Garden 2015, no 1

Garden 2015 no 1

It’s a year since I posted here. I thought I’d finished with this blog, but it seems not, I’ve changed my mind and decided to reopen it. Looking at the last blog I posted, which was in March 2014, I notice the pink blossom of the wild currant bushes were all in full bloom. This year there has been almoat no pink blossom from the wild currant bushes, I’ve no idea why, they simply hasn’t bloomed this year. Last year was one of the best displays of wild currant blossom I’ve ever had and this year, nothing.

Last year I wrote Mr Frog was all alone with no Mrs Frog. That didn’t change, last year, no courting, croaking frogs with billowing chests, no frogspawn and no tadpoles. This year at the height of the courting, croaking, froggy season, I counted at least eight single froggies all paired off into four couples. On the day after the eclipse my small pond was full of frogspawn. State of the pond now is; it’s still full of frogspawn but the spawn is full of tiny, mini, wriggling tadpoles to be, all busy munching their way through the nourishing jelly and on to freedom in the pond.

The other major difference from then to now is the lack of veggi garden. Last year I kept my word and cultivated, raked, levelled and seeded the veggi garden and what was left of the lawn. This year the whole area is back to lawn, it’s looking good and has already had its first haircut. The hedge that borders my garden has grown, last year they were little more than saplings, this year they form a hedge. This year, the hedge which is made entirely from native hedgerow species has hawthorn blossom and tiny furry willow buds in it

I’ve had help in the garden this year, my 13 year old grandson has started coming over to stay once a month, so far he’s helped me clear out both sheds, given a first coat of paint to all the blue fences, cut the grass and strimmed the edges. Next time he said he’s going to make a start on the white paintwork. I’m grateful for his help, much as I love my blue fences painting all of them every year was becoming a bit of a chore.

All of these photos have been taken during late March and early April. There are almost 40 photos here; they show how well my little garden is blooming already this year. The snowdrops have come and gone, the daffs are in full bloom, the forget-me-nots (my favourites) are just starting,  I’ve seen a couple of little blue Anemone in pots (I don’t even remember planting those), the tulips are about to flower and the bluebells are all up ready to bloom in a couple of weeks. I particularly like the dog wood at this time of year, the new red wood is at its best against the freshly painted blue fence. The Buddleia is looking good, I cut it back at the end of last year and now it looks as if it’s ready to take off again. All the books say to cut Buddleia back in the spring, and I usually do, but for some reason I forgot that last year and cut it back in the autumn. I was worried that I would lose it but so far, I’m pleased to say, it’s looking strong and healthy.

I’ve tidied up most of the pots. Some are empty, what ever was there last year obviously didn’t survive the frost, but lots of the herbs are growing well already and my gooseberry bushes are looking really good. I’ve thinned out the strawberries, thrown out what looked too old and kept the new runners. The cherry tree has so many little buds I have great hopes for it this year, nice it begins to blossom it will look lovely.

I have so much in this tiny garden people sometimes forget how small it is, so to get a little perspective, the last photo was taken from across the road. 

From here you can se that my house is an ordinary little house, in an ordinary street, and the corner garden that is mine is really quite small.

So….. that’s my first garden blog of the year, this year I do intend to continue adding updates and photos on my little garden.

 

April 25 2012, Garden no 9

Garden 2012 no 9

My cactus is flowering AGAIN, this is the first time it has EVER flowered twice in one year.

