End of month view: November 2014

November appeared a quieter time in the garden. Although the mild weather has meant that some things are still flowering that really shouldn't be (I'm looking at you nasturtiums), much of the garden has moved into shadow, and the main changes can be found in the kitchen garden.

Early in the month I took down the bean poles and prepared some parts of the veg beds for broad bean and garlic planting. I also threw on some phacelia tanacetifolia seeds to the area in the bottom left of the photo below. They have germinated and have survived two frosts but not sure if it will survive a really cold snap. But I had the seed spare and I figured why not sow and see what I reap

At the top left of the photo above you can see part of my new Brassica cage that Kevin build to spec to suit my long but only .75cms wide vegetable beds. The long sides, where the paths lay, lift up for easy access and the whole thing is light enough to me to lift off entirely if I need.

Throughout November I've been harvesting kale, fennel, chard and spinach, carrots and kohl rabi. And now that we have had some frosts, I'll be able to start cropping the parsnip in December.

I do have some winter potatoes under fleece (the pointy white thing in the top photo, to the right of the mini greenhouse) but I'm not sure they will get enough sun to do much. I have seen some foliage at the top of the pot, so you never know.

As I mentioned, much of the garden moved into shadow during November. By now the only borders that get direct sun are along the left side, the Strawberry and Herb borders, plus the vegetable borders alongside the garage. The top half of the pergola gets quite a bit of light, which might explain why the tall sunflowers continued to flower until the last couple of days.

I still have sweet peas flowering, though they finally seem to have slowed down in the last few days. Oddly, the plants looked like they were going to end in September, but had a sudden renewed desire to see the world and really took off in the mild October. Not that I'm complaining...

The Shady Border (part of it above) gets no direct sunlight at this time of year. It's not in dark shade, but it is shady, hence it's name. As it is getting stripped back to it's bare bones, I'm contemplating how I can improve on the structure and give it more all-year-round interest. In fact, this border is going to be my focus for next years EOMV, as I feel it needs work and the focus EMOV gives I hope, will help me develop this border.

There were a few plants of note in this and other parts of the garden though. A little dirt splashed, but Primula 'Guinevere' has re-flowered. This hasn't minded being in the boggy part of the border, so seems to be ok having it's feet wet.

You have to get up close, which is of course half the fun, to see the red berries on the Sarcococca confusa. And coming up at the same time are the flowers for this winter, which I think may open in December. I'm looking forward to that wonderful fragrance to lift my spirits on a grey short winters day.

And there are also the black berries of evergreen Lonicera similis var. delavayi basking in the sun on the pergola. I wonder if the birds will eat these?

I only planted the corms in October, but clearly this Cyclamen hederifolium was keen to get going.

I'm however, confused about the next plant that is about to re-flower, Rehmannia elata, Chinese foxglove. It's not meant to be hardy and it's getting very little direct sun, but it's clearly determined to have a second show. I suspect the predicted cold whether in the next week will do it in before it does flower again. Such a shame really.

And lastly, those nasturtiums. Those damn nasturtiums are still going strong. Despite 2 frosts now.

I think I'm going to have to bite the bullet and pull them out if the frosts predicted this week don't do them in. I have some bulbs to put in their place, and as pretty as they are, I think it's time they gotta go.

I'm pleased to see that as the garden puts on it's first full winter coat (the first full year of the garden existing), it still has food to harvest and flowers, berries and foliage to enjoy.

Overview from the study

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End of month view is hosted by Helen Johnstone, aka @patientgardener. Visit Helen's blog for her November 2014 EOMV and links to other bloggers EOMV posts.

End of month view: April 2014

April has brought with it a mix of sunshine and showers, all of which has seen increased growth and more colour to the garden, particularly in contrast to the end of March.

Overview from the conservatory. More foliage and flowers.

In the Strawberry Border the strawberries have started flowering. I've decided that the Salvia transsylvanica (left of the lime tree pot) doesn't look right in this border and I need to move it. It also grows quite quickly and covers the strawberries. I've also got some self-sown poppies that are getting a bit too big for their boots, so I will probably pull them out once they have finished flowering.

Strawberry Border

The Herb Border has filled out considerably, though much is hidden by the forget-me-nots. I do love forget-me-nots, but I think some editing is needed! The herbs have grown enough since planting last summer, that I can now rely on them for my cooking. Which is just what you want from a herb border.

