CAUTION - WISTERIA HYSTERIA - again!

Well, as I said there has been a very serious case of Wisteria Hysteria!  Good job it's only seasonal! Festooning it with CD's and plastic owls before the flower buds became too fat and juicy to prevent the usual bird predation certainly paid dividends again.  There was not a sign of any buds being eaten but what a show!  I've also been a huge Wisteria fan and can well recall the one that grew up the front of the old farm house where I grew up and my father winding black cotton around it to discourage sparrows eating the flower buds - no CD's back then! The entire font of house and conservatory is dripping with purple.  Mauve avalanches all over it.  Opening windows means that the perfume just wafts in.  It beats all the room fresheners in the world.  As we've been having some MUCH needed rain this week, I've also been admiring it from inside the house - not many flowers and plants can offer that!

CAUTION - WISTERIA HYSTERIA

Haircuts Horticultural!

Battling under the Camellia!

Cushion shaping.

There's been FAR too much Wisteria Hysteria this last week!  Head Gardener has hardly been able to keep her eyes off it!  In between all the floral adoration, work has actually been happening.  Armed with his pole chainsaw and hedge clippers, boughs were removed from a Prunus (known as the 'Red Tree') to allow the Acers beneath a little more light and to allow us to admire them too.  Even the shirasawanum aureum needed a little more elbow room so his Acer neighbour also enjoyed a little discreet 'attention'.  The Sarcococca had a haircut as did the Viburnum behind it.  All in all, it was a quite a tidy up meaning lots of trips to the compost heap and bonfire.

As they've also finished flowering, even the heathers had a trim.  Chris makes heather 'cushions' which keeps them nice, dense and compact.  Whilst not his or my favourites, they provide much colour in January when there's not much colour elsewhere - not to mention early food for bees. Whist it's been haircuts in the garden, it's the Head Gardener who really needs one as she's definitely sporting a 'Lockdown Coiffure'!

Sarcococca trimming.

Time Out!

The Top Terrace.

A full on knackering day slaving in the garden and so we both just sat down (seat on left) and took 10 minutes out with a G&T surrounded by the heavy scent of the Wisteria and the blooms of 24000 cider apple trees wafting around in the evening air.  Sometimes gardens and life just need to be enjoyed!!  

Nuff said.

Spring Rolls On Regardless!

Down by the pond.

A self set Cowslip in the Saxifrage.

Nature isn't worrying about viruses and more and more plants and shrubs are bursting into colour.  The  Wisteria too is beginning to colour up and having been festooned with CD's and plastic owls to stop the birds from eating the buds, all defences have now been removed as the flowers begin to open revealing their intoxicating perfume in the warm spring sunshine.  The rest of the garden is alive with pollinating insects on overtime and birdsong from dawn until dusk.  The Japanese acers are wearing their spring livery and the colours are all so fresh and vibrant. Cowslips are all blooming in our mini meadow and can also be found having self seeded in lots of other nooks and crannies around the garden.  We've succeeded in preventing the birds from eating the Wisteria buds and it's just beginning to flower.  I can hardly wait!!

Geranium pyrenaicum Bill Wallis. 

Japanese Acers waking up.

WARNING - TULIPMANIA - INFECTION RISK!

There has been a severe outbreak of Tulipmania here at Pear Tree Cottage!  Very serious indeed.  Last autumn I bought some bulbs from J Parkers and they have been a resounding success.

 

I was also given some white ones by Tammy from Stockton Bury Gardens which have added to the show and, WHAT a show!  I adopted the layering approach and with a very poorly shoulder and in the pouring rain, enlisted Chris's help back in October.  Being used to heavy duty manly jobs, he (dare I say?) rather looked down his nose at such a girlie task.  We planted, Narcissus, Scilla, Crocus and varieties of Tulips.  As each flower faded, I was there deadheading and the show has continued since early last month.  Even Chris is impressed with the results.  

We have been lucky with such a prolonged sunny spell and I've not stopped admiring them so stand by for some photos!

VIEW WITH CARE - TULIPMANIA CONTAGION RISK!

Spring Garden Work in Lockdown

Despite lockdown and isolation, garden work continues apace.  The big shrubs overwintering in the greenhouse are all now outside as are Agapanthus, Lemona, Pistachio and Brugmansia - fingers crossed: no late frosts!  The tomato bed is all prepared and their cane framework all erected.  Our tomato plant supplier: CF Genever Tomato Specialist Supplier has come up trumps with 8 different varieties so the race is on to see who picks the first fruit!!

At the other end of the garden, the compost bay is now empty and creosoted and borders are all mulched.  Potatoes in the vegetable patch are popping up as are radish, broad beans, carrots and peas.  Runner beans have been sown and lettuce plants all pricked out.  Owing to a lack of seed, parsley and basil plants from supermarkets have been acquired, divided up and repotted.  Needs must!

Up the Garden Path - The Greenhouse Virtual Tour.

In view of the lack of garden visitors this year, it's been suggested by the National Garden Scheme that we offer garden videos for people who had planned or hoped to make a visit.

With that in mind, I shall be doing virtual tours.  So that no one falls asleep, I'll keep them short and so we start of with the first one which takes up to and around half the greenhouse!

If you're still awake, here's a short tour of the other side of the greenhouse!