Its a Jungle Out There!!!

 I have no idea what has gone on in the garden this year? Its like the plants are on steroids! I don't think that in all the years I have grown 'exotic' looking plants I have had a year like this.

You can hardly get down the path. Its fun.

We decided that because of the phenomenal growth we should measure a few of the plants to use as comparison in future years or to just see if this is a one off. So apologies for hubbies shirt in the following pics lol!!

Amaranthus, should be about 4ft as you can see it is bigger than hubby who is 5ft 10in.

The beautiful Cleome, such a stunning flower with evil thorns on its stem, another 4 footer as you can see hitting 6ft!

Amaranthus pointy finger  apparently should be just over 3 ft, but this is closer to 5ft.

Good old Colocasia Pink China

Similar view from last year and I think you get the idea in the difference.

I was trying to think what I have done differently, I added bags of manure, the plants get chicken pellets when planted then I throw some more on about halfway through the growing season. The big change is the watering system. I am pleased-ish with this new system, I do need to make some alterations as to the placing of the spray heads, but on the whole its doing its job.

In the last few days through the heavy rain storms and high winds I have had to stake and tie up lots of  the plants.

Canna Stuttgard exceptional tall habit up to 3 metres which it has easily hit this year. This clump is now huge and will have to be split this autumn as it is currently charging off around this bed and taking over.

The Canna (above)with the orange flower is actually Canna Cleopatra, according to the RHS 'Cleopatra is a vigorous, clump-forming perennial to 5 ft tall'. As you can see it is a lot taller than that.

It is one of my favourites as both the foliage and the flower are stripy. In all honesty it is not in the best place to show it off. I was waiting for it to clump up a bit before I moved it.

Canna Pretoria, on the right, another 4-6 ft one.

The path is slowly disappearing.

Down by the pond, the Ricinus Zanzibarensis on the right is huge. Such beautiful leaves.

Such beautiful plants, all grown from seed, I love the different colours.

Just look at this Ricinus communis 'New Zealand Black' the purple hues in this are stunning.

My garden brings me great joy and peace, it has been a tough month for us/me. My Godfather a very special and important man in our family passed away the end of July. I am grateful he is at peace and out of pain, but he has left a huge hole in my heart.

This is exactly how I want to remember him, such a happy, cheerful man. He has been in my life, all of my life and will be greatly missed.

Thrilled with my Garden

I have not blogged for awhile as I have been having a couple of problems, I have tendinitis, which is so painful, I can't get a shoe on and I hobble around like an old woman!!!  Which is making life rather difficult.

The garden is blooming, some parts are fabulous and other parts need a bit more work.

This is the part of the garden I usually love the best, I am not so happy this year, its ok but needs some changes.

This is the same bed but from a different angle. What I have noticed is that plants this year that should only be 20 inches high have grown to over a metre. I have no idea why but it probably why this bed is not my favourite this year.

The banana 'Musa Basjoo' my hardy banana that came through the winter standing it usually collapses back to the root, I thought it would romp away, but it hasn't. It has been very slow even though its been fed and watered regularly. The Canna is far bigger than the banana.

This is the bed opposite, which has gone bonkers. The Cannas are doing so well and the Pink China clumps (big leaves at the front) have also gone mental they are close to 4ft tall which is huge for me, I am going to have to split them at the end of this year.

Same bed but from a different angle.

Now we come to my favourite part, I extended the jungle further down the garden and I really love how this is looking at the moment. On the way down I definitely have a few gaps but I have stuck canes in to mark where I need to move some of the taller Cannas when I split them.

The next pic, same bed but different angle.

These Cleomes are the same height as me? I know I did not buy this height as my garden is not really big enough, but they look so healthy.

These Cannas tower over me now, this one is aiming to take over this bed so some serious digging will be done in the autumn to split this and move round the garden.

On the other side another Canna going for the sky hasn't spread so far, yet.

Everyone is loving the changes I have made, so all the work I put in during 'lockdown' is paying off. It has been suggested I extend the 'jungle' look in the lower part of the garden especially since I redid the bed down by the pond.

This is how it looks down there, its a difficult part of the garden and I spend my life fighting back my neighbours Euphorbia and a huge grass that wants to grow in my garden not hers. So this autumn I will seriously consider digging most of this bed out, possibly using bamboo rhizome barrier along the fence line to stop invasions of unwanted  plants.

Then hopefully it will match this

Till next time x

Advantages to Covid-19 Lockdown!

You get to spend lots of time in the garden with no distractions!

So there has been lots of seed planting, pricking out going on in the greenhouse. I have jet washed the patio and path. I have oiled all the tables and chairs, they are jobs I usually do at Easter. So I am well ahead of the game. The only problem is I have run out of the wood protector I use for hubbies office and the sheds, this is also and Easter job and of course I can't get hold of any as its not considered 'essential'. I disagree its essential to my mental well being!!!!!!
I have been very daring and unwrapped my plants. Its really a bit early but because I 'have' to stay at home I am on hand to cover them quickly if needs be.

My Cycas, first time overwintered outside, it got planted out because it was getting so big and heavy to heave in and out of the greenhouse. I wrapped it in scaffolding net, looked odd but hey!

Unwrapped today and its not too bad. Probably because we have had such a mild winter.

