Steaming Success

You can probably tell from these images that I don't go for the exotic in my garden and instead rejoice in the traditional cottage garden flowers that seem to do well on our plot. It actually hasn't been, at least for me, the best summer so far gardenwise. Although the sweetpea in my picture looks quite good (at least I think so) in truth most blooms seem to be flowering on very very short stems. As always, Alan Titchmarsh has done very well in sweetpea terms but others like Lord Nelson haven't lived up to my expectations.

The day lilies, donated by my brother a couple of autumns ago, are really established now and I'm tempted to get others since they fill up space wonderfully and require absolutely no attention whatsoever. Likewise the hydrangea which currently is an individual specimen is likely to be joined in the autumn months by others with hydrangea paniculata 'limelight' top of my Crocus UK wish list. A trip to a localish garden centre this week resulted in a buddleja, a viburnum and three heucheras being planted in the piece of the large flowerbed where I'd grown potatoes. My aim is to fill this area with large specimen shrubs which, hopefully, will grow and fill the space again without too much attention required.

We are, however, really enjoying eating the potatoes as mentioned above and have a medium sized hessian sackful still to eat. Additionally tomatoes and courgettes are doing fairly well and giving much pleasure. Other veg such as beans, mangetout and beetroot haven't faired so well which I'm sure is down entirely to my lack of attention re watering. We have plans to remedy this for next year, well before the next Open Gardens event, and to fix elaborate (not really) guttering, pipes and waterbutts to the shed.

My most exciting success is the compost bins. Sad I know, but earlier this week whilst David mowed I turned (again!) the bins from one to the other mixing the fresh clippings with the partially composted material in the bin. As I dug into the rotting matter the steam just rose off the pile and when I felt it it was hot hot hot! Proof, if it were needed, that the compost bins are doing their job well. Three slow worms appeared at different times and I was much relieved that none was speared on my fork. They were definitely three different ones each being a different length and one a different, slightly blue colour. Having reached the bottom of one bin I was able to extract several trugfulls of well rotted compost to heap onto the rhubarb which is looking a tad weary at the moment. Hopefully a few rain showers and worms will work their magic and revive this clump.

A mixed season so far but as always we look to the future and with the arrival of the first catalogue advertising spring bulbs I'm already planning for next year. In the meantime I keep watering, weeding, taking cuttings and wishing I had much more energy!

Two weeks behind

A visit to a friend who lives in the countryside this week highlighted the differences that abound between where we each live. Blossom on magnolia and cherry is only just beginning in her garden whereas magnolias around Hythe are already in full bloom. In addition, I have tulips that have flowered and are at the point of going over already whereas hers are just in bud. Well, I hear you say, that could just be the variety, and I agree, but there was a definite feel that being here by the sea and having luxuriated in glorious sunshine for most of last week, we are about two weeks in advance of those country dwellers.

There's also a huge difference in our garden styles, hers is vast and requires a tractor mower and a digger to make holes (or is that just because she likes to drive one?), whereas our garden is more traditional and relies on lots of colour to give emphasis. We both, however, love trees and the picture above is of our rather ancient Cedar of Lebanon, or Monteray Pine (we still haven't worked out which!) and at this time of year there's such anticipation as the deciduous ones start greening up - nothing compares to the colour of new leaves. Obviously, our ancient tree, doesn't green up and to others it's looking a bit worse for wear, but it has withstood the storms and winds of many a year and we love its shaggy state.

I've spent my garden time this week setting out wigwams (the expanding willow sort) ready for the sweet peas of summer which. are growing nicely in their toilet roll middle individual pots. There has also been more weeding and more digging up of ground elder - what is the point of that plant? Or wasps for that matter? Two of the unanswerable questions of gardening I suspect. With the elder, you just know that each time you dig you're potentially making much

more work for yourself, but I keep trying.

My potatoes are well chitted now and I plan to plant them out this weekend and to perhaps pick more rhubarb for muffins or crumble, both of which we've already enjoyed in the past couple of weeks. I think it was Robert Browning who wrote 'Oh, to be in England, now that April's here' and he is right, I just hope that the spring sunsine returns soon so we can all enjoy it even more.

Spring Equinox

This day of two equal parts started well with an early stroll up among the now fully blooming patches of daffodils regular and miniature, hyacinths, hellebores, muscari, tulips, scilla and narcissi. A heavy dew on the grass but the promise of lots of sunshine which has been fulfilled. It's always a good time of year when you can look forward to the delights to come just as long as the ground work is done now. Inspired by Monty's return to GW I spent much of last week digging out the compost bins, mulching around newly weeded and trimmed flower beds and turning the remaining black goo into the veg beds with the hope of much improved crops this year. There is now one clear bin, ready to receive lots of organic waste, and one 'cooking' as well as a large pile of leaves that should rot down slowly over the season. We have plans to make ourselves two more bins from old dustbins so, hopefully and energy levels permitting I intend to do a lot more turning this year!

With just some accompaniment from wrens and robins it's been great just being in the garden over the last few weeks and, despite the ground being a bit soggy, a lot has been achieved in terms of preparation. All seeds sown in the greenhouse at the end of February are now showing through and I'm hopeful that the glimpse of green in one of the pots of newly purchased dahlia corms is a leaf and not a stray weed.

So, a start has been made. No Open Gardens event to work towards this year, just a bountiful harvest for us to enjoy with friends and family.