Middle of March!

I cannot believe I haven't posted for 2 weeks, time is getting faster and faster!!!

I have been up to mums for a long weekend, prior to this my back decided to play up. I find it annoying as I have been good and not done anything silly to make it go. Anyway it wasn't curing its self on its own so I am now under a physio!!

My gardener came, I am quite exited about this, I have never ever used a gardener before, so when hubby asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I said 'a gardener please' and so it was arranged. Much better than something that will gather dust. He will do all the heavy work for me.
Anyway he started last Friday, and did in under 2 hours what would have taken me a few days!

The TRex is now by the water butt, I do hope we haven't killed it. I was thinking about growing a Passionflower up the wall behind it, but knowing my luck it will grow up the wall and flower the other side!!!

So the Trex and Red Cordyline have been moved and my jungle bed is looking a bit empty, not that I'm worried, at least now my Maureli's and Monty will be able to stretch its legs.

The bamboo which came out of the planter and really 'run' away with itself, had only been in there for less than 2 years. Anyway it is going to my daughters and will be going in a trough and acting as a screen.

My schefflera is really romping away since I put it in a larger pot last year. I am being careful with it as I would be very sad to lose it as I love its leaves.

The Red Cordyline is squeezed in behind the Phormium, not a favourite plant of mine, I bought it as a filler a number of years ago and the damn thing hasn't died! I thought the red one was not as hardy, well we will see.

I have a few more plants to be moved before we start work on the new arid bed. I have been shopping for a few speciman plants for the new bed. I am quite excited.
I love doing new things in the garden. It seems no time since it was all grass and had climbing frames and swings in it, then tents for camping out parties. 18 years ago we dug our first pond, far too small of course and from there it has evolved! I am certain it has far to go from now too!

Garden in Winter

I do not like my garden in winter, it is so dull and brown/grey. But now the evenings are getting lighter I start to get excited about what I have planned!

The bamboo is doing exactly what I wanted it to do and that was hide the water butt

but it is doing it a little too well. As you can see it has spread out quite significantly, when I bought it I was told it was a 'clumper'. I do not want it to break the brick wall, which it is well capable of so it will be coming out, with the help of my birthday present 'money for a gardener' (to do the heavy stuff!

In its place I will move the TRex, provided it comes back to life!

The Tree ferns are doing well, the lower one better than the taller one.

See what I mean about brown/grey!!! That Cordyline was planted as a filler a few years ago and should have died by now (winters) but it hasn't, so before it gets much bigger I (or the gardener)will move it down the garden behind the Phormium!

Trachy is looking pretty good now and must be double my height?

Butia seems ok in the new bed. Just not sure about the bamboo trough, great for winter protection, but???????

The Phormium, has settled well in its new bed, in fact its looking a lot perkier than when it was in its tub, just need to look out for a solar pump for the ball pool, and some rocks.

Cough, cough! a new dumping ground! This is something I am really, really bad at. Space that doesn't have a use becomes a dumping ground! The smaller phormium is coming out and going to my daughters, she has the Hardy Tropical bug too!! But what to do here? Its not big enough for a seat so do I extend the flower bed? Really not sure!

The rest of the flower bed, with the damage panel that is only just hanging in there. The neighbours (its there fence) won't replace it as they can't see it!!! Anyway lots to be done in this bed I really would like the whole lot dug out and gone through to get rid of the bind weed roots. I know I will never find them all but I can certainly reduce them considerably!

Bloomin veg beds! these have not been good for years, so I have seriously thought about getting rid of them. To what though lawn? possibly thats what was there before, but its boring. Sarah Raven has plants for cutting which I think would look fabulous here, but if the veg don't grow would the flowers. Still to be mulled over!

The lawn? well the moss!!! New turf both sides of the path last year, dug and aerated and treated and it still comes back!!! I'm not sure the new fence has helped.

2 years running this has happened so there is no point in growing grass here. The bed below is easily incorporated into the flower bed. But the one above mmmmmmm??? Playing with ideas, I suppose if I got rid of the veg beds turned them to lawn with a small bed along the fenceline for sunflowers, ricinus, foxgloves and other tall stuff. I could use the wood to create a triangular raised bed so it would get more sun for ??? I was just thinking I could make it an 'Arid' bed, more thought needed I think, but I like the idea.

The pond, just look at the state of those fence panels just wish the damn things would fall down. They where put up 3 neighbours ago probably about 1990 they have concrete fence posts. For some unknown reason they never ever get blown out like the others, each year I paint them to hopefully disguise them abit!
Should be interesting to see how the pond has faired this winter. If you remember last year we had lots and lots of baby fish, which will have to be found new homes if they survived.
So far no frogs spawn.

Passion flower still hanging in there.

Olive has been out all winter this year. Not planned just got forgotten, but doesn't look any the worse for it.

This is the bottom bed that backs onto the compost. It gets very damp here so is or was planted with loads of hellabores and spring bulbs followed by 2 very large ferns. The ferns are fine, the spring bulbs are just starting to poke through, but this is the only Hellabore to survive. To be honest I'm pleased I like Hellabores.

So on the walk back up the garden I notice all the new shoots

 So I think spring is not too far away!

Out in the Sunshine

The weather forecast for today was suppose to be rain, but then they changed there minds, so although I am very tired I took the opportunity to get out and get some work done, as I believe it is suppose to rain the rest of the week. I hope it does as we have had very little recently.
I decided to take the opportunity to sort out the now empty water butts

the turquoise one ( now on the floor) seems to have sprung a leak, so I had to do a bit of shuffling around, the big one (on left) that has replaced it was at the side of my small greenhouse and never really filled properly.



At the side of the small greenhouse I have now put this smaller one. This was between the 2 greenhouses but was not big enough. So we are already for the rain and I still have room for a further 2 if not 3 waterbutts. I currently have 7.



I weeded and recut the lawn edges. This bed gets bigger every year I do this. To be honest the grass is a pain and is forever growing into the flower beds!
Whilst giving it a really good weed I found these





Four banana pups, how exciting. The ground is really, really dry as well, so if it doesn't rain I shall have to water very well!

The bananas are out for an airing and to start hardening them off.



and are really beginning to take off.My maurelli is so big now that I can only manage to drag it out the door of the greenhouse.



My bromeliads, also outside for hardening off



When I went to see Will Giles, Exotic Garden last year he had rows and rows of these, I managed to pick these up for 50p each last autumn and they have really grown now!

I also thought the Cordyline needed a hair cut



I have trimmed it in the above pic, but this is the view we have of it from the cottage. So imagine my surprise when I trimmed round the back and found this...

must be doing something right!!!!

Our neighbours put in an new fence, alot neater than the old one!!