Monday, July 31, 2006

Rain - and morning glory, but only if you're up early...

Finally we had some rain today - just 3mm - but better than nothing.

I've grown Ipomoea, or morning glory, for the first time this year. Trouble is that's exactly what they do - flower first thing in the morning then fade and die before lunchtime. Though I have found that on a west facing wall in the shade they last much longer - they must be waiting for the sun to come round.



Ipomoea 'Blue Star'. This one is about 4" in diameter.


Ipomoea 'Crimson rambler'

Friday, July 28, 2006

Still no rain, and 50 sick meconopsis

Much of the south and midlands has had heavy thunderstorms, but nothing here, just steady sunshine and fluffy white clouds, another perfect summer day. However it seems only fair that the rain should fall on those with a hosepipe ban and I would rather have the ordinary weather front rain that we've been promised for the weekend than a torrential downpour.

After the huge tidy up last weekend in the garden, I've been able to pay attention to detail outside as it's too hot and dry to be tackling new projects. But my young meconopsis plants have posed a new challenge with an attack of powdery mildew. It's entirely my fault as I had them too squashed together and was watering from above with abandon in the hottest weather. Spacing them out, keeping the soil moist and the leaves dry has not reduced the spread at all, so I consulted the meconopsis oracle at Dunham Massey and have dusted half the plants with Yellow Sulphur. If the plants don't mind the sulphur I'll dust the rest, but some plants don't like it so I'm being a bit cautious.

A young meconopsis plant with powdery mildew

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

The sweet taste of summer

No matter how small my garden is, I will always grow food. It's not about price, or even quality. It's about the immediacy of walking up the garden, picking something and eating it straight away. I always pick when the crop is very young - quantity is not the aim. So far this year we've had salad leaves, coriander, basil, broad beans (picked when tiny), baby beetroots, carrots and new potatoes. We're now into french beans, runner beans and snap peas.

The strawberries and raspberries provided daily snacks for me straight off the plant for a few sweet weeks and what I couldn't get through are now jam. The gooseberries have been simmered in elderflower juice and are in the freezer. I left a few to turn golden for me to eat fresh. The damson tree has its first good crop and I spoted the first hint of purple on the fruit today.

I trie to make the veg plot look prettier this year, laid out in squares with blue canes and neat blocks. The runner beans have gone a bit wild but it's still essentially tidy. And the cordon tomatoes have been the tip of the year from college. They're not ripe yet, but they look the business.
The veg plot in full flow

Cordon tomatoes - a miniature version of Reaseheath's vast tomato production system.

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Blazing Tatton

As predicted the temperature soared on Wednesday - the weather station hit an all time high of 33.8C. You could have sold shade by the square foot at Tatton and there were some frayed tempers as people vied for the top spots in the covered cafes. What of the show itself? Some great back to backs - I especially liked the black and yellow sunken garden and 'Eat my garden' by Jacqui Brocklehurst which was featured on the BBC last night. The other great aspect of Tatton is the regional nurseries that display their wares - it's a great way to find suppliers you wouldn't otherwise come across.

I took over 100 photos so rather than clutter up the blog, I've put them on photobucket as two slideshows - one for gardens and one for plants and nurseries. Here's the link to the garden photos:

View Tatton show garden photos

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Another record, but not for long...

Last year's high of 30.6C was blown away today with a high of 33.4C. It's still 32C out now at 5pm. And tomorrow is forecast to be even hotter. I'm due at Tatton RHS Show - I think I might go first thing, then hide in shade until it cools down. Pity the poor souls stuck in the 13 mile jam on the M6. We've emptied the freezer and put it outside in the sun to defrost - it won't take long, even with inches of solid ice to get through.

So many plants are showing signs of heat stress. Thank heavens for the shade tunnel and the north-west's ample water supply. But regardless of the weather, I've got to get the garden looking good, just in case. I had a call from the BBC's Gardener of the Year programme and didn't do too badly on the questionnaire, so it's possible I'll have to host a visitation from the scrutiny team.

