Drip

The above hardy fuchsia was introduced to the garden many moons ago. It was the product of a cutting that I took from its parent when I was out on a short walk close to home. The shrub that I nipped a few impromptu cuttings from was on the public highway, so I had no qualms about taking some little pieces from it along with some from its red flowering neighbour. The red flowered one did not take but I was successful with the pink. The resulting shrub is now way too big for its present position and comes in from much verbal abuse from himself, as it dares to stretch on to the pathway and brush against himself. It's in for a severe chop or perhaps even a complete extraction. Earlier this spring I rooted a sucker which has now made good growth so we have a duplicate which will go elsewhere in the garden.

The fuchsia normally drops all its leaves overwinter but not so this year when the majority of them clung on. It does not usually flower until well into the summer and can be relied on for some late colour most years into October. This spring it started to bud in April and here we are before the middle of May when it is positively dipping with flowers. It's never looked as healthy. I've come to the conclusion that it must be the combination of the mild winter and all that wet stuff we had earlier in the year. Those conditions must have suited it down to the ground. The only negative niggle is I wonder what will happen by the time it usually flowers. Will it have all fizzled out by then or will it get a second wind. Are there any plants behaving oddly in your garden this spring? 

Tree Following With Lucy ~ May 2014

What a transformation from the first tentative leaves opening in early April to the full on state of greenness that is my willow today. Today's forecast is for intermittent rain, so photos were taken yesterday just in case. I've decided that the best view of the willow is impeded by the rotary washing line. It was in full flow drying mode yesterday so I will try to remember to temporarily remove it next month. I've nipped out into the garden though today and peered over the stream (the tree is just outside our garden boundary close to a stream) to observe the vegetation. Nettles, cleavers, herb robert and cow parsley definitely have the upper hand. Nearby neighbouring trees a horse chestnut and a hawthorne are both wearing white. I hope that the willow is not envious of their finery.

As well as leaves the willow is now sporting innocent looking catkins as you can see in the photo above. The word' innocent' has been chosen deliberately. An explanation will in due course. Watch this space! 

Writing about my willow has reminded me about a book I bought some time ago. 'Why Willows Weep : Contemporary Tales From The Woods' is a collection of some nineteen short stories by modern authors. The star of each story is a different variety of tree each with their own tale to tell or to be told of. I've written more about this book here and  here.  I'm sure that it would be enjoyed by any tree lover and sales of the book enable The Woodland Trust to plant more trees.

A special thanks to Lucy over at Loose And Leafy who came up with the idea of a tree following meme. You can read all about what a host of other trees are up to this month here.

End Of Month View ~ April 2014

A slightly delayed EOMV post mainly because I was away from home and garden for a couple of days or so at the end of the month, during which time everything seemed to have grown with indecent haste. This time a phrase for the month rather than a single word - the phrase being 'ENGAGE BRAIN BEFORE ENTERING THE GREENHOUSE'. The latter was scheduled for a thorough winter top and tailing but the saga of the nose put pay to this, so it became more of a quick lick and polish when I was feeling up to it. At this point I removed last year's detritus with gay abandon and at one stage knocked a poppy seedhead into the compost bin. I fished it out immediately but too late the damage was done. The consequence was that some early sowings sprouted zillions of unwanted seedlings which I've spent ages extracting. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr! Why I took the seeds into the greenhouse into the first place is beyond memory but the greenhouse will be strictly out of bounds when I'm saving seeds later this year.

It was a busy month mainly with sowing, the inevitable pricking out and starting to harden stuff out. I sowed a second batch of tomatoes which were more successful than the first I'm pleased to say. The first have been pricked out whilst the second await that pleasure. 'Box Car Willy', 'Banana Leggs', Ananas Noire', 'Cream Sausage' have been joined by 'Gardener's Delight,' 'Sungold', 'Noire De Crimée, 'Black Cherry' and 'Aunt Ruby's German Green Cherry'. Cucumber 'La Diva' has germinated along with courgettes 'Romanesco and 'Floridor'. Germination of courgette Brice' has been disappointing so another batch will be sown this weekend, or maybe I will try another round green courgette. Pumpkin 'Black Futsu' and 'We B Little' were also sown. By the end of the month the greenhouse also contained beetroot and chard seedlings, basil - 'Mrs Burn's Lemon', 'Purple Leaf' and 'Lettuce Leaf', sunflowers 'Red Velvet', 'Vanilla Ice', more sweet peas, gaura lindheimeri and cosmos bipinnatus 'Purity'. I think that I may have already mentioned that for various reasons I'm sowing less this year. It's been difficult to restrain myself but I'm just about winning at the moment. Elsewhere a few overwintering plants lurked. One or two of the dahlias started to sprout even before they had their first drink of the year, a couple of lemon verbena teased me with their dried up twiggy state (will they ever green?) and the pensetmon cuttings shuttled in and out of the greenhouse.

