Wednesday 30 March 2011

Spring is in the air

March 2011
Diggin' Dad L returned for more action on the garden front half way through the month. Over the course of a short weekend he managed to dig out a strange mound of topsoil from next to the fence. We think it must have been transferred from the area which had a weed suppressant membrane over it, although we'd no idea why they put a new fence in below the level of the soil so that the fencing was already starting to suffer! All this involved some re-turfing as couch grass infested ground was flattened and replaced.

Re-turfing and flattening the mound
Auntie Margaret had kindly donated her box hedge to us in autumn 2010, which we'd just shoved in the borders to overwinter. Dad L dug holes for and planted nine box plants as a suggestion of a path from the gate to the door, as well as a division between the lawn area and more informal veg patches. It will take a few years for the box to be shaped into balls or mounds, but they smell lovely and they make me smile. A visiting two-year-old was so enamoured by them that she hugged a couple with great glee!
Dad L with box
A spare box plant went out into the front garden in a dark corner - perhaps one day it will be a tall rounded lump. Dad L also dug a large hole ready for planting an apple tree in the corner. Grandpa L, Granny L and Uncle John came to visit bearing rhubarb crowns, which went in next to the raspberry canes.
Box 'path' and three of the four island beds
Dad L has been coppicing a hazel in their back garden for a while now, and he kindly donated some very useful rods which will be used to support various climbers. The end island bed in the above picture shows the wigwam where the french beans will be going in a month or so. The rest of the rods are propped against the leaf compost bin (no, it's not a bee hive, although the bees have been investigating).

Monday 28 March 2011

Making the beds!

February 2011
I started maternity leave on 14th February (the four hour daily commute was getting a bit much by 33 weeks pregnant, plus it was my birthday!) and Dad L came to stay for the week. I'd spent much of the winter concocting an ambitious scheme for the veg patches but had been thwarted by frozen earth for months, so that by the time the thaw arrived I wasn't up for heavy work. Dad L fortunately happens to love digging (mole-like tendencies?) so got to work removing turf and digging over two island beds for a decorative veg patch. He dug out lumps of old tarmac, concrete, bricks, an old pipe and tonnes of stones. I was on stone sorting duty and we now have an increasingly large pile of flints with which to construct a path or edging. Mum L helped to dig a bed after she got back from a CWR course.

Mum L with a fork

The amount of work completed was amazing and I'm sorry I wasn't much use! I did manage to put in the garlic though - four bulbs (one of which is 'pink') purchased from the Hampshire Potato Day event - and sow celeriac, marigolds, various wild flower seeds, basil, sweetpeas and cabbage in modules. We also planted three canes of raspberry 'Autumn Bliss'.

Raspberries along fence; garlic in bed; pile of flint in corner


Thursday 24 March 2011

Front garden

Serious Box Appreciation!

In the usual Spring Madness, I subscribed to Gardeners' World magazine in March 2010. "Joe's plants for problem places" in the April issue was on shallow front gardens, suggesting box balls with roses, allium, iris, geranium and salvia. Having a fondness for the smell of box (roses aren't bad either, just less surprising!), the design seemed appropriate when we found our new house. Funnily enough, Granny J had two box balls that Neighbour Eric gave her that were looking for a home, so of course this concluded the matter.

Dad and Mum L came to visit one weekend in early summer. The rose of sharon was reduced; the laurel-type-thing, the dead climber and the ivy removed. Pah! We're not wasting a good south facing wall with those! Four bags of manure were dumped on the beds either side of the front door and planting began after a trip to Wisley Plant Centre to buy two roses, two iris, a clematis and some lavender. Fortunately we had vouchers as a wedding present (thank you!) and were also able to buy a bird feeder. Dad and Mum L gave us some geraniums, some wee box lumps, more lavender and some verbena. Joe Swift's plan was put into action, with some modifications, and the front garden looked a whole lot more inviting than previously.

Very newly planted front garden
Of course, it will take a while for the plants to spread out and cover all the soil. The mahonia was able to stretch out after cowering under the rose of sharon and is less lop-sided. About two weeks ago (March 2011), three white calla lily bulbs were planted under the window. These were donated in October 2010 by Sister Assumpta from the Bermondsey convent garden and travelled home in a large sack by bus, train and taxi. I potted them into large pots and they survived the winter without rotting - hurrah! For his birthday in March 2011, Husband received three pots of alliums that can go in as soon as possible (he probably really wanted Screwfix life membership or a garden shed but alliums is what he got!).

