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At last! Out and about in the garden!

libet

By libet

33 comments


Today has really been the first day I have been able to do some work in the garden on my own! I had an op on my shoulder about 5 weeks ago, and although its still painful, I have been sensible with resting it and can now manage a couple of hours! My lovely hubby and my twin sister, (also lovely!) have been giving me a hand with clearing up the winter aftermath, so now it’s a matter of jumping in when things need done!


I pruned this Spirea Candlelight, (Stickitoffee -I think the name I gave you was wrong -eek!) back by a third before I went into hospital…it seems to have forgiven me!


This shows the weeping pyrus salicifolia, it’s just come into flower this week.


Same tree from a different angle.


This shows the Parrotica Persica Hamamelidaceae, (phew!)that’s the green leaves, Berberis Thunbergii, the burgundy plants and Spirea Goldflame, the gold and red plant in the background. Colourful foliage can sometimes be as nice as flowers!


This shows the Golden hop, Humulus Lupulus Aureus, climbing up the trellis, and anything that stands still long enough! Fantastically fast and dense climber if you’re looking for quick privacy approx 6×6m, the
geraniums are Himalayense ‘Plenum’ which are a lovely double violet blue, and a hosta ‘Frances Williams’


This is my clematis alpina, but I’m not sure which variety, I thought it was ‘Frances Rivis’, but now I’m not so sure, Help?


The conference pear has gone berserk with bloom, hope the weather keeps fine, and there are plenty of bees for pollination!


Hubby sometimes uses the greenhouse as his ‘office’… I’m not impressed, (well ok, as long as he waters the plants!) Lol!!!


This one is for Whiston!, remember I said about splitting heucheras? This is ‘Plum Royale’ that I overwintered in the greenhouse, then, Horrors! discovered it had, gulp… (whisper it)…vine weevils!!!! Arrgggggh!! Well, I split it to soak it in VW killer, (Nooo, not the car! Tut!) and when I say I split it, it actually came off the surface of the compost like a big french beret! So I set it in a big overflow saucer and drenched it well with vine weevil killer, but by now it looked like a discarded pink wig! I split it into pieces which all had a section of stem attached, potted them into a really free draining compost, and now I have six whole new plants growing away like mad! I’ll keep an eye on them in case ‘they’ come back but fingers crossed!! ;0) Lol!! Thanks for reading this!

More blog posts by libet

Previous post: The Changing Garden

Next post: Just to share a little of what I've been doing!



Comments

 

Your garden is looking very yummy Libet, everything fresh, green and lush. Love hubbies office, bet its nice and warm in there too. On gardeners world this week Monty showed you how to split the Heucheras just like yours and now I am going to do mine in the morning because they have got tall and woody, so hopefully I will get some nice new plants now just like yours. Wonderful.

14 Apr, 2011

 

That's lovely, thank you Grandmage!, my wee buddy! You go for it girl! They're hard to kill, although vine weevil will do it! You can pot up the stalk as well you know, just chop it up into smallish 2cm pieces, lay them on their side on some free draining compost and wiggle them in so they are half buried. Then, in no time you'll see little leaves forming, just pot them up and keep them until they get a wee bit bigger, and then whip them off into the garden!!

14 Apr, 2011

 

Lovely blog Libet and what a lovely day too. I love your greenhouse too. The Spirea looks well. The Clematis....I'm not an expert on Alpinas, but lets have a pic when it's fully open, that will make it easier to id.

14 Apr, 2011

 

Hope you are now recovered Libet. Your garden looks lovely with not a weed in sight - Looks like your OH has been looking after the garden for you.

14 Apr, 2011

 

Your garden is lovely with everything blooming and coming into leaf. It all looks nice and fresh :)
Using your greenhouse as an office ? lol. I would chuck him out ;o)
I hope your shoulder is healing nicely and that you don't have much pain.

15 Apr, 2011

 

I love your little haven ...though not so small by the look of it ! ..what a difference the sun makes too.

15 Apr, 2011

 

That's a lovely heuchera, glad you've managed to rescue from the evil VW!

15 Apr, 2011

bjs
Bjs
 

Lovely round up of whats going on in your garden now.

