What would I do without my family!

So it is 3-4 weeks since I had the work done in my garden, normally it would have taken me a couple of days to get it all sorted and planted, but I just can't do it. So I have had to be patient, not something I am good at, but because I physically haven't been able to do things, it wasn't too much of a problem.

So I must thank from the bottom of my heart, both m girls and my lovely hubby. None of this would have happened if they hadn't been popping round to do the heavy work and planting.

So the top bed:-

The Paulowina is off, I have 3 shoots growing at the moment, but I think I will take one off.

The Petasites, still being kept in its trough, but watered and fed regularly has been moved to infront of the boiler to disguise it a bit.

Looking down the garden, past the new bed which has had bagfuls of compost and manure added before the planting began. What I cannot believe is how much of a difference the hedge on the right being cut down to below the fence level has made. The Alliums actually grew upright this year instead of growing out at an angle.

The hedge on the left has also been cut back. This bed all planted up, wait a couple of weeks and it will start looking good.

The new bed, a lot of annuals in here for now, just one or two hardy. I need to get hold of some really good hardy plants.

The Trachycarpus Princeps just to the left of the Cycas is quite small at the mo, but will grow, but not as big or as fast as my other one I have been informed.

I will extend the sleepers, probably next year when I have a bit more cash.

The arid bed, still growing like crazy, I never do anything to it except cover it in the winter and throw some chicken pellets on it during early summer. I do wish I had realised just how big they where all going to get, I would have spread them out a bit. I had no idea just how much they would love my garden.

Opposite the arid bed, looks boring doesn't it, qiute a few hardy plants in this area, just have to wait and see if they come up.

Lower bed on the right, this is an odd part of the garden, the T-Rex, (big leaved plant on left of pic) has been in here for quite a few years now and should be considerably bigger. No idea why it hasn't grown, although I suspect a large orange blossom bush/tree on the extreme left of the pic is taking over this bed. We are seriously considering getting someone in to dig it out!

 The pond area, my 2 Red Hot Pokers have flowered this year, they increase in size year on year, so when I'm dead they should look amazing lol!!!

Raised bed by bottom patio, odd bed? This is were the spider plants survived the winter. We have planted a Passionflower on the right so hopefully that should start climbing this year. This should start looking better in the next few weeks.

Behind the pond, another odd bed, bottom right of the pic below, is another newly planted passionflower. there are some hardy plants in here somewhere but they have yet to rear there heads. Because its up against the fence, I think it stays rather dry during the winter hence the disappearing hardy plants.

The fish pond! The sooner someone invents a contraceptive pill for a pond the better, we reckon there are over 50 fish in here. Flippin things keep breeding!!!

The bottom bed. This is the wettest part of the garden but still the Gunnera refuses to grow, I have threatened to dig it out but hubby says no.The arum lily on the other hand is doing fine. We have planted 2 new clematis to climb up the frame and there is also another T-Rex newly planted here as well.

So there we go, I haven't shown you the bed on the right of this area because we haven't got that done yet. its another difficult bed as my neighbours euphorbia and mint has decided it would much rather grow i my garden than hers. It has become quite invasive really and has spread practically the length of the bed.

I am funny, a lot of the plants I grow can really romp away but I would hate to inflict my plants on my neighbours so I keep these ones potted up. I think I probably think this way because this has happened to me and I don't like it. Maybe I should set them free after all?????

My Garden .......... currently!

Sadly this is not 'all'  my garden, mine is the skinny bit down the middle, with the shed and the chimney in. The shed houses the biomass boiler and the 'runway' down the middle of the garden was my hubbies idea.
This is my bit of England, out in the middle of rural Wiltshire. I love it here.  We have no rear access, so everything and I mean EVERYTHING comes through my house.

Paulownia tomentosa  pollarded again and aiming high!!

Its amazing what a bit of rain can do?

Sonchus Arboreus in the centre

Sonchus Canariensis

Chenopodium giganteum, these have self seeded everywhere and can easily hit 6ft.  shall have to move these as they are close to the front of the bed.

