Garden in Isolation

Those walkers taking their daily exercise can still donate to the caring charities in this great time of need!  Even though garden visiting isn't allowed, walkers can peep over the hedge or take a virtual tour here: 

Virtual Garden Tour

Donations can be left here.

Public footpath running along the garden hedge.

GARDENS IN ISOLATION

PEAR TREE COTTAGE GARDEN NEEDS YOU!

Here's an opportunity for all those who planned to support us in our fund raising for The National Garden Scheme but, alas can no longer do so in person.  By making a donation, you will be supporting the caring charities - those who care for US.

NEVER HAVE WE NEEDED THEM MORE!

Follow the link:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/PearTreeCottageNGSGardenWithoutVisitors

Pear Tree Cottage Garden needs you!

Arboreal Chameleons!

Acer palmatum Sango-kaku

Acer palmatum dissectum last Autumn & now in the ground!

It definitely wasn't on the official jobs list but, when I mentioned to Chris that a pot growing Acer palmatum Sango-kaku was desperately in need of a little more elbow room, he came up with the perfect idea!  I'd been thinking and THINKING - where on earth could it be planted?  He immediately suggested the Aspen Grove. Genius!! Why hadn't I thought of that??  Since we removed all the Aspens and replanted with multi stemmed birch, it's not even an Aspen grove any more!  For obvious reasons, the Sango-kaku is also known as the Coral barked maple.

We spent the usual time trying it in various positions before planting and there was a choice of 2 ideal spots.  As soon as it was in the ground, I was off to look for another to steal away and pop in the other spot.  I found a small terribly one sided Acer dissectum which was also too big for its pot and so Chris very cleverly planted it on the lean!  Now we can't wait for all those leaf buds to break open!

Centre: yellow leaved Acer palmatum Sango-kaku
 

We're more than a tad partial to Acers in this garden and have about a dozen in the garden and 6 or 7 in pots.  They're the chameleons of the tree world!

Nectarine Rescue!

Prunus persica var. Nucipersica

A fine warm Saturday and lots to do.  Unusually we began with a bonfire!  The men mowed both lawn and orchard each with their own lawn mowers (I'm STILL not allowed to do this yet - sigh)!  

Loving the colour of these buds!

As the first job, Chris and I potted up a rescued Nectarine from Janine.  My task is to keep it alive!  It's a bit of a challenge as it was looking a tad poorly and displaying a lot of die back & dead wood and had been planted in clay soil in a sodden garden.  It's now enjoying some more suitable conditions with a proper mix of potting medium.  It's a self fertile dwarf variety - Prunus persica var. Nucipersica with lovely deep pink flowers.  It's max height at 10 years is only about 5 feet so I'll keep it in a pot and try plenty of TLC keeping a sharp lookout for the dreaded Peach Leaf Curl.

Beating the Elements

Chainsaw Queen!!

The real expert.

Wild and freezing winds, sodden ground but at least sunshine! Trigs around the lawn were full of water and the top lawn was positively marshy!

 Before garden work began  we logged up an unwanted apple tree (courtesy of Chris) and lugged and stacked the logs for seasoning. Under Chris's watchful eye, I was allowed a mini chain sawing session!  The wind was so strong, there was sawdust EVERYWHERE!  Afterwards, we trimmed a Eucalyptus and then tidied the Verbena Bonariensis in the Top Lawn Border, removed a diseased Viburnum (badly affeced by Viburnum beetle) and lightly pruned a couple of Acers.  I pruned a couple of Clematis and Chris planted 2 Laurels either side of Kay's arbor.  The idea is to make it more secretive and half hidden in a big Laurel arch.

After that, Chris made a start on emptying the compost heap and mulching the Lower Border whilst I potted up a Crinum, some Dahlias and some Heuchera cuttings.

Now, will some one please tell me why a freshly mulched border looks so immaculate?!

Mulched Lower Border

One apple tree!

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!