Herb Border, with an invasion of forget-me-nots

The Shady Border is also filling out, but there are also places that are looking bare. I think once the Solanum, which is semi-evergreen, has grown up the fence more it should help fill it out. I think I need to be patient and see what else might come up before I add anything further...

Shady Border

However, in another part of the Shady Border, I need to move something. I seem to have planted Sarcococca confusa too close to Lamium orvala. I think the Lamium that needs to move, as I like the idea of the evergreen Sarcococca growing up the fence. A task for May.

The flowers of Lamium orvala peeking through the Sarcococca.

Some plants I'm particularly happy with and which have grown nicely or is flowering by the end of April are:

The nodding bells of Clematis 'Blue Eclipse'

 

The leaves of Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood' are fully out and adding colour to the Shady Border

After being pot bound, the Luzula sylvatica 'Marginata' is flowering wonderfully.

I love the airy nature of its flowers.

The alien like flower spikes of Darmera peltata (Umbrella plant), which come up before the leaves.

The pulmonaria under the damson tree, not just for the flowers

but for the many bees that have enjoyed the flowers.

The cornus cuttings that I took last month appear to be taking off,

so I may have quite a few free shrubs as a result.

Saxifraga x urbium flowering in the Herb Border.

Tulipa 'Abu Hassan' shines brightly under the young greengage tree

In the Kitchen Garden, I've started my small section for perennial edibles. I've planted out perennial Kale Daubenton, and added non-flowering sorrel, which I got from Alison of The Backyard Larder. Alison sells quite a number of edible perennials and I recommend her to you. I also have some wild garlic which I thought I might add to this section.

I've planted potatoes, Pink Fir Apple and Stemster, sown chard and beetroot, including Beetroot Cylindra which was recommended by Jono over at Real Men Sow. And there are plenty of brassicas, legumes etc getting bigger by the day in the mini greenhouse. 

We also finally finished sorting out the space between the pergola and the fence. This isn't technically our land. Long boring story... I've spoken to the neighbour and this fence is very new and it's unlikely they will ever move the fence back, or if they do so, it will not be for years. They don't mind me growing plants in the in-between space.

The Back Border, or should I call it the 'Illegal Border - immigrants welcome'?!

Legally it is their land and you never know what might happen in the future, so the game plan is that I plant only plants I'm prepared to 'lose'. This includes a couple of climbers, Clematis alpina 'Pamela Jackman', which is deciduous, and an evergreen honeysuckle Lonicera similis var. delavayi. These grow up the pergola and the honeysuckle will add some winter interest with its leaves. I'm also adding some perennials and I'll throw in some wildflower seeds. The only plant I don't want to lose is the grapevine, but I have planted this well inside our border.

Finally, there is the difficult to photograph, Dianthus cruentus, that are almost ready to flower. These are the infamous dianthus that Cleve West planted in one of his Chelsea Gardens' several years ago that were much admired. I was one of those admirers, and when last summer Sue Beesley tweeted that she had some, so I said yes please and picked them up at her Tatton Park stand last July. Twitter can be wonderfully useful for sourcing plants! Behind them are the recently planted eating pea 'Lativan' which should climb up the obelisk and be both pretty and edible.

Dianthus cruentus, if you look hard enough for the red-pink spikes

My visits to Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens and Harrogate Flower Show during April resulted is quite a few new purchases for the garden, mainly for the Shady Border. They include several Epimediums, a low growing Cornus canadensis for the Cornus Border, and Luzula sylvatica 'Taggart's Cream' to complement the other Luzula already in the Shady Border.

mmm, more plants, mmmm

These will be planted during May. And if the lack of frosts continue, we might see the courgettes, pumpkins and Climbing French Beans also planted out and growing on by the end of May. See you then!

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End of month view is hosted by Helen Johnstone, aka @patientgardener. Visit Helen's blog for her April 2014 EOMV and links to other bloggers EOMV posts.

End of month view: February 2014

It's amazing what a difference 28 days makes in the garden. Since the end of January the amount of light coming into the garden has doubled, and the middle veg bed is now getting full light during part of the day.

More sun in the kitchen garden

The height of the sun in the sky increases daily and with it the light that the garden receives. This is good for the veggies, and the broad beans and garlic are very happy.

