Finally some sun, hurrah!
Leptospermum, or Tea Tree, above, is (according to Wiki) very rich in Vitamin C and was apparently made into a tea by Captain Cook – probably not personally – to ward off scurvy in his crew, and it is also the plant on which bees forage to produce Manuka honey. Two valuable traits, doubtless, but I’d settle for just the one – looking this good all the way through January. God knows I haven’t, and nor has the rest of the garden.
Not only are both lawns currently no more than fields as it’s been far too wet to mow, but my dear little Scillas, in the very outside ends of the Swing Beds, are sitting in a proper puddle.
The Swing Beds are both in need of a major cut back and tidy up, but it’s pleasing that there is some structure there. Looking back at last year’s EoMV I can see how the pink flowered Phlomis Italica, has grown during the past year. Having been planted at least three years ago they’re starting to get rather leggy and so will need some judicious pruning once we’re further into the year.
The bed which holds the rhubarb and strawberries had Agapanthus grown from seed planted along the back wall last year. None has yet flowered but they’ve definitely bulked up, so I live in hope.
Sitting on the edge of the wall in the seed trays are more Agapanthus seedlings (this time from seed collected from the more dwarf A. ‘Tom Thumb’), as well as Carex buchananii, also grown from seed last year for the new Bronze Bed. I’m not sure whether the Carex will make it into the Bronze Bed, and I have no idea where I’ll put the Agapanthus, but I’m sure they’ll all find homes, even if I give them away!
The Stipa tenuissima in the Grass Bed are continuing to provide interest and you can now see plenty of bulbs pushing up through the forget me nots in front.
And the Mid Century bed, one of last year’s new beds, still has a couple of things to admire, notably the Rhodochiton atrosanguineus growing up the ‘obelisk’ (slightly hard to see in the shade), but also the Acacia baileyana purpurea in the centre. I’m slightly worried how big this will get, but I’m sure I can prune it back. (I’m also a little disappointed it’s not more ‘purpurea’ but perhaps it’s the time of year).
The rather scrappy mess in front are two Salvias and some leggy Cerinthe.
In the Shady Bed the Sarcococca has finally started to fill out after at least a couple of years. And I can also see from this picture that I really should cut back the old Hellebore leaves to have any hope of spotting the flowers here.
By the smaller lawn the other new bed, the Bronze Bed, has been largely trimmed back and tidied, but look how much the soil has dropped! The MC bed is even worse, so I’ll definitely have to top them both up.
The leafless shrub in the middle is Hamamelis ‘Aphrodite’ which I absolutely adored last year. I’m slightly worried there’s no sign of flowers yet, but I did buy it in bloom in mid February, so perhaps it’s still on schedule. At the back you can see the Melianthus major still flowering – certainly no normal schedule there.
On the other side of the lawn away from the house, the shady Oak Bed has more hellebores, as well as inherited Bergenia and Leucojum aestrivum.
And to finish a couple of early Narcissi – roll on the rest!
With thanks to Helen at the Patient Gardener who hosts the End of Month meme. Why don’t you pop over to Helen’s site to see some other EoMVs?
Duver Diary 