My Somerset Garden

15 comments

Hello Everyone!

What a warm welcome you’ve all given me, I am overwhelmed by your friendliness and kind words, bless you all!

Well although right now is strictly not Saturday the 12th, it’s the best I could do having just come back from a boring nights work driving my coach back and forth!

I now have a lovely cup of Yorkshire tea in front of me with another keeping hot under the cosy, slurp!

2 of the cats have been fighting and the dog has just about chewed through the remnants of the door frames downstairs, mind, I did catch him chewing into my geum Mrs J Bradshaw about 2 months back, like the star she is, she grew back rapidly again! crunch crunch!

The time as I write is 01:23 sunday morning the 13th, what fun! hang on, another drink………………………………………………… there we are, lovely.

Many of you have commented on the view at the back of the garden so I will post a picture of it for you, we are very very lucky to have such a vista, on a nice day we sit down there and do the china tea cups, cosy etc, so English but so nice!

It’s a double edged sword sometimes as when the strong winds come in from the mendips, we can hardly push the windows open! it’s hard to believe but true, another downside is the struggle to keep tall plants vertical, i love all the tall ones, verbascums, foxgloves, hollyhocks.

I guess everyone has a favourite plant but I guess mine is Verbena Bonariensis, strong, airy and beautiful, lasts forever, I became obsessed with it a few years ago but am now getting over it! I seem to go through stages loving certain plants for all manner of reasons, wild primroses , roses, veronica gentianoides and crocosmia to name but a few.

If there has been one thing i’ve learned so far, it’s letting nature get on with things, who are we to question why foxglove seedlings are thrown out to survive at the harshest time of the year! mother nature does know best and most plants have have 2 choices, live or die!

Saying that, i’m sure everyone has plants that seem to teeter on the brink sometimes, maybe through drought they suffer, primroses are like that, what i do to them in hot times is take some of the bigger older leaves off, I find it’s similar to what we’d do when it’s hot, take a few items of clothing off and wear thinner garments, "treat them mean, keep em keen so to speak.

Has any of you had any experience with Acanthus? they have very deep roots don’t they, very hard to propagate them, i managed a few which are now rooting in pots.

Anyway, bed calls , but I will keep you updated.

Bye everyone, Micky

13 Dec, 2009
16 likes

Comments

Bernieh

Fantastic views - lucky you. Just love that first misty photo - what a great shot. The view back to your garden is gorgeous - looks like your seating area is sunken into the garden! Lots of fabulous planting all around - what a great spot to sit and have a cuppa! Enjoyed your blog, thanks!

13 Dec, 2009

Lujean

oh my gosh this is just beautiful turlyI could just cry I love the hill side with the cows my grandmother had dairy cows and I just love them thanks for shaing this.

13 Dec, 2009

Hywel

I love your view
My favourite plants are cacti; but of the ones I can grow out in the garden my favs are Sweet Williams. I just love them. I have lots of self-seeded ones from last year and I hope they survive the winter.

13 Dec, 2009

Louise1

I have experience with Acanthus Micky, do i ever !!!

It was growing in my front garden when i moved here 3 years ago.
It has strong, deep roots that are actually VERY easy to propagate ..... i'm very surprised that you say it's hard to.
I've been trying to get rid of the stuff since i moved here and i think that now, 3 years later it has actually gone.
I applied more weedkiller to that plant than you'd ever believe, they just will NOT die !

If you plant those new shoots/plants you've got going in the ground, make sure you won't want to change your mind because once there, it's there for a long time.
They like thin, poor soil in a lot of sun.

13 Dec, 2009

Bluespruce

Stunning views micky, and I agree with Louise, Acanthus is one of those plants that should come with a government health warning.

13 Dec, 2009

Simbad

Amazing views Micky.
I have acanthus too, easy from root cuttings, not so easy from seed, autumn/winter just cut off pieces of the thick root couple of inches long and pot in gritty compost with top level with soil surface, making sure they're right way up, should see leaves springtime.
I read that Louise that they like thin poor soil, mine are growing happily in quite rich heavy clay!!!!!!! as are my cephalaria gigantea that are also supposed to like well drained soil,they reach 7-8ft and seed everywhere !!!!!!!

13 Dec, 2009