Cat-Merlyn posing with the broad beans, plus garlic sticking it's leaves up

I thought it was time to dig out the old mini greenhouse and put it together as I'm starting to sow seeds. Sadly, the new cover I got for it was the wrong size. Well, not so much the wrong size as the fact that manufacturers have changed the sizing of recent frames, making them smaller, and meaning I cannot purchase a cover the right size to replace it. Very frustrating! I have considered trying to make one bespoke, but have instead decided to buy a completely new mini greenhouse. When it comes to gardening and having ME, I have to carefully decide where to put my limited energy, and I'd rather put it into growing plants than trying to make a (not very easy to make) bespoke plastic cover.

Hedera colchica 'sulphur heart',

plus snowdrops and pulmonaria planted under the damson tree

I haven't done a lot of planting this month as it rained for much of the month until the last 10 days, though not as bad here as down South. The ground was sodden so not great for planting into. In the last week it's been better and I finally planted my ivy Hedera colchica 'sulphur heart'. This is a lovely variegated evergreen climber, and my hope is that it will not only start covering the fence, but also give more interest and colour to this dimmer corner of the garden. I added some snowdrops under the Damson tree that I picked up at Hodsock Priory, Galanthus Ikariae and Galanthus S. Arnott. 

The other changes since the end of January are growth! Such as the Solanum crispum 'Glasnevin', also growing up the fence. 

Lots of new growth on the young Solanum

It was with great joy that my Galanthus Bagpuize Virginia suddenly popped up. I wasn't sure they would come up as I dug them up before we left Oxford last March, and they sat in a pot for most of the year, leaves died back, until I finally planted them in the Strawberry Border last November. My lesson from this is that maybe you don't really have to plant snowdrops 'in the green' as is the usual horticultural advice. Or maybe I got lucky?!

Galanthus Bagpuize Virginia in the Strawberry border

Strawberry border with 7 Galanthus Bagpuize Virginia

My first daffodil has flowered, only in the last day, along with Crocus snow bunting.

I pruned back the perennials and Rosa Seagull (growing up the arch) and tidied the herbs in the Herb Border.

Herb Border

And I have this Hellebore, Blue Lady, to plant in the middle of the obelisk.

Helleborus 'Blue Lady'

The hellebores in the Cornus Border are now fully flowering.

Cornus border

As is the first of the gorgeous Iris Reticulata J. S. Dijt.

Beautiful...

The long Shady Border is starting to see sights of further bulb/corm growth, and the Sarcococca confusa is still flowering and fragrant. I need to get onto putting up the proper frame for the Morello Cherry in March, so hopefully by the end of next month the current bamboo cane against the fence will have gone.

Shady border

Overall, the garden has really started to come to life by the end of February. My jobs for March will be focus on some vegetable seed sowing, some in modules and some direct into my new vegetable borders. I'm quite excited that I'll finally be using these borders!

I also need to get the grapevine in, which will be growing up the pergola, and cut back the Cornus shrubs so I can get the lovely red stems to bring joy next winter.

February has been a good month, despite the rain. I'm looking forward to March.

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End of month view is hosted by Helen Johnstone, aka @patientgardener. Visit Helen's blog for her February 2014 EMOV and links to other bloggers EMOV posts.

Initial outline of new garden: balancing permaculture practice and growing 'needs'

It's been a couple of months since I last blogged about the new garden. I've not been that well so when I do feel ok, I tend to focus on actual gardening, rather than blogging. Things have come on since we got out the leylandii early April.

Garden minus the leylandii

The first thing I did was draw up a base map, including the measurements and plotting key items, such as fences, the garage etc. Because this garden is largely a blank slate, this was fairly straight-forward.

Base map with measurements

I didn't include the washing line on the map, as I planned on taking that out, so it isn't a permanent feature.

Permaculture advises that you should live in your space for a year, before you start designing. This makes sense, as surveying the site over this period of time can give you a better idea of how it is situated. For instance, you can watch how sun and shadows move across the site, notice where the rain falls and where any water logging may occur, see if it gets any frost pockets, etc. In the following pictures, you can see how different the light changes along the right hand side fence in the space of c. 3 weeks:

Shadows from house and fence, 16:47pm, 18th April 2013

Shadow from fence (none from house), 16:20pm, 6th May 2013

So in a short few weeks, already the way the light falls over the garden has changed. By taking time to survey the site, take photos over time, I can get an idea of what part of the garden gets most sun, at what times of the year.