My cardoon is enormous,  can't wait for them to flower.

Brahea Armata, strange palm, well I think so, should be a blue grey colour, never has been in my garden, still sending up new spears.

Ricinus

Dasylirion Serratifolium

remember I weed killered around this, you can see the damaged fronds, but the main plant looks fine  so I shall trim off the lower fronds and hopefully be able to see if the creeping weed (toad flax)comes back.

My beautiful Yucca Rostrata, how this has grown since I first got it.

This Agave goes from strength to strength.

what amazes me most is the fabulous markings which remain on the plant for years.

My passion flower, very hardy!

Well I could not finish this post without a pic of my Phormium lol!!! For reference I'm 5ft 9ins!!!

Plans...........

So spring is upon us...................... maybe, not that we have really had winter. But, staying on a positive note, the catalogues have started to land on the mat, I love them, I could easily spend hundreds of pounds. I have already earmarked some new bananas (Musa).

The plan is to really plant so I don't have to dig up each autumn, but year upon year I fail. I so love the big leaves of some of my plants.

So far the arid bed seems to be surviving well, can't wait till its all uncovered, few months yet.

So on to the BIG plans!!!!!

What shall we do this year? There is not really that much left to do, is there?

I could do with training this passionflower along the wall over the gate, along the next wall then hopefully start covering the 'hopper' shed.

This decking is lethal, looks nice but its better than an ice rink. We could do with lifting it but I think this would be a major job as there are posts supporting the frame under neath sunk in concrete???

We are hoping the neighbours will be replacing the fence this year. One has completely fallen out and is proving difficult to secure Darcy in, we have all bits of wood wedged in at the moment.

Mr Darcy, never far from my side when we are in the garden.

The collapsing fence panel

The bottom patio, this is where we are thinking of putting a pergola. the passionflower has grown so well over the last few years and this gets really, really hot in the sun, so would be a great frame for the passionflower to grow over.

In the greenhouse I would like to find some LED grow lights, hopefully reducing my costs. I would also like to look at better heating, well not necessarily better, but cheaper to run.

Look at the state of this Cycas Revoluta, it makes me laugh. It flushed late and was covered with fleece, then had to be moved into the greenhouse, and because I moved it, the leaves became distorted.

The baby Cycas Revoluta

looks very like its going to flush

The loquat is growing so quickly.

Baby T-Rex, I will have a number of these available for sale this year

So now to go off, price up and decide what the project for the year will be!

Here comes Frank!

My last post was just before storm 'Abigale' and here we are just over six weeks later and storm Frank is upon us! So that is 6 storms in 6 weeks!  We have had lots and lots of rain, the weather is really mild 12C but fortunately where I live, no flooding. Northern England especially York, and Cumbria and even Manchester have been flooded more than once.
Everybody, says rivers must be dredged etc. etc. but I'm not sure much can be done when you have a months rain in just one day. We should be doing lots more to fight global warming. But yes in the meantime, ways to waterproof houses, or even raise them on stilts should be thought of.

The poor plants in the garden have no idea what season we are in!

The Musa Basjoo have started growing again.

I have had these a number of years and this is the first year this has ever happened!

I expect the February cold weather will put paid to these continuing to grow!

The tree fern is showing new growth.

The Passionflowers are doing just that... flowering. New buds appearing daily.
The fence down by the pond has about had it. The neighbours have said they will replace it ( as its theirs) we have said we will buy concrete base panels to help the fence stay out of the damp and dirt.

The Hellabores also flowering away!

 I had planned to cut this clematis back in the spring, it obviously has other plans!!

The fish are still really active and we are still feeding them, they go nuts when the food goes in, that tells you just how warm it is!

The arid bed is looking good from either end, I'm looking forward to when we might have a few dry days and I can take the cover of to have a look and make sure if anything needs water it gets it well before any possible colder weather.

Happy New Year to you x