What Jobs Are We Doing In The Garden Today 2020

It's more of a catch up of yesterday as I went out into the garden at just after 11am and didn't finish in the garden until just after 8pm......but it was a happy 9 hours I potted on most of the plants that I had received the day before yesterday having to make several buckets of compost, potting grit and sand. The four new Venus Fly Traps needed a special mix of compost but are now each happily sitting in ceramic pots and, with the addition of 18 bare root Lupins. 3 bare root Astilbe, 3 bare root Kniphofia, 3 bare root Day Lilies, 10 bare root Phlox, 3 Ferraria Crispa, 3 Habenaria, sitting in pots, the Green House is getting really crowded. Once the bare root plants get established to a degree they will go outside to harden off which will be a relief!!
I did the usual work in the borders and, later in the afternoon, I was walking down towards the Wildlife pond when I was stopped by one of the occasional exquisite unexpected moments when your lungs and nose fills to the full with a sudden warm, heavy, sweet, perfume from, apparently, nowhere. It took me a few seconds to realise that it was coming from the Clematis "Armandii" that hangs like a Jungle Creeper from the Acer Brilliantissismum and that the heat of the day was radiating the gorgeous scent from it. I confess I lingered around that spot just to enjoy the scent before I headed for the Wildlife Pond to check all was well there.
I watered the lawn and the rest of the garden in the evening as I have been doing for the last week, then tidied up the Patio a little before heading for the House, not even realising that although it was getting a little darker it was just after 8pm
Today I'm going to plant the large Foxtail Lily and the three smaller ones into the "walk around" border, then 7 Rudbeckia "Goldsturm, and 4 Geums, 7 Kniphofia's will also get planted in the other borders.

 

Sadly, my ballbarrow is no more! The ball has burst.

It should have lasted longer as I only bought it in 1974!



It was my favourite barrow as, with the extension on it, it was perfect for transporting loads of grass clippings.

 

Naaah, Kristen, I don't know whether or not it's due to climate change but it seems to have abandoned flowering in late Winter and early Spring and now flowers on to late Autumn for the last 4 or 5 years. If I could bottle it I would use Aerosol cans hang those from the tree. It really like being against the Acer that's for sure.

 

My garden isn't suitable for a ride on and I wouldn't be able to get it past the trees and flower beds.

 

Another of my wheelbarrows was bought in 1953 and is still going strong. It has a solid wheel.

 

With the promise of another fine day I put my more than mucky gardening clothes on and started to plant, firstly, 7 Rudbeckia "Goldsturm in clumps, where possible, of three in the borders, After that I planted the large Foxtail Lily in the middle of the "walk around" border and then the 3 medium sized Hybrid Foxtail Lilies on the West side of the same border


I decided to fill up the water in the Wildlife pond as it had got a bit low and used the hose that is permanently laid at the rear of the West border and runs from the outside tap to the pond. While there I decided to mend the fence from the pond side, that runs along pond and, twice, nearly took an unwanted and unplanned swim. It took nearly 3 hours to get the water to the level I wanted and, in that time, I found a young American Skunk Cabbage

which was, obviously, a seedling from the main plant that I'd put in the pond back in '93.

The Skunk Cabbage, is for me, a plant that really fits into the pond scenery but, unfortunately, is now banned from being sold or transferred to other ponds or area as it is now classed as a foreign invasive plant despite being introduced over a 150 years ago and featured in many "Big House" gardens, but I've never had any problems with it. I'll have to move the young plant as it's not in the right place but I can't do that until the bright yellow Spathe has died away.
The old Frog in a Boat is looking a bit mossy but I'll leave him to get even more of a green coat.



I checked on the Bergenea "Flame and Ice" that I planted in the bottom border

and it was looking quite happy in the light shade.
The Tulips are slowly coming more and more into flower




along with a mixture of Frittillaria, Primroses, Allums and Japanese Anemones


There's Frittillaria and Alliums popping up all over the place making me realise that I'd forgotten where I had planted a lot of them




This Pieris was bought back around 35 years ago but keeps soldiering on providing bright colour in the early Spring


Honesty is, in my opinion, a cracking plant and fits in naturally into my chaotic Cottage Garden style garden and will always be welcome.


It was 7.15pm before I closed up the Green House, put the tools away and headed for the House, a Mug of Tea and something to eat.

 

We had a lovely one spreading 18ft along the fence but the rabbits decided it shouldn't be there and dug around the bottom, chewed through the roots and then chewed the bottom off the plant.