View front the front door, December 2010
Opposite the front door is a manky bit of fence enclosing some telephone company gubbins. Grandpa L had been growing cuttings of climbing hydrangea and kindly gave us two, one of which has taken off up the fence (the other is in the back garden against the wall next to where the elder was removed). A large box has been planted in a dark corner (thank you Auntie Margaret and Dad L) which will also help to improve the view into the front garden from the kitchen.

Climbing hydrangea, March 2011


Monday 21 March 2011

Getting ready for action

Autumn 2010
Eucalyptus, October 2010
After our tutting about the state and situation of the eucalyptus, Dryad Tree Specialists came to remove it at the end of October 2010. They cut useful wood into logs and ground out the stump. They also ground out the stumps of the leylandii hedge which Husband had previously taken great delight in decimating with a chainsaw. The goat willow was pruned, having become a bit overexcited, being in danger of knocking down the large garden wall and impeding lorries on the road. A branch of the silver birch was removed as it was rubbing against the main trunk, causing damage. Husband had removed the dying elder a month previously. Dryad shredded all of the smaller twiggy material and left us with a big sackful to be used as mulch.

Pruning the goat willow, October 2010

As an aside, we have a dream of installing a wood burning stove in the kitchen. This probably won't happen since the person we got in to quote never actually supplied one, having had a good nosey all over the house, thus leading us to believe it is way beyond our budget! A log pile is still good for insects and makes use of what will no doubt be yearly culls of the goat willow.


Naked garden!

With the aid of Uni Julie (who was obviously in dire need of entertainment!), we removed a layer of weed suppressant membrane from the patch between the garage and the ground eucalyptus stump. The garden was now laid bare, ready for plans to be put into action. However, frost, ice and snow meant that the garden was nigh on inoperable from November 2010 until February 2011, which was somewhat vexatious.

Friday 18 March 2011

Veg at the Edge

Small steps, summer 2010
Whilst waiting for inspiration to strike (and time to become available - a four hour daily commute is not condusive to productive gardening!), we planted out a few veg that had started off in pots prior to moving in May 2010.

Runner beans, lettuce, sweet peas
A packet of runner bean 'Scarlet Emperor' had lasted since my days with Housemate Helen so these were planted in the sunny border. The lack of long bamboo canes and subsequent lashing of shorter canes together meant that following a summer storm the wigwam fell over. Fortunately, this enabled Husband to finally admit that he didn't really like runner beans! Still, we ate rather a lot before that (aw, isn't he lovely). The sweetpeas planted with them suffered from a lack of watering but tried their best. We went on holiday just before the few lettuce and rocket plants next to the beans were ready, so they had gone to seed upon our return.

Courgettes (and home brew)
Two courgette plants grown from seeds given by Granny L were planted under a window and did so well that they set off across the lawn. 

Potatoes in sacks didn't do so well, perhaps because of the hot spell in early summer and my not knowing how much water they wanted - considering the rain in Ireland, famed for its potatoes, I should have guessed!

Feeding time in the goat willow
Husband was given chilli seeds as a Christmas present and these were grown in pots in the conservatory. It was a learning process and this year (2011) should see better results.

Bush tomatoes were grown in hanging baskets and pots outside but failed to impress.
Courgette quiche
Bob Flowerdew's book 'Grow Your Own Eat Your Own' provided inspiration for a courgette quiche. Having baked a courgette cake with Housemate Helen, I was not tempted to recreate the soggy if tasty effort!

Thursday 17 March 2011

Homage to She Who Digs

Beginnings
Laylandii hedge, June 2010
Having enjoyed reading She Who Digs' blog and missing her pictures, I am going to try documenting the development of our back garden (the 'Adventurous' bit comes when we leap in after much time spent pondering!).

We moved in almost a year ago and the garden was pretty well a blank canvas. After removing a huge eucalyptus that was shading most of the garden and a 6ft high leylandii hedge that was a hideous dead end, some friends presented us with time from a garden designer that they'd won in a raffle.

Eucalyptus, June 2010
In November 2010, Edward Mairis drew up a design which we liked very much. We have been slowly deviating from the plan as the wind blows and plants get donated from family (erm, sorry Edward!). He got us to think about what we like so that the main elements of his design will still be visible in the long term: an informal veg area; a sunny flower border; some lawn; a woodland border; some decent seating; fruit trees; and a pergola which could be turned into a climbing frame for future adventures.