Centaurea Americana ‘Aloha Blanca’
Yet again I have had little time to do proper gardening this weekend and I have to say it is beginning to get to me. Also as I have started to go swimming to get fit I have found my evening gardening time reduced so I have decided to reduce my swimming until the evenings are too dark to garden. I think all my other non-work commitments are now complete so hopefully I will be able to use my spare time to catch up with the gardening more plus I have two weeks leave coming up which I can’t wait for.
The reason I was busy this weekend is that I was helping with the local horticultural show and my duties including stewarding the flower judge. It was very interesting as I started to learn from him how they judge the plants, what they look for, what counts against the entry and how sometimes the judge really struggles to make a decision.
Big Border looking lush
Back in the garden and as ever its a case of wondering where to start there are so may jobs to do. I decided to carry on with the new path through the big border as it will make life much easier and it will help me plan the planting much better. In order to do the next bit of the path I had to move some plants. I know it is not an ideal time to move plants but I do believe that if you water the plants well and take care of them most will survive. All the plants I have to move had already done their flowering and had been cut down to put on new growth so I think this is as good a time to move them as ever.
The new path runs parallel through the new Big Border and more of less follows the edge of the old cottage border before it was extended although I think it is a little wider. However, the planting in the old border needed thinning out anyway and I wanted to sort out the planting so it was more coherent rather than one of my electic mixs. I have decided to go back to original plan for the border but to do it better. The planting will be planned to peak early Summer and will be a mix of old English traditional favourites: Delphinium, roses, geraniums, purple sage, maybe some daisies. It will be pinks and blues and I am already mentally calling it the Sugar Border or more honestly the Schmultz Border!
The plans for this area are really coming together as are other projects in my head. I will need to re-organise the Big Border once the Dahlias are finished but at the moment I
Lobelia tupa
cannot visualise how it will be as the current planting is so lush. I suspect it will have a late Summer feel and I am pretty sure the wonderful Lobelia tupa which seems to like this garden will feature in it. I think the color theme will be rich red, purples, burgundy and cerise pink as these are definitely my favorite colours at this time of year.
Sadly I have a lack of physical energy today due to all the running around I have been doing but it has given me the perfect excuse to sit down and ponder bulb catalogues. I have written up my short-list for Avon Bulbs and Peter Nyssen and I now need to actually price it which may be a little scary. I seem to be developing a bit of a bulb addiction which is beginning to revival my already substantial seed addiction!! I was going to restrict the tulip bulb order this year due to loosing so many to the evil badger in the spring. However, I love tulips so much I can’t bear not to order some so I have decided to go back to planting up pots which will live on the patio and hopefully thwart my stripey friend. I am also ordering lots of narcissus as I try to add more each year and also extend the season. I have chosen some common ones but also a few more unusual ones.
Saying all this there are still some parts of the garden which aren’t working and I really need to address but at the moment I can’t decide what approach to take with them so they are on the back burner until inspiration hits.