15 Apr, 2011

 

Thanks Libet - what a great blog. Your garden is looking gorgeous, and I love the pics with shadows! What useful Heuchera tips too - I don't remember that bit of Gardeners World, but will definitely take your advice.
Don't work too hard now, with that shoulder - good luck with it mending well!

15 Apr, 2011

 

Your garden is looking lovely Libet. Glad you are able to get back out there now.

15 Apr, 2011

 

lovely blog Libet, your garden is looking lovely, i have Alpina cyenea which looks like this but then again alot of them look similar dont they, glad your heacheras are doing ok, nasty vine weavel, glad your back in the garden and have help to :o))

15 Apr, 2011

 

Very useful tips about cuttings too..thank you.

15 Apr, 2011

 

Heavens! Look what happens when you go out to a meeting! Thank you everyone for taking the time to post your great comments, I'm really flattered!

Hello Karensusan!, I'll post another pic when the clematis flowers open, mind you it's been sitting looking like this for about two weeks! We'll both have a go at naming it then!

Hi Mariek!, thanks, you're right, he has been good at keeping on top of the weeds, but I also have a rule... anyone who comes to the house to visit, can't come in until they bring me 3 weeds! Harsh, but it works like a charm on keeping the weeds down! Well, that and...um.. 4in of mini chipped bark mulch put on last September! Lol!

Hello Hywel! Thank you, lovely comment! Hubby did at least have the grace to look shamefaced about using the greenhouse as an office, but it's ok! he's promised me rent in the future! The shoulder has it's moments, but sure, it can only get better!

Hi Judywolf! Doesn't the sun turn the whole day round!
Heucheras are very forgiving plants, but I hope the propagating advice works! (gulp!)

Thank you Donnaj1dlh! It is a lovely colour, I'll have to find a wee place for them so the sun can shine through their leaves!

Thanks Bjs! Very kind! More pics in the pipeline :0)

Hello Sheilabub! Glad you liked the pics! D'you know, I watched Gardener's World and I can't for the life of me remember heucheras being on it! Oh dear! Seriously senior moment!;0)) Lol! Anyhoo, this is just what I do with mine, found out through trial and error, just hope it works for everyone else!

Thank you for your very kind comment Annella!, and I'm really glad to be back in the garden too! :0}

Hi Sanbaz! Thank you, that's very sweet of you! I think I'll have to wait until the flowers open a bit more, maybe it'll be easier to track down! Also keeping an eye out for vine weevil...I'm ready to jump on them!!
Little horrors, that gc won't see me again anytime soon!
How are you both getting on with your arch!? :0)

15 Apr, 2011

 

I love your rule for house guests. Maybe I'll put that into practice. We don't get many guests though, and I imagine my friends that do come over wouldn't know how to spot a weed from my plantings. I'll probably end up with all my friends yanking out emerging perennials! haha.
Lovely garden too. Nice that your hubby and sister are helping you out in the garden. Hope it makes the surgery mending a little more bearable!

15 Apr, 2011

 

Lainedru! Noooooo! Don't let your friends pull your plants up! Doesn't bear thinking about!! :-o
And thank you for your lovely comment about the garden! It's great I have some help sometimes, it's brill for the heavy work! It gives me a chance to play with the pretty stuff! Lol!

15 Apr, 2011

 

Libet the arch isnt getting on lol, i dare not say anything as Barry is working 7 days a week most of the time, but i live in hope it will be this year, fingers and toes crossed :o))

16 Apr, 2011

 

Lucky you having some help in the garden....it's just me doing everything here!

17 Apr, 2011

 

great blog and update on your lovely garden..thank you for sharing. i love the conference pair, does it bring much fruit it looks well happy where it is? Cant help you with the identifying of the Clematis but it looks stunning. i have seen this though on another profile..could this be it..

http://www.growsonyou.com/photo/slideshow/196930-clematis-alpina-willy-2/member/Janey

Good to hear your shoulder is better enough to garden.

17 Apr, 2011

 

Beautiful photos Libet ... don't overdo it in the garden ... a bit of R & R after an op. won't go amiss! : o )

18 Apr, 2011

 

Hi Sanbaz! Och that's a pity about your arch! I can understand not mentioning it to hub, when they're busy like that, one more thing might just tip him over the edge!! He's a hard worker by the sounds of it! I'll keep everything crossed for you too!!

