I was just pegging out the washing and noticed how far the sun has dropped in the sky. Having a north facing back garden it is surprising how all of a sudden the sun stops making it over the top of the house and takes till lunchtime to eventually manage to creep around the roofs and make it into my patch. In North Devon we have been enjoying a late summer rally and have had lovely misty mornings, warm balmy days and no rain for over two weeks. So it's time to take stock of the successes and failures plantwise of this most peculiar summer.
This garden was new to me last year and sadly what was left by the previous owners was not terribly inspiring. The first success seems to be the transplanting of the magnolia stellata which was starving and struggling in a hole in the concrete in the middle of the front garden. Taking the view that it would most certainly die if I left it and might die if I moved it, it is now in the bed at the side of the garden and appears to be happy. Indeed all the shrubby things have relished all the rain and have got off to a good start. The wisteria has gone mad and is shooting all over the place, the lavenders have done their stuff as have osteospernums. The banana and apple tree apear to be happy but it's early days, and all the palms are as happy as Larry. My man at the car boot sale sells palms for £2.50 and I've got seven so far in the ground or pots - a veritable plantation. A sago palm that I grew from seed six years ago has made four leaves this year and the corm is swelling nicely in spite of being lost in the microwave for three weeks when our stuff was in storage. The tomatoes have thrived on neglect - erratic watering and feeding and no pinching out, but they have come through ripe, fat and juicy.
And so to the not so successful. The wall planters have struggled and it's time to sort them out. A eucomis [ pineapple lily] put on good foliage but sadly no spike. A lilac bush left by the previous owners has succumbed and will have to be removed. A passion flower has failed to make any progress so will be moved further down to the sunnier end of the garden.
So all in all not too bad a season in spite of it all.
14 comments:
Good for you - am looking forward to tackling the rather drab garden we inherited here, but it can seem rather daunting. I tend to think of it all at once but should learn to do it bit by bit.
I have some lovely red geraniums left in my hanging baskets and a few tubs. Thinking about getting some winter pansie soon and a bit more colour.
Crystal xx
Hello Toady, I liked going round the garden with you. The pictures are beautiful.
Do you keep a gardening journal from year to year, with the sort of notes like these to help you see how the garden evolves
I would love to try some of your tomato harvest!
xo
Toady, that is funny, just as you were commenting on mine I was reading yours ! hardly dared say that this year my gorgeous lavenders have gone, well, brown ! seems like Devons the place.
Not being at all green-fingered (unlike you), my only claim to greatness this year has been our tomatoes - like yours, ours suffered from erratic watering, etc, while we went on holiday, but they also seemed to have pulled through - 3 cheers for yummy toms!
I have a north facing back garden too - can be such a pain. We've had tomato disaster this year - and actually my lavendar hasn't been too good either - but like yours, my wisteria has gone mad.
lovely pictures and I like the taking stock at this time of year. A very calming blog.
What a lovely introduction to you nearly new garden! You seem to have made a great start. It is marvelous that the M. stellata has survived the move. Of course, as you say, it has been a marvelous year for shrubs.
May I be terribly rude and suggest that you prune the Wisterea very hard? All this year's growth should be cut back to about 5 buds, and then in late winter to 2 buds. That does not apply to extension growth, or where you want it to fill a gap. Just tie that in. Am I teaching my grandmother to suck eggs? I expect you knew already? Sorry!!
Of my 2 pineapple lillies, one rotted into a disgusting mess and the other did well but, like yours, prodiced no spike. Loved the blog and pictures.
A lot of us seem to be thinking about our gardens this time of year. Really enjoyed hearing about yours.
Oh dear, you put me to shame Toady! Our garden was a washout (literally) this year and so I have already given it it's autumnal tidy to make me feel better! xx
Berlimey - well done you. Lovely to hear of the plants being rescued and cared for. Gorgeous pictures.
Your garden sounds like it is thriving since it met its caring new gardener Toady, lovely to hear of plants being rescued. I hope you are feeling a bit better too, read your previous blog, you capture depression so well, I think I cna relate to how you feel....good luck with the tribunal, you will get positive closure...fingers and toes crossed for you...
I think I said to you a few blogs ago that I find your blogs so much more calmer these days and see a more assertive and calmer Toady and your sense of humour coming through.
I always really admire you (and Elizabethm) for your efforts in the garden department. I LOVE my garden but never seem to get the time...There is REALLY no excuse and you put me to shame!
Lovely listening to what you get up to.
warm wishes
xx
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