Now I have planted part of it up with things moved from elsewhere in the garden. 2 fennels, although I have a feeling these might not thrive because the tap roots were deeper than I expected. 3 clumps of iris sibirica - very robust plants, I love them. 1 very thuggish cranesbill, which has deep burgundy flowers - starting now. 1 hellebore seedling from the front garden. 2 alchemilla mollis found on the compost heap. All of these are real bruisers, will fight off the weeds for me with some hoeing around them. Then lots of little echium seedlings to grow up through a rose that is scrambling on the ground.
The pictures aren't from the same place, but you get the idea. It ain't Chelsea, but then I wouldn't want it to be. The apparent space in between is partly used by the smaller plants, which are tiny still, and partly for things to grow into.
Next door: quite something to contend with.
And a bonus picture - a little heuchera just planted out, and a bluebell that will be pulled up soon.
PS - forgot to include in the list of things planted, 2 clumps of black poppies grown from seed I collected 3 years ago.
Your weed frustration made me smile. Trouble is that we had a couple of weeks warm weather followed by rain - but the little buggers seem to come up whatever the weather! I've filled up a deep bed with fresh multipurpose and manure this season and there are still weeds throughout (all those seeds from the undersoil I worked in I guess...)
ReplyDeleteAll the rain has really made the weeds grown fast it is hard to keep up with this time of year. I see your rose is just sprouting out. Mine look the same way. I think two was lost this winter so I will have to pull them out. Your heuchera is really growing well so early.Cannot wait to see your black poppies.
ReplyDeleteYou sure got a lot done! Time for a nice, hot bath :). I can't wait to see the black poppies- sound beautiful. My daughter has been asking me to start some poppies- are they easy to start from seed?
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the reassurance about weeding - it seems easier knowing others find it the same!
ReplyDeleteHocking - my other roses are well into leaf, but that one has been pruned twice because I was determined to get the shape right, so it's catching up. Roses love that bed, which is very heavy clay. I'm tempted to get a huge one to take up a lot of it...
Tessa - poppies are an absolute doddle from seed, but they don't like being disturbed. So it's best to either sow them where they will grow, or in large pots and put them out direct from those pots (ie not in a tray from which you then have to pot them up). I find the more common poppies - welsh ones say, which are yellow - self-seed wonderfully, but these black ones didn't seem to. So you just shake the seed into a bag, the pods are like a little salt shaker!
Thanks! They sound like the perfect candidate for soil blocks or paper pots. I've had great success with others that don't like their roots disturbed in these- especially the soil blocks! I think maybe my daughter might just get her poppies!
ReplyDeleteEmily The poppies sound interesting and you certainly sound to have had a successful time in the garden
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