Spring

A mid March post which annoyingly was written in Mid March but didnt go live...Things then were beginning to get warmer. Daffodils are out and things are waking up

So far the winter has not been that drastic, and it was only the last cold spell in early Feb that finally killed some things like a hedychium.

I am hoping that overall casualties will be minimal and the bananas are looking ok and like their spring recovery will be quick. 

Now I just have to remember to order my seeds....

My pop up plastic greenhouse to protect the really tender things

All a little snug inside

A Stapelia seed explosion!

March: I'm back! current growth and an overview of how things were protected

Sorry for being a rubbish blogger....my blogging is a bit like the garden in that as the year begins and plods on there is loads to do and everything is exciting. The season then reaches its climax and I sit back and enjoy it, and then as winter extends its icy grasp I hide inside and put off thoughts of doing anything until the new year.

Suddenly it is once again sunny and things are growing again, including about a million sycamore seedlings. Being outside with the sun warming your soul and earth between your fingers is an amazing tonic and the oomph has returned. In this post a few pictures of how things are at the moment and a bit of an overview of how the more tender things have been looked after

So much of what makes the garden is annual growth and things are pretty desolate at the moment

One thing looking amazing is giant fennel....a bit of an experiment and something I grew from seed. They emerge at this time of the year as a huge frothy mound and then die as summer starts. Below the Tetrapanax starts to re-emerge

This is the sparce terrace with the Schleffera keeping us entertained. The big Musa sikkimensis are still wrapped for winter in fleece and covered by a piece of bubblewrap, very loosely, to keep the rain off. In the corner is a simple plastic greenhouse to keep the worst of the cold off in a very sheltered part of the sunken terrace. 

Although it is incredibly moist due to rain draining into the area and huge amounts of condensation, things have survived.

The big experiment this year is can I keep the red ensete in pots with leaves and roots and will this get them started quicker than the ones which I chop all the leaves and roots off. This is inspired by my neighbour whom just left his out all winter unprotected and it survived! Amazingly so far they all look fine. 

This is the Ensete whose leaves and roots were removed....looking very sorry for themselves, but alive!

The other place I keep things is in a covered sideway....you can see the red Ensete and also a tree tomato which is still in leaf. Sadly one of the tropical musas (bordeleon) seems to have rotted at the base

Awakenings

A slow day gardening, pondering and planning whilst the effects of last night’s special ‘Gin and Hogarth’ evening at the Tate wears off.

 

Things in the garden are hotting up and now we are past the Spring Equinox the days are getting longer than the nights. This has embedded a slight fear of being behind and as such I have released my sleeping Enstes into the light and planted my Ricinus seeds.

These are the Ensetes which have been stored in a dark frost free place since the end of November when they were dug up (see before and when they were prepared here). 

 

 

The next steps were to clean them up and cut away the dead/rotting leaves. They aren't really potted up, more loosely rested on pots of fresh soil.....burying them would probably just encourage rot. But they now have light and warmth

 

 

This is inside the polythene greenhouse on the terrace...the experiment has gone well and there have been no negative effects of the cold at all. The bananas and Hedychiums have kept their leaves, Begonia luxurians looks healthy as does the Brugmansia.

 

 

In fact the Brugmansia gave me a surprise by flowering!

 

 

 The Musa sikkimensis on the terrace has also been unwrapped.

 

 

Good news in that the Giant Echiums all seem to be ok......

 

 

The other project was to plant a giant bamboo to give some protection from the neighbours...

 

 

This seemingly simple job turned epic when the 'soil' was just buried rubble and reminded us of clearing the land of old..... this picture is misleading as the rubble was HUGE at least the size of a mini....

 

 

Daffodils because its spring, innnit!

 

 

Tetrapanax waking up

 

 

Fatsia polycarpa

 

 

I've got the key, do you have the secret?

 

 

Grrr to the cold, hurry up spring!

 

 

 

 

Lemons like you have never seen them before....the Menton lemon festival

Last week we were sunning ourselves in the South of France and so took ourselves off on a day trip to visit the Menton lemon festival not really knowing what to expect. Menton nestles on the border with Italy and so has a good climate for growing lemons and indeed when the festival was founded in the late 1800's Menton was the number one lemon-growing region in Europe.

