What's Happening in the Garden?

Hello Friends!

It's a strange week, for ordinarily I would be immersed in the annual event that captures my attention every year, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.  Like all our favourite spring and summer events where crowds normally gather in celebration of gardens, music, or sport, it is cancelled. It is soul destroying to think how much hard work and planning is now lost, but the consequences of such gatherings is unthinkable.  However, if you click on the link it will take you to a virtual Chelsea, and I am enjoying the week by watching the television presentations that are reliving the best of the shows of previous years.  It's not quite the same, but it brings a small sense of normality in a world where normality is anything but normal.

oriental poppy

I haven't really spoken much about my garden of late, so I will bring you up to date.

On the whole, following a very dry April, May has been a decent month weather wise, although cold and windy, and I have been trying to busy myself with gardening projects, which are bringing me immense joy and satisfaction.  At long last I have the time to begin sorting out my long neglected garden.  It's taking much planning and thought how to best proceed, but I am forming ideas that I hope will work.  I will reveal them slowly as they take shape, but I change my mind a lot.

peony

I am trying to do it myself, but as some of you know I suffer with recurring back issues and arthritis, and these limit the amount of work I can do.  At some point I will have to bring in help, however, I am doing my best to push through, carefully and cautiously. I am determined, if nothing else.  On one hand I am frustrated, for if I did not have these physical limitations I would not be so dependent on good weather, and I would be out every possible moment, in almost all weather, all day long, doing much more than I am able to now, and the work would be so much further along than it is.  On the other hand, however, I am getting exercise and fresh air for a couple of hours a day, doing something I love, in twenty minute increments to protect my body, and I am learning patience, for these jobs cannot be hurried, and I now accept that slow and sure will win the race too.  Gardening is good for both the mind and the body, and if you garden you need neither a gym nor a therapist!

native fern

I have spent days painstakingly starting to cut back wild brambles that have taken over what was once my soft fruit beds.  Painstaking in more ways than one!  It is not a job I want to hurry, as I want to, and must, do it thoroughly, which means maintaining the area I have already cleared as I move further into the patch. The vines are notoriously tenacious and seem to start sprouting back overnight. It is also literally painful, for I firmly believe there is no such thing as a guaranteed thornproof pair of gardening gloves!  If you know of such a thing, please leave details in the comments below!

{I am not going to show you photos of the brambles just yet, for I am ashamed at how out of control they have become.  Thicket is a word that comes to mind.  Just take my word on it, and maybe one day I will happily show you.}

Blackcurrant flowers

I could go in with a strimmer and be more invasive, and quicker, but there are things that I am trying to save, such as my existing fruit canes, and strimming is indiscriminate. So, I plod on, slowly and methodically pruning out each individual bramble vine by hand.

osteospermum Purple Sun

The bramble patch, the former soft fruit area measures 40 foot by 10 foot.  It is surrounded by a low wall, and I once had my compost bins here, along with blackcurrants, gooseberries, loganberries, and four types of raspberry {which I love, and these four varieties were supposed to give up to five months of staggered harvest from June to October}  Once reclaimed, my intention is to grow the two raspberries varieties I favour best of all, Autumn Bliss and Glen Clova; blackcurrants; gooseberries; give the loganberry one more chance to prove itself; and put in raised beds with strawberries.  As I am cutting back on the overall number of canes I am considering some native trees, such as a bullace or wild plum, maybe a crab apple.  They will have to be grafted on dwarf stock.

strawberry flowers

These strawberry plants, from Suttons, came with three varieties that give the prettiest flowers I have ever seen on strawberries, and merit them a place in my garden regardless of the fruits.

I have also made a start on sorting out weed ridden borders.  I have begun with the two raised borders that are directly in front of the cottage, and which separate the patio from the lawn.  This job is painful and I can only tolerate to do a little at a time, but again, every little helps and this is one job that is nearly complete.  One border is about 10 foot by 12 inches, the other is 14 foot by 12 inches. The entire length of both borders was full of the freely seeding Briza Maxima, or Quaking Grass, which is slowly being eradicated from the garden.  It was a gift from a cousin, many years ago and gets in everywhere. It is the epitome of a White Elephant!  At the moment there is a lot of bare soil, but I have some new lavender plants on order, and I have patio roses and plenty of Ladies Mantle to fill in any gaps.

Taken in 2013

I find the above photo quite depressing, for although not wonderful, it is picturesque by today's standard.  I am hopeful, I have to be, that it will one day look better again.  It is not helped at the moment in that I cannot get a hard rubbish collection.

The lawn, currently more bee friendly with Hawkbit and dandelions than grass, is roughly 36 foot by 18 foot, but not a perfect rectangle, and it is surrounded by borders that are about two foot deep.  I plan to dig out the two cartwheel sized beds in the middle to make mowing easier, and the intention is to make the borders deeper to make less grass to mow.  I do not need a huge lawn, just enough to sit on.  There are camellias, pieris, roses, clematis and euphorbia, as well as a yew tree and patch of Japanese wind anemones to work around.

Golden Wedding rose

To the north side, there is a low walled section about 20 foot by 16 foot which gets full sun most of the day, and once reclaimed that will again be my vegetable plot.  I have plans for small raised beds and it is well drained so a good spot for my herbs, which previously thrived there.

libertertia peregrinans wandering iris

So, my friends, a brief guided tour, and I look forward to sharing the improvements as I can make them happen.  Those of you who have followed me for some time will know the heartache I have at seeing my once lovely and productive garden in such a poor state of repair, but I am a hopeful gardener, and I love my garden, despite it's currently parlous state.

Last night, we had some much needed rain, and despite all it's shortcomings, the garden is sparkling and gloriously refreshed this morning. Nothing beats a good drop of rain!

Until next time, may the sun shine on you as you stay safe and well
Deborah xo