At the allotment shallots and red onions were planted along with broad beans and peas. Unfortunately the last two crops are already showing signs of serious nibbling. I will be putting more peas in later but just hope that the broad beans recover as I will not be sowing more. Much time has been spent weeding and tidying but much more hard graft remains. My early potatoes went in on Easter Saturday. Early days yet but it looks as if it is going to be a good year for goosegogs, white currants and strawberries. I've been enjoyed some delicious purple sprouting broccoli so must remember to sow it again.

In the garden the plants that gave me greatest pleasure in April were daffodils - all variations on a whiter shade of pale including 'Thalia', 'Elka', 'Topolino', 'Jenny', 'WP Milner', 'Minnow' and 'Pueblo', pulmonarias and brunneras. The pear blossom was a treat but it still remains to be seen whether fruit will flower this year. The candidate for the most miserable specimens of the month were without a doubt tulips but perhaps that's a subject for another post.

There were several April plant purchases some via mail order, some from a garden centre trip and others from a plant fair but rather than 'fess up all at once I will introduce them in coming posts. The one reveal is auricula 'Late Romantic'. I feel that this may be the start of a slippery slope to another fatal addiction.

Unexpected pleasant surprise of the month was to be the lucky recipient of a copy of Louise Curley's (aka Wellywoman) book 'The Cut Flower Patch'. This came about through entering a giveaway organised by the lovely Caro over at 'An Urban Veg Patch'. You can't imagine how delighted I was be so fortunate especially in view of my self imposed embargo on new book purchases this year. My resolve had been in serious danger of cracking! I'm looking forward to a good browse through this book soon. Thanks again Caro and thanks also as usual to Helen over at 'The Patient Gardener's Weblog' who came up with the idea of an end of month view. I'm off later to catch up with what everyone else got up to in April.

Wordless Wednesday ~ 30th April 2014

Polygonatum x hybridum 'Betberg'

In A Vase On Monday - 'Down The Lane'

Walking down the lane to our house today I could almost imagine that we were in the country not in a town within a stone's throw of a busy main road. The verges on both sides are afroth with cow parsley and dotted with bluebells. This particular piece of loveliness normally happens in May but is early this year. I usually pick sprigs of cow parsley to put in a vase to decorate my stall at the always held in May garden club plant sale. I also add foliage and additional flowers such as astrantias and aquilegias but as these are only just appearing today's vase also includes some geranium phaeum. The latter does not grow down the lane but in the garden, where it seems to self seed happily and has crossed with other geranium phaeums to produce variations of colour over the years. It is a most easy going plant although the foliage can be subject to mildew. Cut down after flowering it obligingly rewards you with fresh glowing foliage. Another plus point is that it is a magnet for bees.

The vase is a jar that contained some delicious onion relish that we enjoyed during last winter. I liked its shape and colour so could not bring myself to throw it in the recycling bin.  The arrangement if you can call it that will be remaining outside, as my nose starts to twitch like a rabbit when it encounters cow parsley so a sneeze is never far away.

'In A Vase in Monday' is the brilliant idea of Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' - do go and have a peek to see other seasonal pickings.

Wordless Wednesday ~ 23rd April 2014

A Moving Story

Despite the title of this post there's no need to have a box of tissues to hand. Back in February with some trepidation on my behalf, we relocated a couple of pear trees moving them about twenty feet. The first of the pears concerned is 'Doyenne du Comice' which was planted some time in the autumn of 2011. Somebody did not do their research thoroughly at the time so did not release that a pollinating partner was required. This glaring error was rectified in the spring of 2012 when I came across a pear tree in the 'bargain basement' of a local garden centre. It was not the sturdiest of specimens but I felt sorry for it and bought it home as a companion for the 'Doyenne'. I think that it's a 'Concorde' tree - I say think as the label long disappeared into obscurity. It was duly planted in close proximity to the first pear.
Last spring I waited with bated breath for both to flower. They both did but not at the same time - the 'Doyenne' flowering well ahead of the newer arrival. A few pear like growths appeared on the 'Doyenne' but amounted to nothing. This year's wait was a more than just a case of bated breath as I wondered whether the trees had survived being uprooted and planted in a new dwelling place. Well I'm delighted to report that a) both are alive and kicking and b) that they are both flowering at exactly the same time albeit the 'Concorde' is only bearing a cluster or two of flowers. I am now waiting to see whether blossom will morph into pear this year. From what I've read it appears that it can sometimes be a few years wait before this happens but the odds must certainly be improved if the two companions are in flower in tandem. Whatever happens the 'Doyenne' has looked a picture this spring and though not a cherry as in A.E. Houseman's poem she has most certainly been 'wearing white for Eastertide'.

In other seasonal news there has been much activity on the allotment plot over the last few days perhaps too much as my body is protesting. The potatoes have gone in, broad beans and peas have been planted shallots have been transplanted into the ground and there has been much tidying up and weeding. I've spent some time in the greenhouse and I've also been thinking about the forthcoming annual plant sale at my gardening club. I have a stall there most years. The plants earmarked for the occasion unfortunately look as if they are going to be flowering well ahead of schedule, so I'm now having a mild panic thinking of what I will be able to take on the day. Himself has suggested putting them into the garage to delay flowering but somehow I don't think that this technique would be used by the exhibitors at the Chelsea Flower Show. What a challenge they must be facing this forward spring after last year's extremely backward's spring. Heading off back into the garden to ponder this dilemma over in more depth ..... What gardening activities have you been up to this Easter?

