Getting out and about at last

Now that Lockdown measures have eased and gardens are back open to the public, I have been keen to get out and visit again.  I’ve been feeling a bit down and hemmed in recently, so this was probably what was needed to perk me up.

We hadn’t been to RHS Harlow Carr since last October and as we normally visit several times a year, I decided it was time we went again.  We had to book a time slot to arrive by then we could stay as long as we liked up to closing time. We had a picnic in the car park to save carrying it around the gardens with us.  The car park is next to a woodland walk so is quite a nice place. There’s a lovely path which skirts the edge of the woods and leads you to the gardens.

We felt quite safe in the gardens, there was hand sanitiser in various places, notices advising about social distancing and no crowds of people, plenty of space to walk around.

Once in the gardens we noticed lots of changes since our last visit and despite there being less staff to help during lockdown the gardens were looking lovely and well tended.

I’m always impressed by the container arrangements—so big and bold.  Too big for my garden, but I can still get ideas for planting combinations.

We came across this border which was full of different varieties of Rudbekia.  It was a Rudbekia trial, apparently 2020 is the year of the Rudbekia.  I didn’t know that. I also didn’t know that there are so many varieties of Rudbekia. I recognised about 3 names out of the 43 which were planted there.

The streamside walk was looking very colourful.

The sweet peas in the kitchen garden were much further on than mine.  I thought that someone needed to cut them before they went to seed. I would have liked that to be me.

Walking through the scented garden towards the foliage garden where we always like to sit for a while in the summer house, we had a surprise as we weren’t allowed through into the foliage garden. And it looked much different, we couldn’t see the summer house, just a gravel path with flower beds alongside leading to somewhere. It was all a bit mysterious.  Then we spotted the information board which told us that work was in progress to make this little garden into a Secret Garden with a serpent path. What we could see of it looked lovely and I can’t wait now for it to be finished so that we can explore.

The Alpine house was looking busy with lots of people wandering through, I didn’t want to get too close to anyone, so we didn’t go in. We walked around and looked through the windows spotting this amazing looking aeonium.  

I had a good look at the alpine troughs as we walked around the outside of the Alpine House as I am going to re plant some of mine at home.

I loved the beds planted up with annual flowers, cornflowers, calendulas, poppies etc.

Some of the beds in the big herbaceous borders were being dug up as they were trying to eradicate bindweed which was taking over. I know what a nuisance that can be, we have it on the allotment. There was still plenty of spectacular colour to be seen  in other borders, though.

We ended our visit by looking round the plant centre and shop and of course I had to buy something.
I bought sempervivums and sedums for my alpine pots, there's always a good selection at Harlow Carr.

Through the Garden Gate--May 2020

May was a really busy month in the garden, there has been so much change as the borders have burst into flower and the jobs have been plentiful too.  We've enjoyed the lovely warm weather sitting relaxing or getting on with the jobs which have been mainly planting up containers with summer bedding.

Weeks ago when garden centres were still closed, I wondered if I would be able to get any summer plants for my patio containers. But I managed to find a local plant nursery which did a click and collect service. There were some offers on plants one being 8 trays of bedding plants and a big tray of basket plants. So I took advantage of this offer but I soon realised that there were probably many more plants than I would normally have bought. All planted up now and looking good, but it was hard work.

Walking round the garden each day I love to see what's newly come into bloom. The alliums were lovely but gone over now and I forgot to take photos of them. Now the lupins are out and are looking great.  These are one of my favourite cottage garden flowers.

Holly the cat seems totally unimpressed by the lupins

The blue irises opened up this week

The Gertrude Jekyll rose has finally taken off this year and is happily clambering up the archway. It smells wonderful.

There are other lovely smells around, this morning I noticed that the yellow honeysuckle which I think is called 'Scentsation' is flowering and climbing over the fence.  This was a cutting from one which we bought for our daughter a few years ago.

Hope you've all been enjoying your gardens and this beautiful weather.

I am linking this blog post to Sarah's  at 'Down by the Sea' for her monthly 'Through the Garden Gate' post

Through the garden gate--March

The weather has not been very Spring like in March and I know we are all longing for some warmer days with more sunshine. No more snow please!  We have been working on our new garden whenever we can but we have had so much rain.  We get so disheartened when it rains hard and the bottom beds fill with water, but we can see progress. The spring bulbs which I planted weeks ago have brought some colour to the borders.

        

I have been enjoying the Hellebores which I planted. Some of them are a lovely dark red colour, one of them is called 'Anna's Red'. I bought it because my granddaughter is called Anna and she has red hair. I just had to have it! I łove plants which for different reasons remind me of people I know. I wonder now if I should look out for plants which are named after my other grandchildren?

On my potting bench is a collection of small pots of spring bulbs--tete a tete daffodils, yellow and purple crocus, blue Chionodoxa and Pushkinia. It's a lovely display of colour. I have planted some containers of violas too. They are around the garden in different places-- the garden table, outside the kitchen door.

Under the Weigela in the front garden are some bulbs which in  last month's 'Through the garden gate' blog were covered in snow. They are looking much more cheerful now and I have added some lavender and Heucheras to the front of the border. 

This is a border which is tucked away and can get forgotten, but it does get quite a bit of sun. I cut the Weigela back last year when we moved into our new house to make some planting space underneath. It will be good to have a bit more colour there this year.

