End of month view – January 2018

I somehow managed to delete the ‘classic’ photo I took looking across the lawn to the swing, so thought I’d start with the shady bed for a change.  This is the location of the Sarcococca (on the left) which I snipped for my scented Monday vase.  There’s a lovely dark hellebore here too, towards the centre of the photo, but it’s not yet open.  Another ‘spring thing’ to look forward to!

In the troughs the stocks, which were grown from cuttings and planted out last year, are finally starting to make their mark and will hopefully also provide scent later in the year.  In front of them plenty of daffodils are just peeping above the parapet.  The grand plan for this bed later in the year is to have a mass planting of Pelargoniums as I think they’re about the only thing I can think of that will tolerate the heat and dryness of these metal troughs in the summer.  

The strawberry bed is largely devoid of strawberries and increasingly overwhelmed with Agapanthus, but I’m fine with that (even if my daughter isn’t!)

The Swing Beds are still pretty green but definitely in need of a tidy – particularly those roses.  I’m going to need to be feeling strong for them!

The swing itself has a rather charming ‘fringe’ of Clematis cirrhosa ‘Freckles’ on the right hand side.  Sadly, the one on the left seems to have disappeared.

The right hand Swing Bed is looking as dull as the left one, but with a similarly scary looking rambling rose.  Now where are those gauntlets….

Happily, in the robustly defended Grass Bed, the bulbs are coming up unmolested.  At some stage – once I’m confident they’re beyond being eaten but preferably before all the buds have formed – I’ll need to remove the chicken wire so we can enjoy them.

Meanwhile, I’m a worried the Stipa tenuissima are looking a bit peaky.  I normally have a bit of a divide/replant over winter to try to maintain the row, but there’s not much material to work with!

Looking across the Mid Century bed towards the greenhouse you can still see the big white sacks of compost and manure delivered before Christmas.  I have done some sh*t shovelling, but the weather has been so rubbish that reading a gardening magazine by the warmth of the Aga has been rather more appealing.

In the metal bath by the front steps the Osteospermums are still flowering.  I did try to take some cuttings but they didn’t take.  Perhaps I’ll try again in the spring as I do love this colour.

Further round, the Hamamelis is looking good – it probably deserves neater environs, so that’s another bed that needs a tidy and mulch.

The Bronze Bed is already showing signs of the (hopefully) bonanza of bulbs to come.  For the last two years there have almost been too many, but I’m not complaining!

Numerous succulents and Aeoniums are still sheltering under the glass canopy,

whilst in the greenhouse there are lots of Perlargonium cuttings coming on, as well as a few bought ones from Derry Watkin’s nursery which I visited when we went to Bath.

In addition, here is the first wave of sweet peas – these are the ‘Winter Sunshine’ variety that last year flowered in April.

And to finish, yet more bulbs to look forward to.  Roll on spring!

With thanks to Helen at the Patient Gardener for hosting EoMVs.

 

 

In a vase on Monday – all white now

Happily, not only did I not succumb to the flu, but my three family ‘sicknotes’ are all recovered, hence part of the reason for the title.  The second one is obvious, the blooms are, pretty much, all white.

I have very little white in the garden, not because I don’t like it, but because I don’t like mixing it with other colours (hence my white themed planting in the Grass Bed last summer of just white Cosmos, Malope and Erigeron). 

What prompted today’s vase was the waft of Sarcococca scent I got when taking my ‘End of Month view’ photos earlier today.  The Sarcococca was planted as a tiny specimen and this is the first year it’s been large enough to smell ‘in passing’ (ie rather than grovelling on hands and knees for a sniff!)  Consequently, I thought it would be lovely to cut a couple of stems for the house.

Thinking I’d go with a white theme, I then added some stems of Leucojum (Giant Snowflake),

and some little stems of the evergreen Coleonema ‘Sunset Gold’.   This is now a large plant at the top of the ‘lavender’ steps, bought years ago as a good foliage plant.  The fact that it also produces such exquisite little star shaped blooms at an otherwise bloom-free time of year is a massive bonus.  Like the Sarcococca, I’ve never it picked for a vase before, so I’m not sure how well it will last.

Lastly I added a couple of stems of Clematis cirrhosa ‘Freckles’.  This is currently providing a veritable curtain across the front of the swing, and although most blooms are either over, or distinctly tatty, a few are still perfect.