What we found was one of the lemon marvels of the world! On the theme of 'The tribulations of a lemon in China' there were lots of different structures made from oranges and lemons. Words can not describe, so....

 

This is my surprised face at coming across a lemon Panda!

Menton itself was lovely to wander with a great ancient old town

We have one lemon tree in a pot that so far has survived about 5 years of winters with minimal protection. It has also now started producing lemons and we have had 2 gin and tonics with Camberwell grown lemons! They are good, relatively east plants to grow as the scent from the flowers is intoxicating. You will need some good protection, but they aren't as tender as people think.

The garden at the end of March

Southern England continues to be really mild and looking back on pictures from last year I reckon we are about 2 weeks ahead of where we were last year which is ironic as I feel about 2 weeks behind of where I should be! This is partially due to things having been rather busy as I am about to change jobs, leaving behind the glamour of Elephant and Castle Shopping Center for Camden Town. This is very exciting for me as a plant wise as it means my lunchtimes can be spent wandering Regents Park and all the exotic gems that it holds.

There has been so much going on in the garden....I think I finished my jiggling around early in the month and most things are in their new homes, although I have a lot of plants in my holding pen waiting for a new home. It has been a relief to be able to give away some plants to nice neighbours and local folk as it has avoided the guilt of composting them! Having space for new plants is my major headache at the moment as there is only so much squeezing you can do, and as the current plants get bigger and bigger my planting is getting less dense!

Giant Echiums are alive! this one at the back is now at about 7ft

Melianthus major...fabulously exotic flowers and foliage

Surprisingly things are now drying out fast....all the pots were dry and the Cyathea was a little fried. The Sarracenias needed some emergency help as they were crisp.

I am also quite fried as how fit I think I am is very different to the ragged exhausted person I tend to be at the end of a days gardening.

So big things:

Cannas are all out of the meter cupboard and already growing....even those left in pots are shooting

Seeds are mostly all planted....this year I have about 20 Ricisnus, and the usual Tithonia, Cuphea and Coleus. New exciting things include Giant Fennel (please grow!)

The Ensetes are also now all out of the cupboard and look ok....they are still firm and dry with no rot so I really hope they root easily and come back to life

Etiolated but alive (a bit like me at the end of a days work)

Bees: I am now a three hive family and after much cursing about why I didn't order a pre assembled hive the new one (Balmoral) is now up and running and the bees settling in well. Hive 1 is mega busy and has already ¼ filled a super with honey which is so unusual. Fingers crossed it is a good year.

Hello ladyzzzz

So everything is looking good and it is so nice to be able to loll about outside (the hammock has now been out twice) but lots to do. Happy gardening

Cardoons looking nice and jungly

This area is completely re-organised with a huge bamboo being moved,and now looking so sickly :(

Is that a nasturshum still lowering from last year? why yes it is

Productive beds looking proper! thank you to Sue and Steven

A giant dahlia which is actually sprouting from last years wood!

Although it looks empty there is lots of things coming into life and things to be done

Doddington Hall, Lincoln: go visit for NGS on Sunday 16th March

Last Sunday I had the pleasure of visiting the gardens of Doddington Hall, an Elizabethan Hall near Lincoln. I didn’t know what to expect as it is not exactly garden visiting weather, however the garden was bursting with spring with a really interesting structure made all the more special by having the hall in the background. It had something for everyone with a labyrinth, wild garden, bogs and Temple of the Winds.

This Sunday (16^th March) they are opening for the NGS so go! A great trip out and something to liven the senses

http://www.doddingtonhall.com/

http://www.ngs.org.uk/gardens/gardenfinder/garden.aspx?id=5368

Everyone likes a few balls on sticks....

dogs tooth violets

 a bit of calmness

 I didn't get lost in the labyrinth

 Rhododendron with a fabulous exotic effect leaf...I'm coming round to them more and more

Crocus's a go go

The most gnarled and ancient trees you will see in a long time

A whole avenue of globe artichokes....magnificent jungly foliage

Fabulous arum

And who can go wrong with a Unicorn topiary?

and what is more English than an old church surrounded by daffodil?

Visit! Doddington Hall is magnificent!