and they got denser the further we went.

This area is ‘The Wilderness’ and ‘Snowdrops walks’

We took lots of photos!

Walking back to the tearooms we spotted bees in the crocus.

After warming up with lunch we walked along the long border and went through the wall to the Hare Hall gardens.

The leylandii arches from the mound and we enjoyed spinning the seat round to get a panoramic view.

We walked back along ‘Adrians Walk’ which goes round both sides of the top of the lake. It is packed with hellebores and dwarf irises and more bees enjoying the afternoon sun and sweet scents of the  Daphne and Sarcococca.

I will definitely be back, maybe to see the roses in the summer or the Acer walk in the autumn.

January – back to work.

It was hard getting up in the dark to go back to work on Monday morning, after having two weeks off, but these snowdrops were a welcome surprise.

Also the hellebores were starting to flower. Is it me or is it all a bit early because we have had such a mild winter so far.

In another garden winter aconites and sweet smelling Lonicera fragrantissima living up to it’s name. And rose pruning for me.

Prunus autumalis is a lovely winter flowering cherry with it’s delicate pink blossoms in the middle of winter. Yellow, native hazel catkins are pretty bright too especially when they move in the wind and the powdery pollen wafts out in clouds.

The first primroses are out!

Petasites, coltsfoot, the smell is amazing and the flower quite pretty but it spreads uncontrollably and it has  very tough roots. You can see how much there is in the background, this is one small area.

In this garden, giant molehills!

Second week, still dark in the mornings although much lighter in the afternoons now. Muck spreading to keep me busy and more snowdrops out.

 

August 2019

Myrtle flowering 2nd August

 

August 7th

One side cut back one still to go.

First plums in the hedge, sadly out of reach.

August 12th

Tomatoes doing well in the greenhouse. Some ripe and the marmande still growing.

The first taste of the new season plums is always the best. They bring out clouds of Butterflies, especially red admirals who like the sweet juice.

These are the seedheads of the nigella African bride and I like them as much as the flowers. I picked some to save the seeds as I want to grow them again.

August 13th

Crinium looking good in the border. I took this to remind myself that some more on the other side would look good.

Had a bit of a heave-ho to get this rose back on to the pergola. I ended up pushing it with my fork then going up the ladder to secure a bit then down again to do a bit more.

I’m so proud of these gazanias because I grew them from seed. Not bad for a random old packet in an unheated greenhouse.

August 15th

Enlisted the help of my son and mother to harvest as much as possible before going on holiday. Also planted out the beetroot and chard seedlings to take their chances while I’m away.

August 26th

Back to the allotment and it’s a bit untidy but still productive. I made a start on the herb bed to try and get one small area done bit mostly it needed watering.

Lots of lovely beans picked, French,green and purple, and runner. Also courgettes, cucumbers and a few late strawberries. The potatoes are not so happy but still managing to kèep us supplied.

August 27th

The roses that I pruned a few weeks ago have come back really well. With the catmint underneath the weeds are being hidden for the moment.

August 29th

It’s been a generally warm month with a bit of rain and some very high temperatures to finish. The gardens are all dry and still need lots of tidying up but the growth has slowed a lot and I feel that I might actually achieve it now.

Field of sunflowers on my way to work.

Illuminated Garden Trail at Helmingham Hall

 

This is the first time that they have done an illuminated garden trail at Helmingham Hall. My family and I really enjoyed it, here are some photos.