And this led me to a conundrum. It clearly makes sense to survey your site over time before you jump in and start designing and digging. If I made the mistake of just using where the shadows fell in late spring-early summer, I could mistakenly plan beds for plants that need full sun in the wrong place.

The mid-April photo above shows that quite a bit of the garden is in shadow around 4:40pm. If I used the early May photo only as the example of where the shade falls, I could make a mistake of assuming more of the garden gets light for a longer period of the year than it does. The shade from the fence in the middle of the year at the same time of day is half again of what it is in the May photo above.

However, I really wanted to get planting and growing. I desperately wanted to get planting and growing. I mean, what is a gardener if she doesn't have any beds to plant in?!

The conclusion I reached has given me both the sensible permaculture option, and the chance to start planting. Here is the initial outline of the garden design.

Basic design showing electrical cables

What won't change over the year, is the fact that the left-side border, next to the driveway and garage, will get full-sun most of the day (at least 6 hours) all year around. And the right-side border will largely be in shade most of the year around. I'm calling this, rather originally (!), the Shady Border. The part of the Shady Border near the conservatory (bottom of the picture above) will get early morning sun for a 2-3 hours depending on the time of the year. However the other end of the Shady Border will be in shade most of the year, except for about 1 hour in the morning between May and July. I can use the Shady Border to plant lots of lovely perennials that like different levels of shade (full shade to part-shade). The 'tree' picture in the middle of the border is where the Morello Cherry will be planted in Autumn.

So, based on the known facts of the left and right side borders, I can make some initial design decisions. I can meet my desperate desire to start planting by starting on the Shady Border, and continue to survey the rest of the site over the coming months before making any further decisions. This also allows me to spread out the cost of initial work.

I got in a gardener to help do some initial clearing and digging of the beds.

First beds dug out, and ugly washing line gone

I'd picked up quite a few plants for the Shady Border from Hardy Plant Society plant sale at the beginning of May, plus more from a visit to Beth Chatto's garden mid-May. I ordered in a lot of compost, as the ground is quite heavy clay, and voila, my first border is starting to grow.

First plants in the Shady Border, including:
Amsonia tabernaemontana, Astrantia major 'Rubra',
Meconopsis cambrica and
Omphalodes cappadocica 'Cherry Ingram' .

Next to the drive way I have placed my arch, and created two smaller beds, the Strawberry Border and the Herb Border (names I believe are self-explanatory). Growing up the arch from the Strawberry Border is Clematis x triternata 'Rubromarginata', and from the Herb Border is Rosa 'Seagull'. 

Strawberry Border (left) and Herb Border (right)
please ignore the ugliness of the driveway at this time!

When digging these borders, I discovered some electrical cables that led from the house to the garage. It shows again why it takes time to get to know your site. We had wondered where the cables were, but only found them when I nearly put a fork through them. Should have looked more carefully! I've added them onto the plan as I don't want to forget they are there.

At the top end of the garden where the leylandii used to be, I think will get at least 6 hours of sun all year around as well. At the moment I'm thinking of putting in Damson, Quince and Greengage trees, but need to continue to think on how I will design this area, including how to deal with the fence (initial thinking is pergola with grapevines), as I need to get a better idea of the light, effects of the neighbours fence, etc before I decide for sure. The two brown boxes (on the design further above) are my 'beehive' compost bins, and the green box is where the large water tank will be going.

Late afternoon overview, also include the first of my veggie raised beds

Alongside the garage will be three raised beds for vegetable growing, with the 1st bed ready for planting. I'm using link-a-bords for these. They are simple to assemble, made from recycled plastic, and require NO maintenance, the latter a big plus in my view. Not as attractive as railway sleepers I admit, but they would take up a lot more space and mean less room for actual growing, which is more important. I've put in a tomato plant and have some coriander and basil to plant out, and will sow more seeds over the coming weeks.

Finally, I feel like I'm a gardener again. Yes, I have a long way to go. More surveying, thinking, designing and doing. I need to think around how best to deal with the driveway, which gets a large amount of sun and we don't use for a car, maybe large planters? But for now, I'm very satisfied with the initial outline. And I think I'm managing to meet both permaculture principles as well as deep emotional growing needs.