New plans...
I love the spring holiday weeks! My new plans for developing new gardens over the water race are put into action. The Willow tree enters Moosey folklore as a worthy landmark.
Day Nine of my Holiday (Saturday 28th September)
Today I have worked very very hard doing exactly the same things that I did yesterday. But something exciting has happened - I have now cleared both sides of the water race as far as the Willow tree (which overhangs the water rather beautifully). This can now become a new labelled Moosey landmark. I have never talked about the Willow tree before - it has always been there, but surrounded by long grass and mess. The Willow tree is very close to the Stables, and the Stables is close to the edge of the property. I plan a short path through the newly dug garden to finish possibly at a seat directly underneath the tree. It is a tranquil spot - well, now it is!
stachys limelight
We also went to the nursery sale and I bought some flaxes. I have only planted one so far. I am saving the others for tomorrow. I almost bought a silver ornamental pear tree. Hmm...
Day Ten of my Holiday (Sunday 29th September)
Again I am up early. I wonder what I'll do first today? Should I buy that weeping pear tree? No, I first need to work in the glass-house. I need to think think think ahead regards the plants I want to have a lot of (for example, the purple verbena which covers a tree stump in the Dog-Path Garden). Today would be the perfect day to get cuttings started. Of course, I probably should have done this three weeks ago. In order to steady the mind I will make a list.
List of Desirable Plants for Vegetative Propagation :
- Purple verbena
- Peppermint pelargonium
- Blue salvia superbum
Hopeless! No imagination, no foresight! I will have to wander around with a cup of coffee. Trouble is that if I find no inspiration at all I will be doomed to dig for another day.
Which is exactly what happened - well at least until it started to rain about 2 pm I planted a few of the new plants, though. And I've indicated by some stones where the path into the Willow tree will be, and rescued a very sad rhododendron which has been soaked in water and planted to one side of the proposed path. The roses are on the other side - this is my feeble attempt to be organised in a garden designer sort of way.
Daffodils
It's rained for the rest of the day, a good chance to rest up the sore leg and sore shoulder. My nose scratch is impressive, too, and I still have the latest garden magazine to read if I get too bored.
Day Twelve of my Holiday (Tuesday 1st October)
Yesterday I had to go in to school. I returned about 3 pm and zoomed into the Hen House Border to weed in the slowly setting sun. Today I am ready to emerge but I'm not totally sure what I feel like doing first. At times like this the glass-house is a good starting point. There is watering and sowing of seeds, and if I am sensible and take my indelible red marker out with me I can label things as well. I also need my radio and a hot cup of coffee. Hopefully I am not back for some time.
Later...
I had a great day pottering, weeding around the house borders and planting in the new garden by the Willow tree. I've put the pots of cannas in there, found a few more roses, and built up the edges of the wee path with logs. It's a great spot for a seat.
Day Thirteen of my Holiday (Wednesday 2nd October)
I have worked out why it's easy to miss the aquilegias - mine are mostly the results of self-seeding, and there are no thick patches anywhere. They are rather subtle loners and the colours are muted from constant hybridisation (they are very beautiful when noticed, though). What shall I do first today? Another early morning wander with coffee, before I commit to anything serious.
early flowering rose
Later...
I cleared the Frisbee Border and dug sternly around a tree stump in the new border by the Willow tree. Pretty boring really. And for once I don't have very much to say about it.
Day Sixteen of my Holiday (Saturday 4th October)
The day started with some slight holiday disruptions due to a cold front, rain, and work preparation. Now I have a completely blank mind regarding the garden - I haven't a clue what I particularly feel like doing, or where in the garden I would like to start. I will probably start off again in the glass-house - it's a good place to unwind, or to wake up, or to warm up the mental processes vital for the garden. Back soon.
I am back, after clearing the side Pond Border. I have also taken some holiday photos of the garden growing in spring. I have attempted to get pictures of the Aquilegias (holding their heads bashfully down) and the Hostas (they seem to grow by the hour) and the Gunnera starting to fill up the pond-side. There are so many little surprises, also, that I don't want to miss. It's the perfect day for photos - quite gloomy, no direct sun - in fact it looks like it's going to rain. I am going back for more pictures.
early flowering rhododendron
First Rose and Rhododendron
Ooops - it was raining quite hard. I found the first rose in flower - it is a once-flowering beauty called Canary Bird which is spreading out in the middle of the Jelly Bean Border. I managed a photo without falling into it.
Then I found a yellow rhododendron in flower - the rejected Saffron which languished under a hedge for a year and refused to die, eventually planted in the Hump in a heartless experiment. In here a plant accepts there is no irrigation, or dies. Go Saffron, you rhododendron legend! But there's more! The sun came out again, I went out again, and dug even further along the water race. I like the ambience under the Willow (even if it requires crawling around). I will definitely put some sort of summer lounging furniture here.
Trouble is that if there's too much wind the chairs or whatever will blow into the water race and float away. I've enjoyed today very much and now will peep at the new photos.
Sunday 5th October
This is officially the last day of my garden holiday. I will reflect on the last two weeks of heaven while trying to clean the dirt from my fingernails. This is rather symbolic.
Ferns :- Green ferns grow all along the water race. I love them.
I've had huge amounts of fun clearing right along the length of the water race. The ferns which live at the water's edge are just starting to regrow, and the lawn edge above is neatly trimmed. My newest rose garden near the Willow tree is organised and now needs to be ignored for a few weeks. Every day has brought something new - just this afternoon I found the first red rugosa flowers, the weeping cherry by the Hen House in full bloom (oops - nearly missed it!), and the thuggish driveway Clematis Montana bursting its buds open. White and purple honesty, blue and yellow pansies, yellow rhododendrons, orange-red tussocks, fresh red-green growth on the roses, dusky pink aquilegias, blue brunnera and forget-me-nots and bluebells, so the list goes on. I love my garden.