I think there was torrential rain for the whole of the three weeks I was away. Wetlands are a precious natural environment but not one I  expected to find in my garden.
By the time I arrived home, the water barrel was actually overflowing,
 my early potatoes had black and damaged leaves,
some of the pots were more suitable for aquatic life than seedlings
and the geraniums, which I grow as a pest deterrent and had put out  the day before I left, looked dead.
But on the plus side, the pond is doing well. There are tadpoles a plenty
and mother frog can be seen sitting at the bottom of the pond keeping an eye on things.
The wild area behind the pond has thrived in the wet weather. This is the area I intend to cultivate and use for more veg plus raspberry canes. Raspberry is the only soft fruit I don’t have and I’m running out of space which is why I’m reclaiming this little bit of land. I’m going to wait until all the bulbs have finished and relocate them before I dig this small corner of the garden. I love the way it’s so wild and does its own thing, but I need the space.
Not every thing suffered in the rain, the radishes are great,
delicious in fact and all the vegetables seem to be doing well.
The rosemary is in bloom,
you can smell it as soon as you enter the garden,
and the strawberry plants already have lots of flowers.
This plant, which I think is a Heuchera, is bigger brighter and all together better than when I left.
I missed most of these little guys ( fritillaria)
but looks like I’m in time for these  bigger guys (Allium).
In fact most of the spring flowers seem to be doing well,
some of the bluebells are out already,
the first forgetmenots have appeared, and the
primroses are still flowering. The London Pride is looks better already than it did during the whole of last year.
When I took this the honey bee was happily gathering pollen, it wasn’t until I saw it on the computer that I realised she had taken off and was heading for the next available pollen when I clicked.
Now all I need is a couple of dry hours over the weekend to sort those waterlogged pots and put some more bark around my soft fruit canes.

Tags: garden, garden 2012, plants, pond

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delete reply aaranaardvark wrote on Apr 28 It looks great, things are developing nicely in your little ecosystem loretta, its a credit to your hard work.

delete reply rabbitfriendhere wrote on Apr 28 I really like the mid air shot of the bee! You're probably lucky that it wasn't too dry while you were gone. I have a wild spot in my backyard as well. I had put raspberries there, but they got choked out by weeds. I'm thinking of putting in some Concord grape vines and I will try to keep the weeds to a manageable minimum in future. Like you, I am sorry to say farewell to the wild bits, but I am running out of space as well. I will miss seeing the goldfinches eat the seeds of these weeds.

delete reply pestep55 wrote on Apr 28 Lovely garden, enjoyed seeing it /:-)

delete reply djdx wrote on Apr 26 Thanks for the visit of your garden. What you think is a heuchera looks like one to me too. The schlumbergera on the window sill here has made a couple extra flowers recently. It usually blooms in November. It feels like it's been raining for 3 weeks here and our garden is quite waterlogged also, with peas I put in small pots swimming in their tray. I have bailed them out twice already.

delete reply veryfrank wrote on Apr 26 All things considered, it appears that the rain did more good than damage. So many of your plants look great and are doing well. I plant marigolds and geraniums for pest control, insects, rabbits and deer. The marigolds, like geraniums, smell and taste awful, but marigolds seem to be near indestructible.

delete reply greenwytch wrote on Apr 26 a beautiful photographic essay as always, my dear. gardening can be quite a mixed bag, but it looks like most things fared well. looks like there was quite a substantial rainfall while you were on holiday.

delete reply brendainmad wrote on Apr 26 I love seeing your garden grow. Have you given your pond a name?

delete reply wendyj59 wrote on Apr 26 Your garden must keep you busy :) We certainly needed rain but we have had loads since they declared the hosepipe ban! Who needs to raindance lol

delete reply nemo4sun wrote on Apr 25 that she is :)

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Apr 25 but your honey bee is a very special honey bee...............we don't all have honey bees like yours. :-)

delete reply nemo4sun wrote on Apr 25 those honeybees have a way of ducking out of the shot my does lol :)

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Apr 25 yes I planted the columbines but ( and considering the weather I'm glad I thought to do this), I sowed the seeds in a seed tray indoors which is where they still are. lol the bee was an accident, I thought I'd taken him in the flower collecting pollen.

delete reply bennett1 wrote on Apr 25 I love the picture with the bee in flight!! And the radishes. Did you ever plant those columbines?

delete reply nemo4sun wrote on Apr 25 very very nice and the tadpoles are aplenty