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Hard work today - and all week!!

6 comments


First, I have to apologise for the poor quality of the photos in this blog. I didn’t finish planting until nearly 6 p.m. when it was really too dark to take photos, hence BAD pictures. Sorry!

I have really worked hard out there for several days. It’s pruning time for the late summer flowering shrubs and I have cut back my Perovskias, my Caryopteris (four of them!) the Lavatera, Buddleja and two of the Spirea japonica shrubs out of four.

I get the impression from the state of the Spireas that they have not been cut hard back for some years – well, they have now!
I have to admit that I only deadheaded them the first year we were here, and gave them a haircut last year – this year I dived in! I fed them with blood, fish and bone – catastrophe! the box had got wet and fell apart – they got REALLY well fed!

The very wide bed that faces east was looking flat and dull. I decided to give it a facelift and some structure for the winter months – a shopping expedition! What a good excuse! But first, a new trellis to grow nice things…

In front of it I have planted a Mahonia japonica. On the trellis there’s a selection of Clematis – an evergreen ‘Early Sensation’, a pink ‘’Scartho Gem’ and a ‘Guernsey Cream’. I also managed to track down a Pileostegia viburnoides to climb on the stone wall. What a problem I had finding one! Local Nurseries had never heard of it so I ended up in Devon!

I bought several shrubs and plants there including a Phormium ‘Maori Queen’. I realise that this one is a risk as it really prefers more sun – worth a try, though. I found a Skimmia confusa ‘Kew Green’ there, which has also gone in this border.

For a bit of brightness I put in this Choisya – ‘Sundance’ and also two Buxus varieties which I had not come across before – latifolia ‘Aurea’ (sorry about the picture)

And one with a very long name – Buxus sempervirens ‘Argenteo variegata’ – green and silver to you and me!

I planted several other shrubs and a Miscanthus for the summer, but the border definitely looks better – it was worth all the hard work preparing the ground and planting. I did enjoy the plant-hunt best, I have to admit!

There are still lots of gaps – more plant hunting? Probably.

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Comments

 

Looking good Spritz. Shame about having to do ANOTHER plant hunt lol The Phormium is a beauty (no surprise there says David!) and the other plants look to be real show stoppers. Will look forward to seeing this bed develop

23 Feb, 2008

 

Gosh Spritz you have been working hard.I have just join this site and yours is the first blog I read. Looking forward to reading more about your garden.

23 Feb, 2008

 

Hi Spritz... I love the way the new trellis looks on the stone wall. Happy plant hunting :)

23 Feb, 2008

 

Yes, Maple, hardly surprising. Our garden centres seem to be filled with phormium "Maori Queen" just now, Spritz. Reading about your hard work inspired me to really get down to clearing and topdressing my beds this afternoon. Many thanks for spurring me into heavy action!

24 Feb, 2008

 

good for you Spritz, looking good! and yes defo a good excuse for more shopping - don't you just love it! - i know i do lol. i have been having a little go out there today with brooke, trying to plant some veggie seeds - i say trying because every time we planted some i turned around and she was digging them back up lol oh well never mind all part of the fun, we both had a wonderful time and came back in covered in mud - proberly too early for the veggi seed anyway! lol

24 Feb, 2008

 

Gaps their not gaps you should see my New bed4the cottage seeds/plants ect lol.Only got the Rosemary in yesterday &its looking very LONELY indeed:( Got other plants but little 2early yet2plant

29 Feb, 2008

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