It is early June in The Fortnight Garden and it is raining, sort of. There is certainly no doubt about the wind! And no doubt that the temperature has plunged – I am wearing my winter jerseys again. The weather has been so erratic but somehow the plants seem to enjoy the swings between the highs and the lows, and I am certainly enjoying the increasing abundance and changing colours and sights. I am very grateful that I have the garden during this time and can escape into its beauty, and peacefulness.
It is almost June in The Fortnight Garden – five months of 2020 have already passed. I can’t believe we are already approaching the halfway point in the year. The Fortnight Garden has had a lot of attention and it is responding really rather well – it has certainly been a great help to me during this time. I rather assume my fellow gardeners also turn to their plants for calmness in a time of stress and concern.
The Fortnight Garden at the end of May – it is hard to believe we are nearly at the end of the fifth month of the year. In another four weeks we will be half way through 2020, a year which I don’t think anyone will ever forget. The wind has swirled around the garden this week, preventing me from doing very much and so I have been slowly finding my feet again after a diagnosis of IBS and a week of constant pain.
The start of May in The Fortnight Garden brings real change. The rain has made a huge difference to the garden, coupled with slightly cooler weather. Beds are starting to fill in and the fruit trees have been a joy. It has been a particular pleasure in a week when there were two ambulance trips to hospital and much languid languishing. I am not ready for active gardening yet so this week’s Six on Saturday is about enjoying what I have!
1. The fruit trees are still a joy, although the flowers are now starting to go over as the fruit sets. It looks as though there will be another good crop of quinces and crab apples. I think I need to be more imaginative with both this year – I cannot possible make more jelly or membrillo!
Quince flowers
Quince flowers
The quince tree in flowerCrabapple flowers starting to go over
2. Ferns are unfolding and just beautiful. OK, there is only one variety, Dryopteris Affinis, but hey, it is growing and green.
Dryopteris Affinis
3. Geraniums continue to give pleasure: Phaeum Samobor and to my surprise, Ingwersons, which I thought I had lost. I will be watching the latter very carefully and hoping to take cuttings at the end of the season. It is such a lovely pink. I am also finding a few scattered plants of a white geranium, which I did not plant. By the look of the plants it may be a mutation of Mayflower, although it is not as tall.
‘New’ white geranium
Phaeum ‘Samobor’
Phaeum ‘Samobor’
Ingwersons
Johnsons Blue
Spessart
Geraniums at the beginning of May in the Fortnight Garden
4. I like the blue heads of the ajugas but there are fewer than I would like. Perhaps they have been swamped. I need to start new ones and try again. I find that cutting off the creeping bits and putting them in water encourages rooting and off we go again!
Ajugas and cuttings
5. Persicaria are starting to flower and pretty in pink, but I think I need to dig out when they are done, dig in more compost, and start them again – they look a bit crowded and small to me. And perhaps I should be combining them with some of the purple Heuchera?
Persicaria
Heuchera ‘Purple Palace
Persicaria + Heuchera?
6. And finally the paeonies are starting to show buds.
Paeony buds
I looked back to this time last year and am quite surprised to be reminded of the constant changes in this small garden, and I am quite happy with the challenges and changes. And that is the start of May in The Fortnight Garden and my Six on Saturday. I look forward to seeing what is happening elsewhere and thank you to The Propagator for putting us all in touch!
The Paeony Borders in Greenwich Park seem rather smaller and more restrained this year, but perhaps I am imagining it. Right now the paeonies are displaying themselves completely unrestrainedly, in pink, magenta, and white, and somehow managing to survive all the rain.
