The "Exotic" border

We also planted up the exotic border today... These photographs show what it's like at the moment... I can't wait to see how it develops as we've taken a slightly different approach; and there's no Ricinus plant this year. Disappointingly, Urban Jungle didn't have any as they couldn't obtain the seed. We've used some Canna's to fill the spot where the Ricinus would have gone.

We've put fewer Dahlias in this this year. The border seemed to sag under their weight last year. Hopefully we'll still have a good display.

This is from the patio.. Not much to see; yet. .

The rockery

A couple of posts ago, this photo showed the "about to be redeveloped border". Well, the border has been redeveloped (although not yet complete...).

This is the same border with the rocks installed. I hope this does it justice. We had all of the plants available so it was just a matter of fitting them around the rocks. We're really rather pleased with the final effect.


This photo is from the path-side (shame about the wash-line at the right of the photo.


The first rock laid. Although it did undergo some adjustment before we were happy with the effect.

Then there were four.

The final effect...

The rock's arrived

In the last entry I mentioned that one of the borders was about the be redeveloped. The plan is to create a "rockery".

With these:












More accurately, those plus five others. The largest two rocks are about 70cm x 70cm x 60cm, then there are five that 70cm x 60cm x 30cm, and two others that are about half that size. A bit tricky to handle and move around so we will need to plan their layout to ensure we get it right first time. I really don't fancy having to re-lift them and rebuild the border once they're in place.

For the record

I should, perhaps, point out that the photo's in this blog are chosen to show the garden's features in their best light. Notice an absence of plastic bags full of cuttings and detrious ready to go to the recycling centre, the rotary clothes line rarely makes an appearance and that part of the garden that is "for redevelopment" fail to appear. Well here are a couple of photographs to redress the balance.


This border is about to be redeveloped. Nothing major but we may need to know the name of a good chiropactor when the work's complete. I'll post the pictures as it happens; maybe.

-----------------------------------------------------

This is the "exotic" border, just starting to grow, and it's pretty sparse with lots of soil showing. The banana plants (Musa Sikkimensis) were cut right down by the frosts - the fleece wigwam didn't provide enough protection. The good news (I think) is that the roots have come through and we have several new suckers that are growing well; we may have a banana grove at this rate. One of the Hedychiums appears to be thriving, with several shoots appearing, while the other is not doing quite so well, but has come through the winter.

Front garden in Late May

It seems that the garden is responding well to the weather. The weeds are growing at a great rate! I'm a little concerned by the appearance of more Bindweed in the front garden - I will apply the appropriate weedkiller once the weather settles.

On a more positive note, the (non-weed) plants are also growing well with the gaps in the border nearest the drive slowly disappearing. I think we may have to rearrange the planting here in the next couple of years as the larger plants start doing battle for thir own territory. Watch this space!

Currently in bloom is the Clematis Montana over the front window, the Rhododendron by the front door and a Viburnum near the lounge window. The variegated Weigela (not shown) is also flowering but not as well as in previous years; a result of being kind to it last year and not hacking, sorry, pruning it as hard. The overall effect is pleasing in a pale pink and white way. As you know, Janet doesn't "do" pink, but has made exceptions as the effect is really quite pleasing.












-------------------------------------------------














The Rhododendron is rather hidden from view but is thriving in its new location, having been moved from the back garden a couple of year's ago. I'm not sure about pink and yellow (Euonymous) together, but it seems to work in this relatively shady spot.

-------------------------------------------------

Incidentally, the Viburnum (picture below) can be seen in the background of the photograph above. This works really quite better in the garden than it does in my photographs

To the rear of the patio

The Tree Peony

A close up of one of the new primula flowes
and the Azaleas and Myosotidium

The front garden

In no particular order. I may add a few words but it's late on a Sunday now and I really do need my beauty sleep.

May is upon us

May is here and the garden is changing at an amazing rate. Self-sown seedlings of Verbena are all over the garden and need thinning (and a few potting up to supplement any that may have been lost over the winter). The Musa's have really suffered and have been cut down to ground level; have we lost them? No. There are several shoots coming up around what were the main stems. Enough wittering. Here are a few photographs to show what has been happening.


Starting at the patio...

Not much to see as far as plants go, but you'll see our posh new table. Well, ok, it's a tree stump that we picked up from Gooderstone Water gardens when we had a few days away around Cambridgeshire. We'd looked for a rustic table but couldn't see anything that suited or needs. Janet spotted some lumps of wood from some felling that they'd done at Gooderstone so we asked the gardener if we could have one; and that's the story of the new table.




We've moved the yellow Acer pot to the other side of the patio and you'll see one of the the rather nice red Azaleas under the red Acer 'Bloodgood'. At the back, by the fence, is a bamboo that's growing rapidly. Unfortunately its name is rather long and I don't remember what it is.





Round to the right of the patio is the "bog" garden, which is coming along nicely. The Ligularia has been moved back away from the pond which gives the pond-plants more light and space to grow, and the yellow grass has been moved from the middle of the bog to the corner and is doing much better.


These Bergenias were inherited but didn't do very well, then we moved them to near the shed (and under the washing line) where they're thriving. This border will be having some work done on it soon - transforming into a rockery!

This is the view from the shed along the path at the back of the house... Lookin' good: although Janet did point out that the red tulip jarred a little.















And looking in the opposite direction.































And from the end of the path...
Towards the summerhouse












And carry on round







And round and then you're back at the patio.

Then a few close-up photo's