Another update from the postage stamp:
- Watering
The Garden started the week basking and baking in our south-facing aspect, although the garden room and next door’s unwillingness to prune means each bed get either the morning or Afternoon Sun. The pots still needed watering morning and evening. The long downpour midweek has everything looking happier.
2. Garden room
This is now known as the Bat Cave. Eldest son made a convincing case for moving his bed into the shed, albeit one that is insulated, plastered, carpeted and with mains electricity. He’s not deterred by having to fight his way through drying clothes either – I do love a proper drying line, having put up with a rotary one for years.
3. Pots and beds
A bit of an upgrade and change around thanks to Sarah Raven having a sale, but still mostly lobelia. The beds were shortened by about two feet to make room for the Bat Cave. This involved moving Madame Carriere to the allotment and using the opportunity to move several plants/shrubs that were either unhappy, past their best or who failed to impress me. It has left big gaps, which I’ve plugged with some donated hellebores and some seedlings left over from the cutting patch. I rescued the hydrangea from neglect at Homebase. I think I need a proper re-design of both beds this autumn/winter. The left hand bed gets the morning/midday sun and is mostly planted in shades of pink and red. The right hand bed gets the afternoon sun and is mostly white, blue and green with dashes of yellow.
4. Fruit trees in pots
This was a 2015 experiment to see if the cordon trees at Park Road would tolerate being moved. They did and they seem much happier. The pear is Sensation and five fruits is a record! The apple is Greensleeves, recommended as a crisp Golden Delicious type and again this is a great harvest. I think a cordon grown at 90 degrees is a column but we’ll see how that goes as the trees grow.
5. Agapanthus
Another purchase from Woolies many moons ago. Mentioned in my last six but it’s my favourite plant; puts up with my slapdash/forgetful watering and feeding and flowers like mad every year- unlike the other agapanthus purchased from RHS Wisley who has sulked for the last three years. Clearly thinks it’s too posh for its pot!
6. Re-modelling
The deck area is what estate agents called ‘tired’. It’s still something of a storage area when we created space for the Bat Cave, but now I have a plan – inspired by a trade stand at Hampton Court. I think it will turn it back into a great sociable space with the table for two outside the back door still just right for breakfast.