I am pleased to say that my ankle is recovering well and I am able to get about the garden more, I can even use the spade and fork now, so as soon as the weather is better I will be doing much more planting in the garden beds.

I am linking this post to Sarah's blog at 'Down by the Sea' for her monthly 'Through the Garden Gate' post.

Watercress

One of my favourite salad veg is watercress and last year I decided to grow some from seed on the allotment. I had grown some in a salad bed in the garden before and it had grown well but been a bit straggly and all over the place. It disappeared eventually, probably having been dug up by mistake.

 This time I grew it in a big container and this seems to work well. The container helps to keep it under control. Last year after the first cutting, I was pleased to find that it grew back a few weeks later.  I thought it might have died over winter, but no, it returned this year and is doing even better.  I cut it, then it grows back, again and again.

I have also found that if I take some home and put the stems in a little jug of water, roots will grow from the stems. These can be planted into pots of compost and will grow. This is an easy way of growing watercress if you didn't want to be bothered growing it from seed and could be done with shop bought watercress. 

If grown in the ground, watercress needs a moist soil.  In a container it will need regular watering to keep the compost damp. If you don't have anywhere to grow it outside, then it can be grown indoors on a windowsill in a small pot or recycled food container.

Watercress is one of those foods which is really good for you, it is rich in vitamins and minerals. I love it's strong peppery taste and much prefer it to rocket.  It is a very versatile veg.  It's good in salads, on sandwiches with cheese or egg,  chopped up in a sauce with fish, it also makes a delicious soup. In fact if you look up watercress recipes on the Internet you will find loads of ways if using it.

And the great thing about watercress is that the slugs don't seem to
be interested in it.

Winter tubs

I love it when just as you think things have finished in the garden you can do something else to keep things going. Like potting up containers with winter colour.  That's what I did at the weekend.

I bought some pots of red mini cyclamen, some small hardy ferns, a stipa sirocco grass which has shades of copper and pink in autumn and winter and some gaultheria which is a small plant with dark glossy leaves and  red berries. These are all sold in garden centres at this time of year for autumn/winter container planting.

I made up one container in the front garden near the door.

 

Another smaller pot for near the back door

 

I added two of the gaultheria to this trough which has been going through the summer with violas, now gone over. The ivy in the pots was there for the summer displays and is still going strong. I removed the top layer of compost in the pots and topped up with fresh.

 These should all keep looking good beyond Christmas.

Spring at Harlow Carr

We visit RHS Harlow Carr several times a year and we always see changes and new developments every time we go.

Our visit this Spring saw the how well the redevelopment of the Queen Mother's Lake is coming along and we are looking forward to seeing the finished results. We also saw things happening in the woods.  Following the new path and the excited childlike voices we eventually came upon the new tree house. We didn't have our grandchildren with us on this visit but we made a note to bring them along in the summer.  They will love this.

Another new development is the introduction of the chickens which were causing much interest again amongst the children.

 

It was the Easter holidays  so there were a lot of families there taking part in the giant Easter egg hunt. I don't think the chickens had laid the big golden egg which was perched on top of their house!

We walked through the woods then up to the bird hide and were pleased to see a bullfinch  at one of the feeding stations.

We continued our walk through the arboretum enjoying the quiet . Throughout the gardens spring was bursting into life in many ways. There were drifts of colour from narcissus, tulips, hellebore, hyacinths and many other plants the names of which I did not know.

We had a rest in the summer house. Every time we go there's always someone sitting in there and we can't disturb them, but this time we managed to get to sit awhile. 

 

I love this place, it makes me long for a summer house in my garden, but space and money do not allow it, I just have to dream. I like the view through the hedges. There were some pots of spring bulbs arranged on tables which gave me ideas of things I could do at home.

The hyacinths in the scented garden smelt divine. I'm always interested to see what is growing here because I have a little scented seating area in my garden. Perhaps next year I will grow some pots of hyacinths.

There are always some magnificent containers arrangements at Harlow Carr and this visit was no exception.

Mine never look so good!

November in the garden

The garden takes a back seat during November and December with all the preparations for Christmas, fortunately there is not usually too much work to be done out there at this time of year. But if we get fine days when the sun shines, even though it might be cold, I often have a longing to get out and do some work. 

The main job at the moment is sweeping up the leaves, of which there are loads. We have a big leaf composting bin which my husband made and it produces lots of lovely leaf mould each year.  I've also planted up some containers with evergreens and cyclamens for outside the front and back doors.
  

This is one I made up last year which is still looking good.

The gaillardia are still  flowering happily.

I've done a bit of tidying and cutting back in the borders, although I leave most of the cutting back for the Spring.  The grasses take over when the flowers die back, although this one is not an evergreen so it too will die back eventually.

The holly tree is still full of berries, so last weekend we cut some branches and have stored them in the shed where it's cool ready for our Christmas decorations in a week or two. There are still plenty of berries left for the birds. They also enjoy the windfall apples which we have left lying around as well as the food which we put out for them. We also have squirrels running around and a few weeks ago there was a hedgehog. We're hoping it's found a place to hibernate. It shouldn't have too much trouble finding anywhere, there are plenty of places which we don't clear of leaves.