Parks & Gardens in London, Suffolk, & abroad
The garden in Suffolk is in the middle of a village and so it needed to be appropriate for the village. I started with nothing in 2011 and this year the hedge along the pavement is finally filled in – good progress in four and a bit growing seasons.
And behind the hedge is a secret garden.
The green plants, with different leaf shapes.
Pink flowers in abundance.
And the wonderful Libertia Grandiflora about to burst into flower.
A year ago the ‘Patio Garden’ was pretty: hot and sunny, the daisies flowered prolifically, as did the iris. But it is now at the end of its fourth season. The rose has grown, the nepeta have become woody, as have the achilleas, and the artemisia just isn’t thriving. The hedge has thickened and together with the larger rose this compartment has changed to warm and partially shaded. Time to change the planting emphasis!
The plants are growing taller and taller – thank goodness they are staked! The alchemillas look more like shrubs than perennials, and the ‘Mayflower’ geraniums are as tall as the allium ‘Purple Sensation’. The paeony buds are getting fatter and the Roseraie de l’Haye is about to open – all very exciting!
And the Libertia is looking sensational!
It is 31 May, and in three weeks’ time the sun turns round and heads south, but today has dawned grey, chilly, and windy again. In the garden the plants are doing surprisingly well, although some are clearly struggling to flourish.
The geraniums are winners and about to burst into abundant flower!
Two more winners, with forests of flowers!
Giants at two foot high already, and they are not yet flowering!
And all in quite a small space
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.
