WHAT JOBS ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY - 2017

I have a confession; I don't "get" hellebores. I see them in the garden centres and they just look like unassuming shrubs with not overly attractive foiliage. But everyone seems to rave about them, I don't know what it is I'm not seeing! Which is a shame, because I have a shadey bed that needs filling in.

 

What you see in the garden centres are a pale version of what can be 2nd -bassoon......for a start they arent great in pots; then the better plants available are usually snapped up. I must agree though, most of what I see there look okish to downright awful
I have 30 or more hellebores here...perhaps a photo in spring will persuade you they are worth having. They produce wonderful flowers from mid winter to late spring and often again in summer. Lush foliage too is a great foil to summer perennials. They increase in size over the years to make imposing permanent planting. Low maintenance too.
What else would you prefer to plant in your shadey border? Imagine a white, single or double, hellebore there. It would light up that area.

 

It's lawns with me.

 

Would you like some? . I'll box a few up and send them to you . They're all sick, so you'll need to be nurse as well as cleaning the cages every day ( can be three or four times a day sometimes ). And they are more prolific in the poo department then guinea pigs, it gets everywhere . Nothing quite like bathing a baby hedgehog encrusted with poo .

 

I know I have at least one here lucius. How would I know if I have more? My sense is there are. Hope so Love what you do for them ....thats nice.

I remember stopping the traffic because a hedgehog was in the middle of the road. I took him/her to the safety of gateway in hedgerow but I have wondered ever since if I chose the right side! Which way was he/she actually going?

We gardeners are all so different and rightly so. Lawns for me are a must.......love the way they set off the garden, love the smell of newly mown grass and enjoy mowing . Yes, my areas of lawn are similarly reduced every now and then too to accommodate more plants but plenty of grass still remains. I Like heathers, not everyone does; like grasses, not everyone does.

 

@Verdun if there is one there are likely more. A camera might surprise you with what goes on in the garden during the night . Do you put food out for your hedgehog? Food is a great way to encourage the hogs into your garden and a feeding station will keep the food dry and away from cats. The rats won't go in either. I use plastic storage boxes, so the hogs can be viewed whilst tucking in.

The two new girls are settling in. They rate the food as very good and the bed very comfy .

Weather very dark and grey with heavy drizzle all day, so no gardening. Trip to Bangor garden centre to buy two new marginal plants and baskets to plant into. One of the plants has what appears to be another plant growing out of the side of the basket, so maybe I have a free plant.

 

Yes, I do put food out for my hedgehog......Mark suggested this several months ago. Food disappears and I suspect a very happy guy....never leaves a tip though
Some good advice lucius....thanks. And a camera is tempting me too

 

Ha ha ARMANDII.....wont do that

 

Awwww, a pygmy hedgehog, they are so cute. Even more cute when taking a bath

 

@Verdun your welcome to the advice. The camera is amazing and very exciting checking it in the morning to see what its recorded. Last night it picked up another baby hedgehog . Why not treat yourself, you won't regret it!.

 

Sounds great lucius

 

I come across a couple of hedgehog last week, unfortunately the young one looked like it passed away , I nearly stood on the other one I didn't know it was there until I uncovered it, piled lots of extra leaves to help keep it warm over winter, and asked the customer who lives there to keep an eye out for it.

Well been busy in the garden last couple of days . Chopped back lots of perennials and other shrubs like fuchsia / Sambucus. Got quite a pile so put that through the wood chipper and then put on the compost heap, had to put an old cold frame on top of the compost heap to make it bigger, it looks ridiculous but cant be throwing away valuable compost material. Turned the other heap while I was at it.

Today I been moving plants around, removed a monkhood it wasn't cutting the mustered and replaced with Campanula Pritards Variety. Dug up 2 phlox white admiral, split both and replanted two, give mother one and the other going to anybody who will appreciate it. Planted a veronica crater lake lovely strong blue at the front of the border. Planted some shirley tulips and Allium Giganium / white Gaint in the border while I was at it.

Ventured round to Mum garden this afternoon with some plants - phlox WA - big Helenium S early - yellow cornus. Planted them and a Eupartorium in the front, planted in the back a campanula P Variety and Rose Gertrude Jekyll together with Allium mount everest. I was drench after today and 3 inch taller with the mud stuck to my boots. Sorry for rambling on I am fed up .