As you can see a bit fried round the edges, other than that its ok.

The Arid bed had it first uncovering today to. 16.5C in the shade, not bad for the 4th April. It always amazes me when I see it in the spring for the first time, it all seems so much bigger than when it was covered in the autumn.

The Dasylirion Serratifolium at the end is growing well if a bit wonky.

Just look at the size of the Montana!! I never ever expected it to get this big when I planted it back in 2015.

Just 5 years ago! It was so diddy. I do very little to it, I throw some chicken pellets on in the spring, water it in the summer and that's it!

The Rostrata has also gone mental. I think had I realised how much hardier than the rest, this is I would have planted it at an end.

A couple of losses, I need to check what they were, but I always have losses in this area. I' beginning to think its where the wind whistles through and I think just hits them. Its impossible for rain to get here so thats the only reason I can think of.

I never protect my banana's (Ensete), I get fed up of all the straw blowing around, plus it has to come through my house. As you can see they are still upright. Normally they would be mush. They are root hardy so always come back. It will be interesting to see how they grow this year, I have never had any come through like this before!

Just looking back up the garden on this beautiful day.

Just to top the day off, we had our first bar b que. Well you have to do things that make you happy when your in lockedown!!!

Busy old month!

It is a while since I blogged, well blogged here that is.  I, as I have mentioned, I have now started my Million Step Challenge and started a blog to recall my journey, something I can look back on and see what and how I achieved it.

It has been so hot that gardening has taken a bit of a back seat, watering has been the main priority, fortunately we do not have a hosepipe ban, but to help I have stopped using a sprinkler.

Back in May 2015 the Arid bed looked like this

How much has changed in 3 years, it has filled out so much

The Agave Montana is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! you can really see just how big it has grown, when it was first planted it was no where near the edge of the bed, now it has reached the edge and overhangs it.

My spiky pompom, lol! Yucca Rostrata considerably bigger than when first planted.

This end has had the most changes, taking out the Aloe Striatula has left a bit of a hole but I purchased a very small Agave Americana which I planted and looking at it now, knowing how big it can get I think I shall move it a bit more to the right.

 As much as I love this bed I have seen one which I would truly love in my garden. This belongs to a friend who lives near Poole, Dorset a far better climate than I have.

What I love about this, is it looks far more natural. I know its wider than mine, and he is on a hill, plus he is also a builder, so constructs a most magnificent shelter for this to over winter it. I think that is where I would struggle.
When we rebuild the edge surrounding mine, later in the year, I have found a gadget which I hope to be able to incorporate into the build to be able to make erecting the winter shelter easier. I do realise I can't have the height of the plants, that is in his bed, as my garden is far more exposed and my shelter would probably take flight in the winter.
But maybe what I could possibly incorporate is some of the large rocks at the lower edge of my bed but then that would probably look odd, if it swapped to the wood that is currently used, Decisions, decisions.

Now the Phormium has gone I have tidied up and planted up the area, I am still waiting for my Solar pond pump which will run the ball pool.

Everything is a bit diddy, but will grow in time.

We aren't quite sure what to do with this area, so whilst deciding we have gathered all the potted plants here. Makes them easier to water too.

So thats what has been going on here this past month.

Dig, dig, gravel, gravel, greenhouse!

Ignore the fence. I have had enough with this trough, nothing seems to survive in it, it is so dry. I think the wood draws a lot of moisture out of the soil.

So time for a change. I have tried with the lavender for 3 years now it looks a mess. So the contents are coming out.

I have dug out all of the soil from half of the bed and filled one of my metal trough with it. Yes I need the soil but not sure I want it where it currently is, so this may be emptied and moved.

I am currently on a strict budget, so have very little garden money for what I want to do. But 'where there is a will, there is a way'.
For what I have planned, I need gravel, lots of gravel and as you know I have no rear access so can't afford a bulk bag or have access for wheeling it through.

So whilst at Wickes, I found a section with ripped bags of gravel so I bought a load, its a bit of a mish mash, but if I use the mish, mash, underneath I can always finish off with a few bags of nice stuff on the top.

We cleared all the split bags and spent under £10, bargain!

So this is a work in progress, as I find ripped bags I will add too this, digging out the rest of the soil as I find places for it to go.

The fence is another story, 2 years ago the neighbours (whose fence it is) said they would replace it. We are still waiting!! The problem is they can't see it their side, it is behind a massive hedge. We even offered to buy the larger concrete gravel boards for them this end of the garden as here, theirs is lower than ours.

Meanwhile in the greenhouse

I have now, put together all the new shelving.

I am thrilled with the new shelves, well some of them. I love how the lower shelf has a lot of room for slightly taller plants. They are so strong too and still room to slide a few lower cactus underneath on the floor.

The thinner shelf although really strong could have done with being about 6-8 inches taller, for me. But again lovely and strong which is needed as the cactus pots are rather heavy.
My heater is not staying there its just up on the shelf for the moment.

The right hand side of the greenhouse is totally empty. This is where I need to put the large pots. When everything is in the space where the watering cans are and all the shelves will be crammed. The rest of the space is given in priority of height or weight.
Height, goes to the back and centre of the greenhouse. I use bungee ropes to gather up fronds to allow for everything to fit in.
Heavy goes just inside the door on the right, everything else fits in where I can get it lol!