Hartley Botanic - nearly 4 years on!

I don't usually write a post about the greenhouse at this time of year as usually, there's not too much going on. In April, it will be 4 years since we had our new Hartley Botanic and I love it as much as ever!  This year, there is so much colour already and with an overdose of perfume expected any day, the greenhouse is definitely worth a mention.  

The Brugmansia has been in flower all winter,  Not a single day has passed without a flower or bud somewhere to be seen.  The Violas and Primulas were potted up as plugs last October and the Pelargoniums are just overwintering.  Many are sitting on their warm mat to keep them dry and prevent mildew, although, at one point, I confess to keeping them rather too dry! As I can only accommodate about a third on the mat so choices are tough.  Overall, 84% are thriving and 99% of the miniatures and dwarfs, all of which are on the heated mat.

The Jasmine officinale is an old plant but last year after cutting it back following flowering, it's been allowed to scramble up through another Jasmine and up the grapevine into the roof of the greenhouse.  It is an absolute mass of flower buds!  when flowering is over, it's in for a shock as I shall cut it right back again.

The Polyanthus was a treat!  Well - how can anyone go to a garden centre and not buy a plant?

Some plants think it's spring in February!

Unknown Prunus

Ribes sanguineum

Paeonia lutea

As well as the Hellebores putting on a real show; elsewhere in the garden, buds are definitely on the move and some are bursting into life.  Let's hope we don't have any late and viciously cold frosts as, we'll be in real trouble.  

The Prunus blossom has never been formally identified and the tree is known fondly as the 'Red Tree' on account of its dark red leaves. The poor thing has suffered terrible butchering in its life time as you can see from its scars.  This tree peony has massive lemon flowers - very showy-in-your-face-blousey flowers than last for all of 5 minutes! All winter, it probably qualifies as the most untidy & straggly looking shrub in the world!

The Ribes sanguineum (flowering currant) is a cutting propagated from one growing in the grounds of my old seat of learning - Bridgnorth Grammar School no less!  

Beating the Gales!

Last Saturday, it was floods and flood warnings that curtailed Wisteria pruning.  This week, gales hampered garden work! Little wonder we gardeners are always discussing or grumbling about the weather!  Despite the ferocious storms, the temperatures have been really mild.  Buds are breaking and blossom is appearing.

Chris's 'spheres'!

The 4th Lonicera shere.

Saturday started with logging up some dry wood and setting aside kindling.  That done, it was time to move the Viratrums from by the conifer to a better suited situation down in the Lower Border.  It was just too dry for them by the conifer.  Now they have a perfect spot at the back of the border on the edge of the Service Path.  We trimmed the Epimediums in the Woodland Border then pruned the apple trees.  Teetering on a ladder in a gale at the top of an apple tree is less than ideal but, undeterred, Chris manfully carried on.  

Having finished that, it was on to the Lonicera spheres.  Chris forbids us from calling them balls especially as they're referred to as his - the reason being; it was he who sculpted them into 3 touching spheres.  Thanks to the gales one had moved and is now leaning and all had grown whiskers.  Never before have they required trimming in February!  There are actually 4 but the fourth stands alone on the other side of the border.  It's not an easy job as the 3 touching each other stand in the centre between a Rose, a Hydrangea and a Wollemi Pine.  Wielding a pole cutter requires both skill and patience.  Luckily, Chris is blessed with plenty of both!

Thank goodness the days are drawing out and we're no longer heading indoors at 4:30pm in the dark!

Dennis Stops Work!

Smart eh!?

Storm Dennis is raging around outside so the gardeners have retreated indoors.

We're in the throws of a major efficiency drive. Indoor work has included a wooden covered Garden Book - pyrographically decorated as you'd expect!  Its design even allows for the insertion of page refills.  It comes complete with its own book mark.  It can be hung up and even has a pocket on the inside back cover!!  The ply came courtesy of Chris Genever but it didn't respond well to a wash of green ink.  Use with muddy hands will soon sort that!  Anyway, it's a first attempt so, try to be impressed!  Gone are Saturday jobs lists on bits of paper which get lost often before full job completion.  We now have the Little Green Garden Book and..............that's not all!  