The photos were taken with flash (something I usually try to avoid), as the light was so poor by the time I’d come inside.  However, for once, I like the effect as the flash helps to highlight the white against the dark granite surface.

Whilst the vase was put together on Sunday, this morning I’ve really enjoyed having the scent wafting around the kitchen.  In fact, bearing in mind how small the stems are, they pack a wonderful perfumed punch and I can’t believe I didn’t think to cut a little sprig last year.  I’m not sure how long the scent will last, but as I’m leaving for London again early tomorrow, I’m sure it will see me out!

With thanks to Cathy, at Rambling in the Garden who’s sharing a lovely spring display this week and, as usual, hosting all our Monday vases.

Wordless Wednesday – Witch’s fingers

In search of the 287, two years later

I drafted this post two years ago, but for some reason never got round to posting it so, lacking inspiration currently (and wasn’t the weekend weather FOUL!), I thought I’d share today.  I’m not absolutely sure when I visited but I’m pretending it was still January.

As a ‘friend’ of Ventnor Botanic Gardens, I receive regular email updates and recently heard that this year’s new year flower count had totalled 287!  I’ve been meaning to visit since I’d heard and finally, on Saturday, during a long awaited dry afternoon, off I went.

I think it’s fair to say that a number of those 287 had exhausted themselves in the intervening month, but there were still many blooms to admire, not least the Magnolias, including Magnolia campbelli alba (above and below) and M.campbelli ‘Charles Raffill’ (pink).

Whilst Ventnor’s incredibly mild microclimate means they have avoided any frost damage, they have clearly been battered by both wind and rain, leaving a number rather strangely ‘naked’ like the one above.

The two below, still in bud, are in much better condition.  Perhaps the weather will allow these ones to flower in peace?

Magnolia x soulangiana ‘Triumphans’

Against a west facing wall another white flower, this New Zealander, 10ft tall Glory Pea or Lobster Claw, Clianthus puniceus albus.  It’s supposed to flower from April to June, but clearly hasn’t read the books…

A shrub I don’t remember seeing before is Buddleja offinalis.  I’m not a big Buddleja fan but this one is a lovely soft lilac and is scented and winter flowering.  Apparently it’s usually reserved for the conservatory in this country, but was thriving at VBG.

More shrubby interest was provided by this Cestrum fasciculatum ‘Newellii’, another plant ignoring the calendar to flower now.

I do love those arching stems, I wonder if they would last in a vase?

And anyone know what this one is?  It was covered in these pretty white flowers and growing in the ‘Australian’ area (hence the Eucalyptus in the background).

And to finish, Ventnor’s pride and joy, a little mirror orchid, Ophrys speculum.  I was lucky enough to see these growing in the wild in southern Spain last year (see post here).  They really are very special.

Wordless Wednesday – mas masses

In a vase on Monday – Anya and friends

Taking photos for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day (just posted) I realised that the lovely Hellebore, Helleborus ‘Anya Oudolf’ was flowering, and was prompted to bring a stem inside.

One thing led to another and I picked a few stems of my favourite wallflower, Erysimum ‘Red Jep’ to highlight her gorgeous dark red veining, as well as a couple of plain green flowers of the less special Helleborus argutifolius. 

Looking around for some foliage, I realised the Helichrysum petiolare leaves were a good match for the Hellebore flowers and added a few stems to the mix.

As so often when prompted by Cathy’s inspiring In a vase on Monday meme, there’s more to discover, even in January, than you expect!

So, Cathy,  thanks as ever for hosting, but thanks too for prompting me to leave the house!  It’s currently full of flu – husband still too weak to accompany me on dog walk in the pouring rain, son retreated to bed and daughter’s return to uni put back by a week – so I’ve been caught up with nursing duties ever since I got back from London on Thursday.

Thankfully I’m not yet affected, but I can’t help but worry it’s only a matter of time and off to London early tomorrow….

 

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – January 2018

Not surprisingly there aren’t many blooms in January, but I’ve had a poke about and come up with the Erysimum ‘Red Jep’ above, E. ‘Bowles Mauve’

and E. ‘Ivory Giant’ (neither ivory nor giant!).

