Easter Weekend 2020

What a mixed weekend of weather we have had. Hot and cold! A typical British Easter weekend.

On the good days we had a bar b que, as you do, Darcy was hoping for a dropped sausage,

I did some jet washing, I find it very satisfying.

The only problem is, I managed to jet wash the growing tip of one of my TRex plants. It was only small anyway so I thought I had murdered it.
But today I noticed this a couple of buds, so rather than being a tree it might be a bush!

I have bought some new solar lights

I love them because they look like bamboo torches, and at night the flicker away and look amazing. I like also that you can detach the pole and just hang it up somewhere.

As we can't go out unless you are going for essential items, I was quite gutted that I had run out of wood treatment for our hopper shed.

I like to treat all our sheds every year and usually make it an Easter weekend job. I keep all paints etc under our stairs, so whilst I was routing about imagine my joy when I found a small tin of dark wood treatment, just look how smart it looks now.

I have left the top plank above the door as we have small bees going in and out under the roofing felt. The come back every year and usually have stopped goin in and out within the month, so I will finish it of then.

We have also had a number of sharp frost which have hit the unfurling leaves of the bananas

The greenhouse is crammed but I will show you that next time.

Till then #staysafe

Skiing across the Patio.

At this time of year you have to take your life in both hands when you cross my patio, its down right lethal!

It always used to be the decking in front of hubbies office, but since I painted it with the OSMO  anti slip decking paint, so far no problems. Just need to do something with the patio.

Finally put up my final structures to protect a couple of my Butias. I was told they where hardy, which they are, to a certain extent, but my large butia has been exceptionally slow, in fact dead slow and stop! So this year I thought I would  protect them from the elements and by covering them and fleecing the growth tip. It might make no difference at all but everyone seems to think we may have a bad winter, so the protection would help anyway!

I am hopeless with sawing wood etc, I cheated and bought 4 Extendable Clothes Props from Wilko's

made a frame using bamboo canes, then a tarpaulin and clips... hey presto!

We shall see.

The greenhouse is looking full

Everything is green and still alive, lol!

Under the arid bed cover, all s looking good.

My tree ferns have done so well this year, I think my neighbours 'huge' Baytree is offering them protection from the sun and the frost!

Wishing anyone who reads this a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. xx

Dirty Hands & Scratches

One of the reasons I was banned from the garden in the run up to the wedding. Today was my first 'full' day in the garden and you can tell.......

Lots done, well I thought lots had been done, till I looked back at the photos and actually it doesn't look much, but my back tells me it was!!

Today the overwintered bananas (Ensete, Maurelli and Hiniba) have all be potted up. This should have been done a few weeks ago, but I expect they will catch up.

It always amazes me, how dead they look. Although when you pick them up they have a lot of weight in them. The Hiniba above weighs a ton. I think if it grows anything like it did last year, I won't be able to dig it out. If that is the case I will cut it up for propagation. A post for later in the year!

I store them all identically, turning them upside down for 3 - 4 weeks to aid drainage. Then turning them the right way round, after that. I don't have a frost free garage, which is where most people store theirs for the rest of the winter. Mine get stored in a heated greenhouse, probably not ideal due to the damp conditions, but its what I have done for years.

I usually lose a couple each year, and I thought this next one was a 'goner' with the mould on it

Trim off all the dead stuff and its fine.

This next one is a 'Red Tiger' it has stripy coloured leaves and always has a slim trunk. This is one of the ones, I never expect to come through the winter. The trunk is solid and actually quite heavy.

This is one of my Maurelli's,

Having stripped back all the dead leaves, and chopped off the top, it still amazes me how moist they are. This one is not looking good, as you can see the brown bit just off centre usually means its rotten. The fact it is 'off' centre is why I have held on to it, the growth tip 'may' be fine. The again it may not, but only time will tell!

I then went on and potted up my Cannas, Dahlias, Xanthasoma and Elephants ears.

Still room for a few more.

I have all my seeds to sow yet! May start that tomorrow.

Then to finish off I did something I had tried to employ a gardener to do, dig out the TRex. This was growing at a far faster rate than expected and after some research I found this 'could' hit heights of 40ft!!!!

A little bit too big for the patio, so out it came and in went the Chamaerops Humilis, this is definately slow growing, probably a bit, too, slow growing, but at least I won't need to dig it out again (I hope)

I just need to find something to grow that will cover the water butt.
Just writing this I already don't like it. I am a very visual person, I have to see it in place, before I can say if I like it..... I don't like this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Any suggestions????

All Packed Away?

At my slimming club this morning I was asked, if  my garden was all packed away yet?

So I thought I would show you, my now very empty garden.

Hubby and I managed to get the last plants out of the ground on Saturday, just in time, as we started having quite white frosts that night.

Now it is empty and desolate. The Ricinus as you can see have finally succumbed, they where just starting to form seed pods too. Everything that is left is hardy so will remain until next year.

On the patio the TRex seems untouched by the frost

The same with the tree ferns,

The Arid bed all tucked up. My Olive tree, I have had this for years, I would really like to plant this in, but it is so small it would look silly. I suppose I could make a raised bed for it? Something to think about.

From the archway down to the greenhouse, all bare!

Had a fright Sunday night, when I went in and checked my thermometer and found it was -3C so set up and extra heater. That has obviously done the trick!!! 5C is as low as I like it to go.

So the Brugmansia are now in and will remain dry all winter. I had them planted in the garden this year, but they failed to flower , I will put them back into big pots next year.

The Ensetes (bananas) still upside down, I will turn them in a couple of weeks.

The cactus all seem happy.

Whats worrying me is how empty the greenhouse is? I have looked back over previous years and for some unknown reason, I have no pics of the winterized greenhouse.

Looking up the garden from the archeway! The hardy banana Musa Basjoo, will die right back then pop up again next year!!

So there you go, probably the last post for this year, I am already buying seeds ready for next year, just have to put them in a place I remember where they are!!!

Keeping Busy!

Trying to keep myself busy so I don't think! Spent it on the bottom patio cutting back the neighbours over hanging hedge. Their neighbour the other side has kept his hedge down below fence height, such a shame they don't follow suit. That 18 inches make a big difference to light levels.

They said they would be replacing the fence at the beginning of the year, the panel on the right in the picture above is just propped up, it is so rotten it won't stay in. Anyway we are still waiting!!

The climbing hydrangea that grew up the panel closest to hubbies office decided to die, so I have taken it off the fence and chopped it right back. It may very well grow back, but we will see.

In the meantime I may paint the fence again, as I still have some paint left, shame to waste it!!

My eldest daughter bought me some 'prostrate Rosemary' which I have planted in amongst the lavender, hope it does well here!

Not sure I have shown you the pond from this angle. It really needs a good clean out, should have been done last year, but I ended up having to go 'oop north' to look after my mum after she had a fall and broke her hip.

It is true what they say, if you dig a pond, no matter what, double the size. I wish we had!

My bromliards seem happy and have grown, they where quite small at the beginning of the season.

some flowers..... hiding!

I started growing Cleomes about 2 years ago, I am so glad I did, they are such a beautiful and delicate flower. The added bonus are the seeds. Which grow the same colour as the flower they are taken from!

Finally these leaves are the reason I grow tropical plants, I just love the huge leaves!