Parks & Gardens in London, the UK & abroad
This week Six on Saturday includes two grasses, two plants grown for their leaves, and hydrangeas in tubs. My garden is quite small and so quite a few pots are necessary, in sunny spots, in empty corners, in the Fernery, and just as ‘overflow’ from the rest of the garden. So here we are again, a week later and at the start of a warm and sunny day – BUT – the sun has turned round and is heading south again – too soon!
I have finished the planting and have started adding woodchip to keep in the moisture and keep out the weeds – now the plants need to grow into the vision below!
Some new ideas – very different! Firstly the Patio Bed which is surrounded by paving and which enjoys partial sun during some of the day. It really needs something scented, or perhaps startling.
The Flint Wall Bed is mainly shaded, but also protected and I think this is the final decision on the planting.
The north-facing side of the house is a small, paved terrace garden planted with small shrubs and perennials. It is pretty all year round and the planting has worked well. However, the terrace borders on to a field and although I have mainly controlled the ground elder the pesky plant has invaded one of the beds. The Japanese anenomes are also starting to take over – action needed!
The terrace garden is lush in summer.
But by the end of summer it is more like a small jungle!
And here is the problem area. I have dug out the Bergenia ‘Abendglut’ and potted up, but you can see the ground elder, and the failing Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’. Two years ago it flowered prolifically, but the stems fall over and so I am going to replant this area with three ‘Annabelles’, staked, and hope they support one another. I may also take out the Tellima grandiflora which I find untidy and not particularly pretty and replace with Geranium Macrorrhizum ‘Spessart’ because I have quite a few plants from divisions elsewhere.
As I look at these photographs above it is rather ‘sweet and sugary’….
Other than this patch I am happy with the planting. I just need to prune the dogwoods and thin the anenomes and Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’. What will happen to the leftover plants? Well, I have another garden makeover starting, in London!
What do you think?
Despite the variable temperatures and sometimes vicious winds the garden is growing.
The roses in the hedge are flowering – isn’t this hidden corner wonderful? The hedges around the village are absolutely beautiful too, pink and white dogroses everywhere.
The Roseraie de l’Hay is finally flourishing, the daisies are enjoying themselves, and the everlasting wallflower, Erysimum E A Bowles is gorgeous.
I have cut off the last forget-me-not flowers so that the leaves can develop, and the anenomes are starting to develop flower buds.
I am feeling really excited about the garden – you can probably tell!
This is the third season and the shape and feel are different each year. I originally planted three Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ in the bed above, and then divided at the end of the first year, and at the end of the second year I was able to start another small patch. At the end of this year I will have a supply of plants for the garden renovation in London, or even plants for sale! The plants were expensive to buy, but have more than repaid me. In the same bed I started with three anenome plants which were starting to spread after one year, and by the end of this year I will have an over-supply!
My plan to grow wildflowers in the hedge has not really succeeded. I only have some field campion, primroses, and one colts foot plant, but the ox-eye daisies are spreading!
Oh dear! It seems we will have another difficult year in the garden. One warm weekend and now it is cold, wet, and windy again. The plants are struggling on, and some even seem to be thriving.