A couple more photos from this week:

This centaurea cyanus is the most stunning bright blue. It was in the same mixed packet as the flower pictured below
If someone can tell me what this pretty purple annual is I'd be pleased.

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

A few quickies...

With much work on there's just been time for a few quick snaps today. I might get out later for a bit of deadheading etc. The purple phormium has flowered for the first time and what a striking sight it is. For our next garden I'm imagining a long, hot border punctuated with these great spikes.

The flowers look tropical in close up, but I find this plant totally hardy here in NW England







And here's a sneak preview of the partly finished prarie garden from its intended viewing point inside the conservatory, along with a close up of Echinacea 'Art's Pride'. This gorgeous flower is sweetly scented too. A real gem.

Sunday, July 09, 2006

Dr. Trillium's recovery ward

This lemon tree is my first proper plant 'patient', applying what I've learned this year on the RHS course to treat it. It was badly shaped, sick with scale and dying back five months ago and it's now healthy and vigorous. I will admit to being quite proud of it. It hasn't flowered yet, but it should do now that it has recovered.


As it is now in July
As it was in February.

Saturday, July 08, 2006

The prairie garden is under way.

This area has been in the process of mental planning as a prairie garden for about a year, ever since the squashes succumbed to cucumber mosaic virus last summer. It faces south with the conservatory on the north side and is 4.5m long by 3m deep at it's deepest point. I want to look through tall grasses and golden flowers backlit by the sun when I'm inside and to walk through it, touching the silky grass heads on the way.

Here's a picture of the plot before I started. On Thursday I took myself off to Lodge Lane nursery and did something I've not before - planned, chose and bought the whole border in one go. As I've not planted it up properly yet you'll have to figure out for yourself how it will look from the planting list below. Yes, I know I should have stuck to half the selection, but I'm experimenting rather than being a design purist.

The list - some of the quantities were dictated by the number of plants the nursery had:
Stipa gigantea x 2
Stipa tenuissima x 8
Stipa calamagrostis x 4
Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' x 4
Achillea credo x 4
Achillea terracotta x 3
Achillea feuerland x 6
Echinacea purpurea 'Robert Bloom' x 6
Echinacea 'Art's Pride' x 4 (currently in the polytunnel as they keep falling over in the wind)
Helianthus salicifolius x 6 (recommended by the nursery owner)
Helenium 'Ruby Tuesday' x 3
Helenium sahins x 1 - completely accidental, I meant to pick up 6!

plus a few Verbena bonariensis and Anthemis 'E.C. Buxton' that I already had.
So in total about 60 plants for 10m2 which is probably about right.

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Two of my favourites.

One thing ends and another begins. Just as I'm rueing the fading of the spring border, two of my summer favourites spring into life. Purple hazelnut fruits with their surrounding frill are just beautiful with the light behind them. And I love the vibrant, complex flower of Monard 'Cambridge Scarlet'. I know I saw both of these last year, but I never quite remember just how stunning they are until I see them again.

Purple hazel - Corylus maxima 'Purpurea' (I have to disagree with Monty Don - these do fruit and come true from seed)
Monarda 'Cambridge Scarlet'

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

A desk with a view.

With the temperature reaching 30C by lunchtime, I've taken to getting up at 7am and putting in a couple of hours in the garden first thing in the morning. Once it gets too hot I've retreated to the home desk to get some proper work done. Can't complain about the view from the new office window though...

Saturday, July 01, 2006

Waiting for England...

It's too hot out to do anything vigorous and England kick off against Portugal in an hour so I took a few more pictures to keep me busy.

DB likes this pretty yellow Anthemis 'EC Buxton'. It does look great against the lavender and purple phormium and berberis. Fortunately all them are very drought-proof. Just as well really.
Anthemis EC Buxton in full flower
One of the few day lily flowers (hemero- callis) that escaped the gall midge.
Knautia macedonia. A snapshot of the flower alone doesn't really do this plant full justice.

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