18 Apr, 2011

 

Hi Lauram! I know, I'm really, really lucky. I still bear the scars of putting the garden together the first time around! If I had to do everything myself now, I think the garden would shrink to a load of pots around the back door, and a flock of sheep to keep the lawn trimmed!!

18 Apr, 2011

 

Thank you Skipscanda1, for your kind comments! The pear has loads of fruit, in fact, I sometimes have to thin out the fruit to make sure I get reasonable sized pears.Then of course some years I'll be lucky to get 3 pears if the frost gets the blossom!
I'll put a pic of the clematis up on the site when the flowers finally decide to open, maybe we'll all be able to have a stab at identifying it then! And thank you for asking after the bad shoulder, it takes a lot to keep me down!

18 Apr, 2011

 

Thank you Shirley Tulip! Glad you like the pics! I'll take your advice on the R&R, I have to go to physio tomorrow, and if she thinks I've been doing too much with my shoulder, she gives me what I call 'the hard Paddington Bear stare!' and then manipulates it until I squeak! (or should that be squeal!) ;0)

18 Apr, 2011

 

Lol, Libet! Great description of the stare! : o )

19 Apr, 2011

 

Ta much!! ;0) Lol!

19 Apr, 2011

 

Libet, Ive never seen Vine Weevil. and didnt know they attacked Heucheras. What does it look like and how do the plants react?
Great blog by the way. Lots of lovely lush green! Love the clematis and weeping pyrus.

21 Apr, 2011

 

Hello, you have a lovely garden there, i like the borders, and the garden has a feel of calm about it, c'est bon, julien.

21 Apr, 2011

 

Hello Tetrarch! Thanks for those lovely comments!
You are so lucky not to have had the dubious pleasure of the evil vine weevil!! I had a look on Goypedia, and the link below shows the larvae of the vine weevil, they look like little 'C' shaped white grubs, with brown heads and these are the blighters that do the most damage, they eat away at the roots, and burrow into the base of the plant, and you have no clue about this until the plant top suddenly wilts, and looks like it needs water. Then if you take hold of the plant, say to pull a dead leaf off, the whole darn thing will come off the surface of the compost like a frisbee! And you'll feel like throwing it like a frisbee as well!  
Echeveria root and vine weevil 31 Mar 2009
www.growsonyou.com/photo/slideshow/69434-echeveria...vine-weevil/all

I think this link below takes you to a photo that Hywel took of a vine weevil beetle on his wall! It's a great shot and the only thing I would add to look out for is that the beetle has a wee snout for a nose, it's really obvious, you'll know what I'm talking about if you ever have the rotten luck to come across one! And if you do...jump on it!! 

www.growsonyou.com/photo/.../136019-a-vine-weevil-in-my-house-o

22 Apr, 2011

 

Hi Julien, That's great that you feel the garden is calm, that's just the sort of vibe I'm going for! It's a bit of a sanctuary for me, so I'm glad that feeling is coming across! Thank you!

22 Apr, 2011

 

What a lovely garden you have and I absolutely love your greenhouse, what an unusual style it is.

7 May, 2011

 

Thank you Rose1949! That's very kind of you, we went for something a wee bit different because it's right in the middle of the garden, and this one is just a bit more decorative!

8 May, 2011

 

A great job Libet - this was my Bday :):) hope your shoulder is all better now, the garden looks brilliant, I have the Spirea Candlelight it is so well bright lol - and I love Spireas anyway, we have a magic carpet Spirea too :):):) I know what you mean about the pear tree - we bought one 3 months ago at 4ft - it is now 6ft 4 !

The greenhouse is very special too - wish we had one :):)

Need to catch up with your pictures later - :):):)

11 May, 2011

 

Hi Paul! Och! Happy Belated Birthday!!!
I don't know what i would do without Spireas! I use them as the bright backbone of our garden, i think they're great as a contrast to all the dark plants I love too, the Dahlias and Rudbeckias etc. I'm glad you like the greenhouse, it's my little refuge, and the heart of the garden...I'm sounding like a twerp now! ;0)

11 May, 2011

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