A Winter Project and a Wildlife Friendly Experiment.

31 Friday Jan 2020

Posted by Brian Skeys in Gardening, Our Garden@19, Plantlife, The Life of Brian., Wildlife

Tags

Grasses, perennials, Prairie planting, Roses, Wildlife, Winter

When we purchased the house, I designed the garden and the rear of the main border, now named the blue border, was planted with climbing roses, trained to rope swags. Unfortunately, the rope soon rotted and was replaced with trellis. Now several years later the trellis along with some of the posts required replacing this winter. With a coil of blue rope already in stock, I have gone back to plan A. The posts have been replaced, painted to match the colour scheme and furnished with new fittings. I also took the opportunity to remove two of the oldest roses. They came with us from our previous garden and there are still two identical ones elsewhere in the garden. Managing so many vigorous rambling/climbing rose was becoming quite hard work. (Old age, mine not the roses). These will be replaced with clematis, joining some already there.

You may notice, in the picture above, lots of plant debris on the garden. I recently read an article about the Melinium Garden at Pentsthorpe Natural Park in Norfolk, which we had visited in 2012. This garden was designed by Piet Oudolf, the internationally famous dutch nurseryman and garden designer, known for his prairie style planting. Historically, the many perennials and grasses were not cut down in the garden until February, to provide winter shelter for insects, and then removed to giant compost heaps. According to the article, they now cut it all down in small bites, or pieces, leaving it on the ground as a mulch, to continue providing homes for the wildlife.

While I do not claim this border to be ‘prairie planting’, it does contain perennials and grasses so I decided to experiment with cutting it down in small bites, leaving it as a mulch. I did this using garden shears if you had more to do you could use a hedge cutter (Mine has broken).

I will add my usual mulch on top of this in March, I do it then to smother the chickweed, which germinates here around that time. It will be interesting to see how it develops, I don’t think it will suit the tidy gardener. However, we are constantly being advised that as gardeners we should be a little more untidy to help the wildlife.

I will record progress with photos and publish them later in the year.

Have you tried this in your garden?

Ten Top for November.

26 Sunday Nov 2017

Posted by Brian Skeys in Gardening, Our Garden@19, Photography, Wildlife

≈ 23 Comments

Tags

Autumn, Cotinus, Grasses, Lunaria, November, Oriental garden., Roses, Ten Favourites, Top Ten, Viola, Wildlife

I am joining Chloris and her many followers in posting my Top Ten for November, please visit The Blooming Garden to see what their Top Ten are.

Number one, the seed heads of the Lunaria, which provides a silvery shine in the low November sunlight. This plant provides interest through out the whole year, from the young leaves with their maroon spots, the dark purple flowers and now the seed heads.

Lunaria annua ‘Rosemary Verey’

…growing in front is a young Cotinus, we lost a mature one a few years ago, therefore we are looking forward to this one developing and flowering in the future.

Cotinus ‘Royal Purple’.

These two ‘Grasses’ make a striking feature at the end of the pebble river in the Oriental Garden. I originally saw this plant combination when visiting The Bressingham Gardens, Nr Diss, Norfolk.

Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’, hakone grass and Opheapogon Nigrescens, black mondo grass.

This Viburnum, in the White and Green Garden, is one of the earliest flowering shrubs in the garden. It flowers from early autumn through to late spring, and looks particularly good when there is a blue sky behind it.

Viburnum f ‘candidissimum’

Anna from the The Greentapestry was recently singing the praises of this rose, mentioning that it flowers from July to November.

Rosa ‘The Fairy’

Here it is in the Iris bed on the south side of the house…

Rosa ‘The Fairy’

…along with ‘ ‘Geoff Hamilton’, I am hoping this bud will open.

Rosa ‘Geoff Hamilton’

I will always have Viola’s in the garden, whether it’s the diminutive ‘Heartsease’ which I grow from seed, (it does also self seed), or ones purchased from garden centres to provide colour through out winter.

Viola ‘Heartsease’

We were given two Clivia three years ago, one flowered the first year, none the next year and one, (yippie!) so far this year.

Clivia.

I am not sure if Number ten qualifies for a November favourite, although it is one of mine and it is in the garden. The first sighting, today, of the female Blackcap on the bird feeders. I always like to see the arrival of this aggressive little bird, she always arrives before the male and tries to defend the feeders from all comers. the down side is that it heralds the arrival of winter weather, ‘Up North’ which will eventually make its way here.

This is a picture from 2014, they are quite nervous and therefore difficult to photograph. You can see more ‘Birdie” pictures by clicking the Wildlife Category.

That is my Top Ten in Our Garden@ 19, for November, I wonder what will be around for December?

Top Ten for October.

27 Friday Oct 2017

Posted by Brian Skeys in Gardening, Our Garden@19, Plantlife

≈ 26 Comments

Tags

Acer, Aster, Autumn, Dahlia, Five favourites, Grasses, Roses, Top Ten

Choosing my Top Ten flowers in Our garden@19 is difficult at any time of year, however one for October has to be the Michaelmas Daisy. (Aster/ Symphyotrichum.)

Symphyotrichum n.a ‘Harringtons Pink’.

Symphyotrichum n.a ‘ Barrs Violet’.

This white one appeared in the garden two years ago. I think it may have come in with another plant. It is a runner (ie.invasive) by the appearance of its roots, I was unsure whether to keep it, until it flowers then, when it does, I relent.

I like the way it blends in beautifully with number two, the Acer griseum, ( I know its not a flower, I hope Chloris approves*, See below) with its peeling cinnamon like bark…

Acer griseum

…along with the Molina ‘Karl Foerster’. The Grasses make a lovely contribution to the October garden, therefore they are my number three.

Molinia ‘Karl Foerster’

Calamagrostis brachytricha

Calamagrostis x a. ‘ Karl Foerster ‘ and Miscanthus sinensis

Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’ has been a feature in this garden ever since I first saw it in Bob Brown’s, Cotswold Flowers, display beds. It stands at the back of the border, stiff and upright without the need for support.

Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’.

In the White and Green garden the amazingly reliable Iceberg rose is still flowering…

Rose Climbing Iceberg.

…along with a late planted Sweet Pea that has decided to climb up the Taxus bac. Fastigiata.

Sweet Pea ‘Memorial Flight’

Sweet Pea ‘Memorial Flight’.

Sedum do not seem to do very well in Our Garden@19 so this one is very welcome.

Sedum Herbstfreud.

The Crab Apple ‘Golden Hornet’ is in its second period of glory*, blossom being the first. it is growing alongside the raised bed containing ‘THE’ Dahlia for me ‘David Howard’.