Sunday 12 March 2017

Camellias and Daffodils

Hello Friends ~~~

I had not realised that it is nearly two weeks since I wrote a peep! Where does the time go? So, here I am with some photographs ~ I hope you like camellias!

First, I will share with you a little story about how I came to almost hate daffodils ~~~ I certainly went off them for a good while, and I think you will give me your sympathy!

A long time ago I lived in a neighbouring village and my garden was tiny, nay, it was miniature to say the least, so there was not much room for anything. I was determined not to be without, so, amongst other things I bought thirty assorted daffodil bulbs and planted them in pots. They rewarded me well. Time passed and I moved abroad. I brought the pots of daffodils to my parent's cottage and my father decided to plant the bulbs directly into the ground. For many years the daffodils thrived. There were many sorts, from the straightforward all yellow, to some with vibrant orange centres, and some spectacular double ones.

The years went by, the daffodils multiplied into many hundreds of bulbs, and my mother began to tire of looking at so many during late spring when they die back and become quite untidy. They became an eyesore and seemed to hold back all the late spring and early summer flourishes of flowers, so, one day, with permission, I set about digging them all up. I carefully cleaned them, around five hundred bulbs, and put them to dry, ready for planting into many pots to place around the garden the following spring, and which could be removed out of sight when they were past their best. All of this took me several days but it seemed like a good plan ~~~ until, in early September of that year I went to pot up the bulbs and could not find them! Imagine my dismay to discover that, despite all my hard work, my father had found the bulbs just three days earlier and replanted them in the garden! I went off daffodils very quickly, I can assure you!

Later, I decided to dig them up again only this time I gave them away by the carrier bag full to willing takers. I think the Daffodil Karma Gods are now on my tail because the only daffodils that survive are a small handful of the beautiful double ones that are, sadly, so heavy in bloom that the stems just snap, so all I can do is cut them really very short and pop them in a vintage jug that seems just right for daffodils, to the point that we call it the Daffodil Jug ~~~


Last year, I ruthlessly cut the top off my earlier flowering pink camellia because it was getting too tall for the position and when we have strong gales or storms all winter long, it often looks as if it will just uproot itself and take off, so I took the bull by the horns and cut it back to half of its height. I think it shocked the plant because it has never been so full of these pink blooms that bring a vivid pop of colour to the late winter garden ~~~


Previously next door could not be seen behind the height of this shrub





This weekend saw the return of the much missed Gardener's World to our television screens.  Following Monty Don's sage advice, and the arrival of a delightful sunny Sunday afternoon, I shall begin tackling the thicket and mess that is the autumn raspberry patch. It will take a lot of work because my back was too bad to do anything last year so the weeds, mostly couch grass and brambles, have really taken hold. I cropped only what could be picked from the wall edge, so had barely anything to eat by way of fresh raspberries last year.  Here is the before picture, the after ones will follow next time, and I hope there will be a vast improvement.

Please don't judge me for the mess it is in! I suffered in agony for many weeks in two bouts of a very bad back last spring and summer and I am very eager to sort out this mess!

The local Council Garden Waste bin scheme has already started and it took me no time at all to fill it for the first collection, Thursday last!  Already, the next collection is half full and there is nearly a fortnight of clearing ahead of us. I have much more waste than I can feasibly manage right now! Heigh Ho! Such fun ~~~

Until next time ~~~
~~~Deborah xo

18 comments:

  1. Digging up bulbs is hard work but I do love the cheerful daffodil. xx

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    1. I think I'm sufficiently over the trauma now to think about starting with some fresh bulbs in September xo

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  2. Deb your post today is a ray of sunshine! Such pretty daffodils, even a tale of woe to a hardworking gardener. Your camellias are the loveliest I've seen. My poor little camellia would blush of embarrassment beside your beauty. My squirrels love to devour the buds before they blossom properly. Take care of your back as you tackle the gardening projects ahead. xoxo ♥

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    1. Thank you Martha Ellen. Daddy and I had 'words' about it! lol
      Oh, squirrels can cause such havoc, can't they? I'm sure mine is so lovely this year due to the shock of such a hard pruning last March. xoxo

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  3. Lovely post and just the inspiration needed to get this spring show on the road! I used to help my grandma dig up her tulip bulbs every few years to "let them rest". We put them in paper sacks on the cool back porch until it was time for re-planting. Daffodils are so dependable! A few of mine are blooming and many more ready to spring forth! xoxo

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    1. Spring will soon be here ~ it does feel that way now on the odd few days, and today was glorious when the mist finally left. xoxo

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  4. I do sympathise with you having a bad back, I have been suffering for a while now, I think it must be to do with arthritis, do as I do just pace yourself, don't overdo it x

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    1. I have multiple back issues, including arthritis in my spine, and an old injury that has left a weakness. I've been living with it for nearly 50 years. Sometimes it just goes for no reason other than because. xo

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    2. Sorry to hear this, I had a scan last year and the doctor said there was area of concern in the spine, he said they would look into more of I was in pain, it seems to be there in my lower back nearly all the time now, I guess a I will have to get used to it, d

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  5. Yikes - your daffodil tale!!! What a saga. I too have some doubles that are too heavy for their stems - daft! Your camellia is glorious, it looks so healthy. Take care Deb.

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    1. I know! I haven't even mentioned the time he dug up my Angelica, just three leaves in to the second year of it's cycle thinking it was a weed, or chopped down the Californian Lilac in favour of his blackcurrant bushes! We had quite a few altercations, I can tell you! lol

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  6. My autumn raspberry bed looks like yours and is on the list for a renovation if I can get round to it soon.

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    1. Well, coming from you that does make me feel a bit better about the state of affairs.

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  7. Good evening Deborah, what a fun story. You taking the time to dig up the daffodils and your father spending the time digging them back into the soil.....bless his heart.
    Your Camelia Bush is beautiful, it is such a joy to see so many flowers.
    Best Wishes to you.
    Daphne

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    1. Hello Daphne, and welcome to my little corner of the world. Yes, all that work! It wasn't funny at the time, but I laugh about it all the time now. The red camelia is starting to open, so that will appear here soon.

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    2. Good morning Deborah, it is lovely to visit you. I do understand how frustrated you must have been, but it reminded me of when my family were at a school auction. I had my eye on a beautiful basket of dried flowers. I was busy working behind the scenes and could not bid. So my daughter said she would bid on my behalf. In the end there were only 2 bidders. My daughter and a man at the back of the hall. Yes you've guessed it my husband had arrived late, saw the basket and thought I would like it, so he joined the bidding, unbeknown to him that he was bidding against our daughter. Finally my daughter turned around to see who it was, when she saw it was her dad, she said, very loudly, 'dad I'm bidding for mum aswell'. Everyone in the hall laughed and the bidding ended. Yes we paid too much, but it was for a good cause and it made for a lovely family story.
      Best Wishes
      Daphne

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  8. What a great story. For me, daffodils will always remind me of my grandmother and the field of them near her house. Your Camellia is just lovely and they grow well here in the South; I'm thinking I will put some in this year if this weather ever straightens out. We have had temperatures in the 80s and now in the upper 30s! Have a wonderful time in the garden...my second love!

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    1. The weather seems to be all over the place wherever you live. I am sitting under a bank of fog today for the second day in a row. Spring cannot be far away now!

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