Well, we started the week with lots of glorious rain refreshing the garden no end. Then back to glorious sunshine mid-week before dropping in temperature again. We’ve had a good bit of time in the garden though. I’ve dug out lots of self-seeders for plant sales and divided a few perennials. The garden is getting to a nice point of filling up and I’m selecting what remains.
1. Radish-cherry belle
We harvested our first crop form the raised bed. Still, a few more of these that have some more growing to go and a second variety coming through. I’ve planted a few of the little gem lettuces and the broad beans have gone in. Alice has been enjoying eating these over the week knowing she helped grow them.
2. Red Riding Hood tulips
These were Alice’s choice. They are dotted around the border. They are normally a pretty reliable choice but have been a bit weak this year. But never mind I’ve had plenty of other spectacular tulips over the last month.
3. Azalea japonica-Agadir
The Azalea is going through its first proper year of flowering. There are a mass number of flowers and they are lovely but the foliage is a bit sparse. Not quite the tightly clipped Japanese ‘Kokarikomi’ I had in mind. So after these have flowered I’m going to be looking to try to prune it. The advice from Jake Hobson in his book Niwaki was to treat like box and start by pruning little and often. So I’ll start with pruning some of the dead growth back hard and pruning the rest back behind the flowers.
4. Clematis Montana
Last week my neighbours Montana featured. My own Montana is on the opposite fence. It isn’t as showy a flower. These are smaller, more delicate flowers. I forget the variety but it is doing well, interlinking with the climbing rose nicely.
And I’m going to sneak last weeks Montana back in. This time as a silhouette by the light of the moon.
5. Brick spires
Last week I’d shown my seagull defense spires. I’ve managed to find enough bricks to fill each of the spires most of the way up. I could do with one or two more for each to fill them completely. I’ve then added some rope between to block the seagulls and act as if it’s a handrail. Looking at the positioning of the plants the hydrangea limelight could probably do with moving slightly so that it is in the middle of the space between the two-stepping stone paths but that can be left till it’s dormant. So far it seems to be working as no more plants have been dug out.
6. Lilac
The lilac has got a great spread of flowers this year. Every so often I contemplate removing it as it takes up a lot of space but when it’s in flower it is tremendous. While it might not have the most exciting foliage or nices growth for the rest of the year it does seem to be tolerant of our sea breezes at least.
The garden is starting to look really nice now, if I do say so myself, with lots of foliage looking lush and many plants coming into flower. I’m attending a Zoom lecture online with Fergus Garrett from Great Dixter on layered planting through the season. Thoroughly looking forward to this as I’d never normally be able to make it to one of his lectures. I hope you are all getting plenty of pleasure from your gardens this year. Stay safe and don’t forget to check the propagator’s blog to see more six on Saturday posts in the comments.
Alice has very good taste, lovely tulips. We had our first radishes this week, so delicious, you just can’t beat them fresh from the garden. You last photograph is wonderful, made me smile. Have a great week. 🙂
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It’s a stunner isn’t it. Enough reason to keep the lilac another year. Enjoying my radishes. Glad I added the raised bed but going to need to dig the fleece out for tonight.
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Oh yes, it is getting cold isn’t it?! Down here it shouldn’t be too dangerous, but they won’t be happy after all this warmth.
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Well done on the radishes. Your brick spires are rather architectural and sculptural just as they are. What a lovely accent in your garden.
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Pretty azalea, I’m going to do like you and start a pruning soon. I read that June was the best season and that the new shoots will come from bare wood stems.
Alice has a good taste, this tulip is very pretty !
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Pruning azaleas does go against most of the advice online but I think mine needs it.
That was the best of her tulips. A lot of the rest not looking so good. Which is a shame as it’s normally reliable.
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Your radishes look very healthy. Does Alice like those and the broad beans? Such a good idea to encourage her to grow her own.
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She loves the radishes. She has broadbeans cooked into pasta and other meals. But not had ones she’s grown herself before.
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Fresh radishes from the garden get the taste buds going, just at the thought! It’s a great thing for kids to grow, because you get results so fast! Beautiful clematis.
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Great to have some late tulips and vivid red too. I like the dainty Montana clematis. I’m going to attempt growing salad leaves, dwarf beans and small carrots in potsthis year. Glad you appear to have bested the gulls!
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You will enjoy the zoom lecture. I did it earlier in the month and found it a delightful couple of hours. It also gave me some new ideas. Good old Fergus
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It was great. Lots of great ideas. And nice how he talks it through to apply to your own garden.
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And those dreamy images from Great Dixter.
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Yes, looking forward to getting sent the slides and recording so I can go through it to work out how to apply to my own borders.
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It’s a good follow up and great value
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Love the picture of the Clematis Montana. Enjoy your zoom lecture it sounds a fab
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It’s a shame you have to go to such lengths to keep the gulls at bay. We have lots, they sit on the roof and squawk and do bombing raids on the car and sometimes us, but never land in the garden, let alone go for the plants. How do you get onto the Fergus Garrett lecture, it sounds very interesting.
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The gulls aren’t normally this bad but I think lockdown and lack of food is changing their behaviour. Seems to be working though.
The Fergus lecture was through the Great Dixter website shop. Their is one on veg next week but not with Fergus. But he was talking about trying to do one at the end of the month possibly around how they use self seeders. It was an interesting lecture. I’ll be getting sent notes and the recording in the next few days so not bad for £15. Cheaper than travel and accommodation at Great Dixter and helping fund them while they can’t open.
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I really liked the photo of the Lilac with the butterfly. The zoom lecture sounds most interesting. I’ll have to keep a look out to see if he does another one.
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There is another one next week on veg though not with Fergus. But another meant to be coming at the end of the month. I enjoyed this one.
The lilac has been bringing in a lot this year. Not buddleia levels but smelling great and covered in blooms.
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Your gull defence is very handsome indeed. Dueling Montanas. Now that’s a battle you like to see in a garden. Hope to see some of your new layering ideas appear in future SoS posts.
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The butterfly on the lilac is beautiful. I might try trimming my azaleas after flowering to make them more bushy too. I found the brick spires interesting and glad they are working. You do have a nice productive patch there, and so good for Alice to see the whole process from seed sowing to eating your own produce.
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The dainty Montana flower is lovely. The gull defences look good, I hope they continue to work.
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A good idea to sow veg that Alice can pick and eat. Always taste good freshly picked. I must get some salad leaves into the crates I am going to use, but I am waiting for this colder spell to pass. Your Montana looks like mine which I think is ‘Marjorie’, and the butterfly photo is fabulous.
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I think you might be right on Marjorie. Rings a bell. Do have the label somewhere.
Sowed a few more things for the veg patch. Starting off some beetroot. But all fleeced up now.
Very happy with butterfly pic. Stunning peacock on the lilac looking it’s best.
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