In A Vase on Monday ~ 'Accidents Will Happen'

At long last a vase of flowers to contribute to the 'In A Vase On Monday' meme hosted by the lovely Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden'. I've enjoyed this meme but have not participated up to now, the main reason being that I do not pick many flowers to bring into the house. Maybe the odd snowdrop posy will make it indoors in the winter and then throughout the summer bunches of sweet peas picked from the allotment come home with me two or three times a week. Other than that I have never really made a habit of picking flowers for the house.

This little vase came about completely by accident last Sunday into Monday. I've recently bought some dicentra spectablis alba plants (I refuse to use the new name) and whilst retrieving one of them out of the cold frame managed to break a flowering stem off. I cursed and bought the poor stem indoors thinking that I might as well appreciate its beauty at close quarters. The alternative would have been to lob it in the compost bin which would have been somewhat sad. On the Monday we had a spell of torrential rain. The 'Thalia' daffodils took a real battering so I rescued a couple of flattened stems and added them to the dicentra. From there I decided to add a bit more bulk to the vase so in came a sprig or two of lonicera nitada 'Baggesen's Gold' for foliage interest, plus the odd stem of the dreaded lamium galeobodon variegatum. I have written about my battle with this thug here and I'm still fighting If anybody knows how to kill this plant please do let me know.To add insult to injury the flowers do not last long in water - just another negative point to add to its undesirable qualities.

I've had the little jar for ages and as far as I can remember I bought it from a local charity shop. It is a stoneware cream jar. These jars were used during the period from 1880 - 1920. Hailwood's was a large dairy company and this particular pot was from their Manchester Creamery in Broughton.

If you've not visited Cathy to have a look at her current vase do have a peek here. You can also visit links to other bloggers who have been snipping away and who have been most creative with their cut flowers.

I'm playing with my new camera at the moment trying to familiarise myself with its settings so my photos may be a bit iffy. This one was taken against a black background but seems to have picked up a halo effect somewhere along the process. Hopefully you can pick out the contents of the vase and clicking on the photo should make it larger again.

April Musing

"If ever I saw blessing in the air
I see it now in this still early day
Where lemon-green the vaporous morning drips
Wet sunlight on the powder of my eye.

Blown bubble-film of blue, the sky wraps round
Weeds of warm light whose every root and rod
Splutters with soapy green, and all the world
Sweats with the bead of summer in its bud.

If ever I heard blessing it is there
Where birds in trees that shoals and shadows are
Splash with their hidden wings and drops of sound
Break on my ears their crests of throbbing air.

Pure in the haze the emerald sun dilates,
The lips of sparrows milk the mossy stones,
While white as water by the lake a girl
Swims her green hand among the gathered swans.

Now, as the almond burns its smoking wick,
Dropping small flames to light the candled grass;
Now, as my low blood scales its second chance,
If ever world were blessed, now it is."

From 'April Rise' - Laurie Lee, 1914 - 1997.

Think of Laurie Lee and invariably thoughts of 'Cider With Rosie' and 'As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning' come to my mind, both books encountered and enjoyed during school days. It came as a complete surprise to me last week when watching 'Countryfile' to learn that Laurie Lee also wrote poetry. The programme explained how this year marks the centenary of Lee's birth and on the 26th June 2014 the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust will unveil the Laurie Lee Wildlife Way. This trail will consist of a six mile circular walk around the Slad Valley, which was the setting for 'Cider With Rosie'. The walk will take in some of Gloucestershire's nature reserves and will include ten new larch posts, each over five feet tall which will be inscribed with Laurie Lee's poems all inspired by the local landscape. The poem 'April Rise' was mentioned in the programme by his daughter who read it to the poet shortly before his death. I will be looking out for more of Laurie Lee's poetry to fill in a huge missing gap. 

Willowy Wednesday ~ Tree Following In April

Sometime silently last week the willow opened up its first leaves of the year. There was no fanfare as far as I know and sadly I was not around to pinpoint this most special magic. I was slightly miffed as I was doing daily checks but then the lurgy and other events meant that I briefly took my eye off the ball and then look what happened !

Other than the leafing there is not much more to say about my willow this month other than I've noticed that there is a substantial patch of moss on the trunk.

I've discovered this because I'm looking at the tree more closely than ever before and squeezing in behind the shed to look at it from angles. If  I become permanently wedged there and don't hear from me for a while you will know where to direct the search party. More on my willow next month. Thanks to Lucy over at 'Loose and Leafy' for hosting this excellent meme. I will be visiting some of the other participants later today when I look forward to meeting some new to me trees as well as reaquainting myself with others.