We are back in London having spent a few weeks in Spain. We certainly weren’t singing Viva España when we left. Sunny Spain. The previous two weeks had given us patchy weather. Not an issue normally as it would give me a chance to do some gardening jobs.
But we had a visitor. Who likes the sun. It was there. Just a bit like hide and seek. Now you see me. Now you don’t. Enough. Back to London.
Um. What a difference. I’d left Spain in bright sunshine. Shorts. Sandals. No socks though. Back in jeans and a jumper. With the heating on.
I was intrigued about the garden. Was it still ok. What was dying back. I felt the same arriving in Spain after being away for 6 weeks. The longest I’ve left it since we bought la casa in May 2017. It was fine. I’d lost some lavender. Why I have no idea. But it was fine.
The London garden was lush. Very green. Some colour but the foliage had gone bonkers.
It’s been a good year for my canna and the bananas. Possibly as I’ve been better at watering them. And feeding. Regularly. When we got back it was all very green. And still growing like crazy. The cannas has finished flowering. I have my eye on a few more for next year.
The red banana has gone crazy. What started as a small pot plant has just grown and grown. Much better than the one in the garden in Spain. But I suspect it’s the water. More in London. I’m not sure I’ll be able to overwinter this one. If I don’t I’ll treat them like an annual. If they can put this amount of growth in a season than that’s fine for me
So I don’t think I’ve mentioned I love agapanthus for a while.
Well I do. This is one of the tallest whites we have. Name unknown. One we bought as cheap as chips at Columbia Road market. Flowered for ages. Big fat white flower heads. Now we have the seed heads so I want to collect some seed to take to Spain. I’d really love to get the height of some of these in one part of the garden. Agapanthus do brilliantly in Spain. Not that I’m complaining with the London crop. They have been great. I’m thinking I have to divide some of the pots this year but I hate doing it but needs must.
No not the Mediterranean. But sunny Peckham. This is a citrus tree I bought years ago and it flowers well in a pot. But rarely fruits. When it does it’s exciting but the little fruits are. Well little. But fun.
As a homage to Spain I have a number of succulents – some in pots on the fence and wall. These are all doing great and I have been adding to the collection. I’m thinking I may take a note from Jack Wallington and plant up a small window box outside for the kitchen window.
I even have started to have some indoor plants!!
We had a trip to Somerset. A short non gardening visit. One reason was it was too wet. And I needed more than two days to make a start but there was still colour in the garden. That’s my excuse. It wasn’t that I spent the afternoon with Georgie at Common Farm Flowers – honest, and walking around the flower farm admiring the flower beds. In particular the dahlia beds.
I can but dream. I miss my dahlias.
Back to the cottage –
The perennials have covered and smothered the weeds. I can hardly see the ground elder. The bindweed. So for now I can breathe. But not for long once the perennials are cut back – though not before seed heads have fed the birds – I will see the weeds again.
I await the new book from Jack Wallington ‘ wild about weeds’ with anticipation of the way to grow to love them. Jack and Chris stayed in Pitcombe recently and I was worried about the garden. A garden I hadn’t worked in for a few weeks. There were weeds – I have the national collection of ground elder. Quickly followed by bindweed.
I worried at being judged. Little did I know then that Jack was waiting to release the news on his book – and that Jack would embrace the weeds and not judge me. !! Not that Jack & Chris would. But we are all paranoid about our gardens. Aren’t we?
Now I like these. But not all over the garden. This year at clear up time there will be a cull. A large one. They are taller than ever this year and they have flowered and flowered, and spread and spread. A previous gardener used to divide – and plant them in other parts of the garden. Me. I will divide and find homes.
I planted this poppy a couple of years ago. It floundered a bit. But this year has flowered its petals off. And still it continues. It’s such a shame poppies are rubbish as cut flowers. Reminds me. Maybe next year at least one of the 10,000 poppy seeds I scattered on the bank in Spain may at least flower. I’m not holding my breath – nothing ha appeared in two years.
I never expected to see berries on the honeysuckle. Don’t ask why. I don’t have an answer but I didn’t. And there are. Adds some colour!
Some of the perennials are dying back slowly. But as soon as there is a frost they will be gone over night. The few dahlia I have in the garden will be mush.
I missed the grapes. The constant rain recently had made the majority mouldy. So not chateau Pitcombe this year. Not even enough for my usual grape and rosemary jelly.
But then comes the new opportunities. The new bulbs to plant!!
I have received the bulbs for London and Somerset from Peter Nyssen as usual.
The plan is being made. The tulips for London window boxes. The tulips for the Somerset pots. Yes. I have a plan. Surprisingly a planting plan.
I may even remember which tulips are planted where. There are some old favourites this year. Belle Époque. Angelique, which I’m trying again after a disappointing year a few years ago. New ones. Tulip Copper image – Tulip Uncle Tom.
And one I’m particularly excited about – tulip hocus pocus. I saw this at the open day for the NGS at Ulting Wick and I thought it was fabulous. Tall. Large flowers and totally bonkers. I’m still at odds as to where they will go but as they are so showy I suspect they will be at the front of the house and cottage. A bit of a show off. Me! Yes.
I have spent the day tidying the small patio garden in London. By small. I mean small. I have moved the important things. The chimenea for Harry the cat. Who has decided that he likes being out in the rain as long as he can watch it from the cover of his den.
I head to Spain this week. Friends say aren’t you lucky to have three very different gardens. The answer is a resounding yes. And a resounding no. London really manages itself. It’s small. Everything is in pots. No grass to cut. Little weeding. Lots of watering. It’s an easy garden. Perfect for its size.
Somerset has a lawn. Perennial beds. Fruit trees. And compared to London time consuming and at times hard work. No. At all tomes when you are an absentee gardener. I’m having to think hard about Somerset and it’s planting and maintainence and accept I can’t do it all by myself.
Spain. Oh. How I love the garden. But it’s challenging in may different ways. The heat. The drought. Getting the watering right whilst I’m away. Choosing the right plants. Understanding the pruning of almonds. Of níspero. Of the 3 orange trees.
As I head back I’m excited as well as worried as always to see what I’ll find behind the gates. It’s been very dry again. Very warm. A little rain. That didn’t touch the sides. But. Of course it is forecast to rain for two days when I arrive. But we need the rain. The garden needs the rain. My bulb order should arrive as well so if the ground is wet then maybe. Just maybe I won’t need a pick axe for planting.
I’ve already been told that there is a lot of work to be done. The garden has been watered. But nothing else. So I will have my work cut out. In between tapas and vodka caramelo of course. And a trip by train to Córdoba.