May

-
As we reach the mid-point of the month where we have experienced light frosts, torrential rain and heat to 18ºC, the spectrum of green around the garden has begun to be broken up by the promise of colour from earlier planning and planting.

The sunny border planned last spring has exploded with a plethora of greens which is a delicious sight.  I am very pleased with it.  The heady scent of honey from the Euphorbia is intoxicating to both me and the insects that pollinate it.


A month of firsts too, our Wisteria has flowered for the first time and a previous disastrous purchase (from an online store that shall never be mentioned) is in bloom too.  Although its the wrong colour to the one ordered (and the wrong size), it works rather well in its sheltered position next to the Arum italicum that we adopted from a neighbour.

It's not all good news though, I have managed to kill our Acer palmatum that I repotted recently.  It had begun to get dieback anyway.  Unfortunately it and the growing medium will need to go in the green-bin to be taken away by the local authority :/  


The shady borders are coming to life.  This combination of Geum 'Totally Tangerine' and Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae  work together in perfect synergy and pop right out from the dark charcoal fence panels.  I may try and add some hints of purple and/or white here at some point. 


The bench idea from the RHS Garden magazine has sprung into life, the mix of ferns, heucheras and brunnera shining out of the shade beneath.  We have blue-tits residents too.  The hostas are beginning to flourish one of my favourites 'Sum & Substance' pictured below.  


We have not rested on our laurels; painting and erecting a white picket-fence behind the native hedge to split the garden and kiddy-proof the wildlife pond area below, there is still a bit to do but we will wait until the nesting period is over before we continue.


Garden looks gorgeous after a little hair-cut, we are lucky to have such beautiful trees in the backdrop which frame the space.  

In other news, the fern-spores have evolved into Gametophytes.  I am now patiently waiting for fertilisation to occur. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Well overdue post - transforming a patio

-
Image
Having had a break from writing on these pages, I felt it was as good a time as any to return with transformative news, both in reinstating the original name of this blog 'SuburbanGaze' but also of the outside space.   Over the summer months of lockdown I began researched ideas around renewing the patio.  We had spent so much time concentrating on plants and nature that we had forgotten our own basic needs.   So many options to choose from, so many trawls through Google images to find inspiration.  I knew we needed a large flat area with a built in pergola for shade but all off-the-shelf models lacked the bold clean and dark masculine straight lines that I was looking for. I realised quickly that our needs were not catered for and I would need to design something from scratch.  So the process began, like so much in the outside space a lot of thought and planning has gone into it. The problem: A hideous eight...
Read more

Dark side

-
Image
Its always good to have a bit of a change, I guess life is a journey and we all move through different periods.  For now for me, everything shall be black with a splash of orange.  Have began by using some garden paint to coat the bird-boxes for a sheltered spot behind the potting shed, also painted black.   The bird-table has also been coated having been natural, cream, blue... The potting shed has also been transformed in the same colour, I love how this colour makes the boundaries and building disappear into the background.  All the plants appear front and centre the colour popping.  With new robust fences installed the garden has never been better for us.  And that splash or orange has been delivered in a spray-paint coat of the former white garden furniture and a new garden sofa in the al-fresco dining area.
Read more

Pond overhaul

-
Image
I love the wildlife pond area of the garden, its now hidden from view most of the year by a huge native hedge that was grown from whips.  There is almost a secret garden feeling now at the end of the garden, its an area to come to for contemplation.  I haven't got round to putting a bench down there maybe next year.  It looks lovely at the height of the summer, but I made a mistake in the choice of oxygenator and its unwieldiness (if that's even a word) has gone unchecked...That is until now.  Its autumn and the leaves of the Amelanchier are bright red, this has spurned me on to get the wildlife pond sorted for next years fresh load of frogspawn, apparently this is the perfect time - less wildlife to annoy! :)  It's been something to focus on away from the reality that is life.  Here is what the pond looked like in August/September, all super-green and abundant.  But, spot...
Read more