Monty Don

Hurrah. Monty Don will be returning to the BBC's Gardener's World, since I love colour in gardens, and Monty's into colour too. However, since he had to retire before for health reasons (heart) and the previous Lead Presenter, Geoff Hamilton died of a heart attack, I do hope the BBC's schedule take this into account and demand less stress and rushing around for him this time round. http://blog.gardenersworld.com/2010/12/13/monty-don/

20th July, 2010 Jasmine goes wild

Last autumn I was over zealous in pruning the jasmine - result it's gone bonkers. And it's climbed up the birch tree too. I've been convalescing from a hip replacement op for the last few weeks so no climbing ladders for me and I can't rescue the tree.
No bending and so no weeding either. Bliss. For once, I've been able to just sit and enjoy the garden, and forbidden to do any work


absorbing the sun and luxuriating in the wafts of jasmine scent on occasional breeze.
'What is this life if full of care we have no time to sit and stare?' (W.H. Davies)

July 2010 Thinking up

Since most of the main garden is in shade once the trees are in leaf (end May/June onwards), after a few years of mud instead of a lawn, I had that area paved. With no flowers in the borders, pots have had to do but nowI have been thinking up. The idea is a trellis for the plants to grow up and along the top in search of light.

2006 The trellis half up

2008 May

2nd year of the Clematis Montana. It heads due south so is doing best behind the trellis!

2009 I plant a second C.M. the near end of the trellis and hope it will head south and join the other one.

June 2010. At last, what looks like one Clematis Montana along the top of the trellis.

Guiltless peonies

However, as they are rescued from mud and insects, I can feel guiltless for picking flowers from the garden for once and just wallow in their sweet scent filling the room.

Midsummer Peonies

Midsummer's Day (21st June)
23rd June

So it goes.

June, 2010 Vuvuzelas

Try as hard as I can to avoid the World Cup, it's impossible not to be aware of the vuvuzelas.
I have my own vuvuzela tree - buzzing with bees.

Sept, 2009 Agapanthus

At last a bit of sun - agapanthus. We're lucky to have enough sun for agapanthus as I think it thrives in South Africa. I first saw agapanthus in the South of France - rows and rows of it. I have memories of the Mediterranean as I walk past. I like the way the French have a border of nothing but one plant but in my small garden, I'd miss variety so it's the cottage garden medley for me.

Aug 2009 Moveable lilies

A solution to the shady main garden - white lilies in pots that can be movedthere when the burning noon sun gets too much for them. (I give them morning sun in the patio half so they don't mope.)

July, 2009 Window boxes

To window-box or not? Since we have so little sun in the main 'garden', but plenty against the back wall of our house and small patio area, it's a pity to waste the window ledges (3).

The Hub claims the water seeps out the bottom and rots the window-frames so we'll have to fork out to have them repainted too often.

So compromise: I've bought pots that have an inner well so that the water does not leak out.

I also argue that I will forgoe hanging baskets as Hub agrees with Sir Roy Strong (former Director of the V and A) that they are naff. Makes the Hub feel like he's in a pub garden.

My vulgarity is confined to the window-boxes instead: nothing like a nice bit of loud colours, and stripey petals.

June 2009 Nelly Moser

Nelly Moser clematis placed to catch the only sun this side of the garden. Behind is what I think of as my woodland garden (all 18 feet of it) - neighbours' trees, and a brick wall cause perpetual shade so I have given it over to snowdrops followed by primroses and bluebells, and a summer of traditional English geraniums with their tiny pink flower - all thrive in the shade.

March 2009

Hellebore brightening up the dreich days. Green-tinged, sometimes yellowish at different stages. The first year I have seen them so white. I have placed them outside the kitchen (back) door so I can see them whilst glancing up from the washing-up.