my photos

IN THE GREEN

The month of April sees my garden looking at its best.

Well that's my opinion.

I really wouldn't mind if any of these perennials and grasses ever flowered.

I love them just for their foliage.

Fresh new growth carpets the borders.

My aim is for every inch of soil to be covered.

One day?

Once the flowers appear on these perennials they will be loved by bees, of the honey, solitary and bumble kind!

With much to do at this time of year, I've been busy over past weekends and on days off.

Jobs done:

Divided one large clump of Rudbeckia into six, and Ophiopogon, making eight plants out of one.

Potted up self-sown Verbena B and Euphorbia making a dozen or more new plants, to either give away or add to the border in Autumn.

Potted up three Bronze Carex plants, bought for 30p each from a local church table-top sale.

Re-potted plants from last year, yet to find a new home.

Sown Cerinthe.

Cleaned out pots in readiness for arrival of five varieties of dark-leaf Dahlia mail order.

Pulled up 1970's concrete slabs, making more space for planting.

Picked first Rhubarb of the year, to make home-made crumble.

Pricked out hundreds and thousands of weeds, and pulled off tens of Dandelion heads!

Much time has been spent planning for the Summer ahead too.

I have quite a few spare pots (smile).

To buy:

Varieties of Mint, and Lavender plants ...

and maybe anything else that pulls at my purse strings!

o

my photos

LEMONS AND LIMES

A lemon shade potentilla at the front of a border. A hardy perennial which is long flowering and will self seed around the garden.



A lime shade euphorbia, in the middle of a border. A compact, suckering variety which can be useful as ground cover. Will tolerate dry shade and looks great in a woodland setting.

Always be cautious when handling euphorbia, the sap is poisonous and irritates the skin.

my photo

HARTSTONGUE FERN

A very common British fern with glossy undivided fronds which reproduces by spores rather than seed, the spores being seen on the underside of the frond. A good plant to introduce to a shady place in the garden, and especially love damp soil although not essential. Mine are happy growing through cracks in rockery stone.



'Gathering Ferns' Illustrated London News July 1st 1871

Ferns were very popular in Victorian times, a popularity which became a craze called Pteridomania, which sounds more like an illness to me!

my photos

FERNS & GUNNERA



The magnificent gunnera (giant rhubarb) needs warm soil on a damp site with lots of space!



The makings of an impressive stumpery.



The woodlice are going to love it in here!

my photo

FERNS

I have four different ferns planted at the base of my Amelanchier tree, this is one of them. I love ferns and they are a great addition to any 'green' garden or to an area in shade. They were very popular with the Victorians and they displayed them beneath glass in 'ferneries' and also developed 'stumperies' where they planted ferns and other shade loving plants amongst tree stumps and roots, this is a great idea and this is a project which I want to undertake sometime soon. These have two purposes, one to look good and two to encourage lots of wildlife amongst the decaying matter, lovely!