The Little Green Garden Book is born!

Meanwhile, in the Potting Shed, we've installed a whiteboard!!  A whiteboard was that Chris Pugh's idea!  Sometimes we spot a plant or shrub needs moving at a totally inappropriate time of year.
After waiting 6 months (or longer) it's often overlooked or forgotten and so the window of opportunity is firmly shut until another year has passed! From now on, such jobs will be written on the whiteboard!

Fullproof as long as we remember to look at it!!

The newly installed Potting Shed whiteboard

NO Chris Saturday!

Chris is taking a well deserved spot of paternity leave since the arrival of Master Rupert David Thomas Pugh!!  We send him and Suzi our very warmest congratulations!

Grass all topped & looking smart!

I worked quietly on with a robin for company. Herod the Heron flew off earlier. I cut back dead Rudbeckias, Phlox, Japanese Anemones, Heleniums - in fact all the perennials I could find. Lugging wheelbarrows full down to the compost heap and bonfire and pausing to admire the Hellebores & snowdrops in the Woodland Border each time I passed.  Roses were pruned and, worst of all - Alchemilla Mollis!! Their soggy brown stalks are tough as old boots and always jam the secateur blades - sigh!

Meanwhile, our loyal Under Gardener ran the mower over all the lawns and topped the very long grass.  I did the verges and orchard path with the ride on.  The sun shone all day long & it was a super mild - bonus! Result at the end of the day: smugness!!

Following a severe reprimand from the other Chris for keeping my Pelargoniums too dry, I gave them all a VERY good soaking in readiness for the next inspection!

Flowers in February.

Hellborus

Wild Euphorbia (Wood Spurge)

Elsewhere in the garden, there are pops of winter colour in the Woodland Border with Hellebores coming into flower, Snowdrops and also Bergenias.  Wild Euphorbias are also springing up adding their acid 

Bergenia

greens to good effect. 

Helleborus.

Cyclamen coum.

Under the old conifer and along the path, Chris's Cyclamen are a real show of pink.  This hardy little plant is the most trouble free and worthy garden plant.  It grows in dry and infertile situations beneath trees The leaves have a very striking marbling and unlike Narcissus just disappear when they die.  It might look delicate but  it's a tough little plant. It happily spreads and with both Coum and Hederifolium varieties, flowers are guaranteed in both spring and autumn. 

Beating Gales and High Winds!

All ready for a good mulch of homemade compost!

The Genever Acuba Japonica

We were so relieved to have a dry Saturday, we endured the gales and high winds thinking they would help dry out the saturated ground.  Undaunted I set to work in the Lower Border cutting down the soggy dead hardy geraniums, Sedums, Poppy's and Peonies.  All the photographs one sees in glossy garden magazines depicting pretty dead flower heads cloaked in a dusting of hoar frost doesn't live here! It was all a soggy brown mush.

I was joined by Chris who had been struggling with a giant climbing frame in mud!  With both of us working, we cleared the entire border weeded and forked it over and even trimming the shrubs!  We removed a Viburnum which had been ravaged by Viburnun Beetle and planted a Genever Acuba Japonica (Japanese Laurel).  We replaced some of the Viburnum but, it's under threat and will be removed if there are signs of further attacks.  The border was transformed and I actually wished I'd taken a 'before' photo and didn't as it all looked just too miserable.

This Lower Border (as it's known) retains a little winter interest and colour with some small clipped shrubs of differing coloured & variegated Euonymous, 3 (Genever) Box & an Osmanthus heterophyllus Goshiki (false holly).

The day ended helping our loyal Under Gardener with his bonfire and I was awarded the Bonfire Cap.  In the high winds - both men had failed to get it started!

As for drying the ground: it rained again over night!  Back to square one!