There are still a handful of roses braving it out – this one, ‘Freeman 1987’ was named by our children for our silver wedding anniversary,

this one, inherited, in the Lavender Bed

and this, good old ‘Flower Carpet Pink’.

A few hellebores are already in bloom – Helleborus argutifolius and  H. ‘Anya Oudolf’

as well as various H. orientalis on their way.

Similarly seasonal are two Hamamelis – ‘Arnold’s Promise’ in full bloom 

and the first tangerine curls of ‘Aphrodite‘

Rather more unexpected, still blooming outside are Aeonium

Leptospermum

and Gazanias.

And in the greenhouse, not a great deal to see other than a lot of rather tatty Pelargoniums, and these – tiny little buds on the lemon tree.

With thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens who hosts everyone’s GBBD.

 

Wordless Wednesday – Frosty, the Duver

East Ruston Old Vicarage

In June I visited East Ruston Old Vicarage gardens and was so overwhelmed by the scale and invention that I felt the post deserved some proper time spent on it.  Sadly, I didn’t find the time, and the moment passed.  However, preparing my yearly round up reminded me, so here it is, six months late, but who’s counting.

As the site is just 1 1/2 miles from the North Sea (adjacent to Norfolk’s eat coast), shelter belts of Monterey Pine, Alder and Eucalyptus were planted soon after the owners Graham Robeson and Alan Gray arrived in 1973.

The gardens now cover 32 acres and encompass an astonishing variety of garden styles, all, in my view, absolutely ‘nailed’.  To succeed at just one style is impressive, but to tackle so many and somehow make them work together as a cohesive whole is just extraordinary.   The different gardens are generally set within immaculate hedges, which adds an incredible sense of discovery to the visit.

I’ve included the link to the map from the website to give some sense of the scale and ambition of the project.

Please enjoy the photos – but more importantly, go and visit for yourself.  I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

 

With many thanks to Graham and Alan for creating and sharing such a wonderful, inspirational place.

 

 

 

End of month view – yearly round up 2017

I’ve started my Yearly Round up with a photo of the garden in June as June saw me coordinating the St Helens Secret Gardens event (the garden opening of a dozen local gardens in aid of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance) for the first time.

I was so relieved and delighted all went smoothly – largely due to the fabulous weather.  The event is only every other year so I can put my feet up this year!

As ever, there were successes and failures in the garden, with a really annoying number of bulbs, particularly tulips, lost to some nibbling critter.  I like to think it might be one of our beautiful red squirrels as at least that means they were lost to a good cause!  However, there were also successes, and I’ve shared some favourite garden photos below:

I added a new tree to the garden – Albizia julibrissin ‘Ombrella,’

had fun with pots

and tried new edibles in the greenhouse – Pepper ‘Tequilla’ and

Aubergine ‘Slim Jim.’

I also continued creating various vases, both for Cathy’s ‘In a Vase on Monday’ meme 

as well as to take to work with me.

I shared a few more photos taken on the daily dog walk on the St Helens Duver –  the National Trust land opposite where we live that gives this blog its name.

And also shared plenty of garden visit photos, including, in March, Le Jardin de Secret

and Jardin Majorelle, both in Marrakech,

in May, Gravetye Manor,

and Parham House and Gardens.

In June, The Old Rectory Gardens, open for the NGS on the Isle of Wight

In September, Hauser and Wirth in Somerset

and in October, a couple of gardens on the Cote d’Azur – Jardin Exotique d’Eze

and Ville Ephrussi de Rothschild.

On the learning front, I finished the second year of my Level 3 Certificate in Garden and Planting Design course at Capel Manor College.  I toyed with the idea of embarking on the RHS2 course but I was concerned it would all be a bit ‘schooly’ with little of the lovely gardening chat we had on the design course, so instead I took a six week photography evening class at the Bishopsgate Institute.  However, the learning highlight must have been my crafty visit to the reopened Garden Museum where I created my festive robin.

So, another busy year chez Duver Diary – to be honest, sometimes rather too busy, and blogging has increasingly taken a back seat on occasions since I went back to working full time in February, but I still enjoy capturing and sharing photos both of my garden and others, and hope I can continue in 2018.

Thank you so much for supporting Duver Diary and sharing your likes and comments.  They are such delight when work – or the wider world – are getting me down!

Wishing you and yours a fabulous, flowery 2018.