March: plans, new life and oldies

Today it is snowing which isn't quite the March I have been experiencing so far where the daffodils are just out and things are coming into life. I have now had a few weekends of gardening and it is great to be outdoors again moving plants around and thinking about the future. I have also been dividing up plants like a proper gardener with 2 forks back to back levering them apart (usually I just aim a spade through the middle with brute force and hope for the best!)

The big news has been that I have decided to open the garden on May 19th as part of the Dulwich Helpline/Southwark Churches Care garden safari....yes this may be a little crazy as the garden is very much a late summer garden and its not at its best in May. However I like the idea of a safari (perhaps I will wear my pith helmet) and the nice chair lady was good at sweet talking me and how could there be a garden safari on my road without my garden? Quite how it will look I have no idea as I think it all depends on if the Forget-me-nots are out as if they are it will be a beautiful sea of blue as I let them self seed everywhere. If not it will look rather empty.....however I can wax lyrical about carnivorous plants and there will be some special things tucked away. Who knows with this weather?! last year the 19th May was a sea of blue, the year before dry and desolate...

Anyway I thought it was time for a bit of a tour of the garden

This is a new archway leading into a bit of a hidden seating area which I found being chucked out on the road last year....I was dead butch and put it together properly with screws and everything....I attempted to move the Paulownia next to it but it was too much trouble (well it is 4yrs old and about 12ft tall)

 The pond with the wrapped banana, in summer you cant see the walls for foliage

 Tetrapanax just beginning to grow again. hurrah!

View of the main lawn with 4 Echiums which have (so far) survived winter. If they could then flower on May 19th I would be much obliged

 This is my side way with my new special Schefflera...Cannas and bananas are still in leaf!

 Ganesha welcoming people to the new lands, all a bit sparse with foliage but I have a feeling that the bamboos behind him will be humongous soon

 

Another new project, an archway made of a couple of big fence posts and a dug up iron structural thingy

 Look and be amazed at how clear and neat my veg patch looks, it could be from a textbook!

 Jerusalem artichokes are the bane of my life at the mo....last year they were fabulous as I used them all over the place as from 3-5 tubers they grew to be about 8ft tall and were fantastic screening, however now I want to plant other things I need to dig them all out as and boy have they multiplied and got everywhere. I also cant eat them quick enough (we have had 2 soups, and roasted them which was yummy)

 Rhubarb is growing big time...I recently saw that their name is derived from 'Root of the barbarian'

 My miserable purple sprouting broccoli....mauled by the pigeons and I was too lazy to net it in time. I hope I can get some

Flowers of Petasites japonica.....really weird things which are a bit otherworldly, however the bees seem to like them

 

This is a Rheum palmatum.....it looks a bit evil with its thick roots and bright red new growth like little cherries about to shoot

 

This is my grand tented Echium banana protection tent....

 New growth of peony

 Ive been busy moving bamboos....the Pseudosasa is all by the fence as I am seeing what an invasive plant it could be as in a year has put out loads of roots. This way it should screen off the road nicely.....Ive also flexed my muscles sawing up a dustbin of bamboo from Phil and Nic, hard work!

 Not all the Echiums have survived, but I think I must have about 8?

 Object trouve

 ....and finally Podophyllum just coming through. Last year this one got zapped by frost and died so I am so pleased to see if has come back. hurrah!