My garden over the year (the changes)

My preference in gardening is exotic, this is down to my location plus the aesthetic appeal of exotic species.

However exotic gardening is fraught with difficulties, of which the biggest one is climate. I started gardening properly in 2008-9 in which the winter allowed much of my plants to overwinter even the tender ones such as Bird of Paradise, Washingtonia palms, Lemon plants etc etc, but 2009-10 as a reality check and for the last 2-3 winters, there hasn't been a chance to settle into a particular garden plan, unfortunately over the past 3 years I've lost some impressive plants, and it is disappointing - and I certainly understand those that ask why I would garden like this when stuff like this happens. Anyway enough of my waffling, below is a picture time line of the past 3 years.

winter 2008



To start this was the original state of the garden, however it was quite untidy and had no real wow factor so this was the main border, before the overhaul




2 photos above are winter 2008, the start of the change, some extra space for planting also.

Next lot Spring 2009 - first palm goes in!





Summer 2009 and a major tranformation






Autumn and the height of the garden



However a few weeks later and winter hit hard on the more tender plants with temperature of -5.7C!





Spring 2010 and a re-planning and repopulating of the garden after the worst winter in 30 years








Summer 2010 and another plan in the shaded border, with a Fatsia introduced to forge a hardy backbone












December 2010 was the coldest on record here, with a minimum of -10.5C and the damage showed.




so attempt number 3!! Spring 2011!








Moving onto this summer








Other than that to the present so far so good, lets hope I can develop what I have, instead of having to start all over again next year!

 

Very, very good.

I started the same time as you and with much the same plants.

Well done with your perserverance. You obviously don't lose heart.

 

Thank you KS, JWK. Yes persistence is it, once or twice I've questioned it, for example, I should just grow hardier things and drop the exotic theme, but I've learnt it's not something that is easy to let go of (the desire to carry on). I suppose I was quite naive at first because we had been spoiled over the years when there had been little frost or snow, and in part the garden was planned around that.

Reality checks are good though, and it doesn't mean some of the plants that were used in 2009 can't be used again, but I suppose I have to accept that there will inevitably be a year again in the future where it is very cold and things will be lost to the weather.

I think we just need the weather to be friendly for a few years so the garden can be moulded into something more substantial, but Ive altered my plan somewhat so now I don't aim to overwinter tender plants as some experiment, I just dig them up pot them and store inside, which seems a more sustainable way of doing things - and pretty much what other people do anyway - no one's a hero when it comes to gardening

As for next year, I planning on introducing a lot of undergrowth to try and get layered canopy, so more Zantedeschias, maybe some Chlorophytum, and some Alocasias in the shaded bed. Planning to increase the size of the arid bed too, which will allow more species to be introduced - in particular I want to get hold of an Aptenia cordifolia - although they sell those in the houseplant section in our local GC.

I'll keep this thread updated with progress from this winter, Spring and next summer to show a transformation.

 

I like the backdrop of trellis and ... whats that growing in it ?

Also, on the spring 2009 first photo, whats the palm in the middle of shot ?

Thanks for posting

 

Lovely Stephen

Its always great to see before and after pictures. I can't get over how mild your climate is - even though you have had some really bad weather.

I think the only plant which is reliably hardy in my garden - is a Siberian Pea Bush (Caragana) which is hardy to -45C. :D

 

Good to see you persisting with the exotic theme Stephen.

You seem to have started during a bad patch, regarding hard winters.
I'm kind of hoping things are on the "up" now for a few years, but who knows?

I think we just need to do our "homework" first on certain plants before buying or planting.
But then there will always be one or two that shouldn't survive, but just does.
In lots of ways things are easier now days regarding finding out how hardy plants are, in the old days we just had text books with very "set" ideas, today you can get instant responses from the internet.

Its so much better.

 

The trellis houses some Pyracanthas (firethorns) which have been there for many years, seems to service the garden birds in the Autumn, the bright berries often get taken as quickly as they have grown. On the fence it is a mixture of a climbing rose, Passionflower, and Clematis. Some plants that have died (for some reason) include Jasminum polyanthum, Jasminum officinale, Mandevilla laxa, plants just don't do well there.

If it's the one you mean, I think you mean the palm, Trachycarpus fortunei? Unfortunately our water table is high and it hasn't appreciated that, and it's not doing too well - that said they can usually tolerate standing in water so it must have been the cold and wet together, but its new growth intact and solid so there is no rot.

Peter, if I had to say what plant is reliably hardy in my garden, it's anything that is hardy to -10C, so I guess thats the Yuccas, Acer, Fatsia, and hardy palms, nothing much else is, it'll have to take its chances. Where are you living Peter? It says N Yorks, I'm sure there is plenty more you can grow as hardy.

Amandii, my soil is acidic on the surface (due to lots of added ericaceous soil for the Rhododendron and Fatsia and numerous Azaleas in the shaded bed, but below is a bed of neutral bunter sandstone about 8 ft down. Just above that is a troublesome layer of clay with catches water and creates a high artificial water table. I'll keep you posted, I actually went looking around nurseries but sadly 3 out of 4 of the ones where I was looking had closed as a result of the economy. Still there is a fantastic place in Wirral called Premier Plants in a place called Ledsham off the road to Chester (A540) it has all sorts of plants, for every type of gardening, I recommend you take a visit if you ever come up this way.

Indeed Pete, reading old books now is very interesting, many have Bottlebrushes as houseplants and things we take for granted in the garden now like Fatsias, which were once thought of as houseplants. It's interesting how time changes things and the internet has indeed made a huge impact on this. Bad winters will always occur, that's normal but the key is getting a hardy backbone (or shelter) then building around it, because it means it will look good all year round, obviously it's different for every style of garden, cottage gardening is not going to involve a hardy backbone for example as it is often seasonal.

The one things that everyone appreciate though, is vibrant colour in most cases, and there's nothing as good bright, colourful garden in my opinion!