gardening – Page 10 – Gardens. Travel. Life.

Posted on November 1, 2017November 1, 2017 by happyretiredblog · 5 Comments

Casa Verano Eterno 6 months in

Has it only been 8 months since we viewed the house and 6 months since we collected keys and started this new adventure. Yea. It is. And so far what an adventure. Has it been worth it? Do bears …….

I have photographed. I have blogged. Wittered. . Instagrammed. Rambled on. And on. But I’m still not bored. You may be. I’m not. Asked how it’s going i smile and simply say fantastic. Because it is. And I absolutely love it.

We’ve had visitors. A lot of visitors. Which I love. We have more coming this month. Our friend from Somerset. My London neighbours – friends for nearly 30 years. Friends have been with the boys. Who spent the whole week in the pool- the pool I never wanted. Which is in the garden I didn’t want. I wanted a townhouse. With a terrace. No pool. No garden. In the town. Which isn’t what we found. The moment I walked through the gate my mind was changed. Instantly. Because of the garden.

The garden is a challenge. We are not there all the time. I worry, but I would worry if there was nothing to worry about. I worry about the watering. About losing plants. About planting. But that’s all part of the challenge. The garden will change. Will adapt to the way we can use it. For now anyway. The plants are largely drought tolerant but the weather has been hot. Even for Spain, so its been an interesting time to take over an already established garden with Succulents. Palms. Bird of paradise. Agapanthus. Plants I know. Others I don’t so I have to reach out to my twitter gurus for help. And they never let me down. The watering system works ok. And when it doesn’t it gets fixed.

We are slowly getting things together. Realising what we need. What we don’t need. Where to eat. Where to shop. The town has a great square. You can find me there often. For breakfast. For lunch. For dinner. My place of choice. Casa Paco

My Spanish is still pants. Ian can hold a conversation – he’s getting on great guns. I’m thinking of a crash course. I get by and do try. I haven’t embarrassed myself too much. But even Ian with his progress can get it wrong sometimes. He ordered a roast polish person at our favourite restaurant recently. Thankfully. It wasn’t on the menu.

The ground is still rock solid. I need to plant the alliums which have arrived from Peter Nyssen. A big box of lovliness delivered diret to Spain, How convenient is that!

I’m looking for some wildflower seed to scatter on the bank behind and in front of the house, I want to have an explosion of colour in the spring and early summer. Having cut back the banks for the first time in 6 years I’m hoping there will be some wild flowers there already.

I have tulips from our local nursery to collect and plant in pots for the front of the house and the terrace. I have ordered Brown Sugar again this year. They were simply gorgeous last year in London. And Somerset. . I have a hedge to cut which I have left all summer as I didn’t want to kill it. I may just have to do some acrobatic movements to cut parts. Parts of the hedge. Not my body parts. I hope not anyway.

So my next visit – next week will be a busy one. Rain is forecast for two days this week but I suspect not enough to be able to plant easily. I don’t like bulb planting at the best of times. Its backbreaking and my bones creak as it is, but at least it will still be warm. And dry. Oh. And try getting a bulb planter in Spain. A long handled one that will get through concrete soil.

Another challemge is pruning. What and when and how. We have a couple of pomegrante in the garden. Apparently they haven’t fruited ever, so they may be ornamental. But ornamental fruit in a large garden. Why? But our neighbours have some which do. Fruit. I have pomegranate envy. Who would have thought that 6 months ago I would be thinking of fruit like this. Admittedly the neighbours have small fruits but fruit never the less, I want them too. But then I want everything. And now.

There are a couple of figs with delicous black figs. Its a shame that they all ripen at the same time! There are only so many you can eat. For many reasons. There are a couple of loquats, whch again have a short season for fruit oh and not forgetting the Almond trees – none of which I have any experience of. I need to read up on Plumbago, jacaranda,lantana and bougainvillea. And on citrus. On palms. On yucca.

I don’t want to prune and then find I have no flowers or fruit next year as the plant flowers on the previous seasons growth. Fatal error…

I need to realise – oh and accept – I can’t grow all the lovely things I curerntly grow in the Uk, but have to adapt to a new Mediterranean planting. As I said. I want it all. I’m surprised at how well I have coped with change.

I’m going to be bold with the lavender path. Its gorgeous but has become a bit straggly in parts. So I have seen people recommend a hard cut back provided there is some new growth. I did two before I left last time and planted two new ones as well so I will see how they have fared. If it doesn’t work then I will replant the path.

We need to decide on the Prickly pears.

They have been ravaged again this year with cochineal fly. I have saved one by washing it down and removing the fly before they can take hold. but the ones on the bank are sad. They were all cut back two years ago in what sounds like a sceme from a horror movie. The red of the cochineal getting everywhere. I think I will find a man that does! Because this man won’t.

It’s not all been gardening. There has been some leisure time. A sit on the terrace. A drive down the wiggly or windy road – there are two options takes us to the coast. I’m not a great lover of laying on the beach soaking up the sun getting sand in places I can no longer reach. I get bored easily. But the coastline is gorgeous and we haven’t really explored it much. Nerja is a short drive away.

In the other direction Torre Del Mar. Both very different. Except for the weather. And people on the sun loungers. All lined up in rows. As the sun moves so do the loungers. Except at 1.30 there is a mass exodus of people. To the little bars serving sardines being cooked on the beach.

So I forgot that this blog was sitting waiting to post. I’m now here. And it rained last week. One set of visitors have been and gone. I’m waiting for the next and for Ian. There has been planting. Excursions. But I can’t stop. I have plants to collect. But don’t tell Ian.

Posted on October 9, 2017March 27, 2021 by happyretiredblog · 8 Comments

Gardens. A palace and a celebration.

Autumn weekends can be so lovely. This weekend was one of them. As a birthday – not just a big birthday – a massive birthday treat I was taken to Oxford for the weekend by two of my closest friends.

Lunch at a mighty fine hotel, a day at Blenheim Palace and then supper with more friends in Woodstock.

Yes. Woodstock. And yes. The friends I went with soon got feed up with my childish comment ‘ you do know ‘ I’d say ‘ by the time we get to Woodstock there will be half a million strong’ …. it wore thin after a while. Unlike me.

Lunch was amazing. Glorious food. Plenty of wine. Too much cheese. Can you have too much? Yes. Definetly. The need for a walk around the garden after lunch at Le Manoir.

It’s interesting to see how the gardens at hotels with restaurants work. Here there is a glorious kitchen garden – an amazing array of veg which is used in the kitchens. Together with flower beds and lavender paths. I’m glad to say that my lavender paths in Spain could compete. They have trimmed theirs back which I will do when I am back in Spain in two weeks time.

The greenhouses are open where you can wander in and look around. What I loved as well is that most things are labelled clearly so you know what you are looking at. A bonus for a novice gardener like me.

There were some pretty interesting things around. I had never seen snake gourds before. These ones hanging down from the greenhouse roof like well. Snakes. I hate snakes. Though at first I thought they were cucumbers. But. They were clearly labelled!

There was a great display of gourds and chillis in the garden teaching space. Amazing colours. Great shapes.

The flower beds were interesting too. We had missed the best as you’d expect as Autumn falls. But there were still some intersting plants and grasses flowering. We didn’t fully explore the gardens to be fair but what we saw was great. An excuse to go back? A long wait until my next significant birthday.

It was a great contrast of a weekend. Lunch at a 2 Michelin star restaurant and breakfast at a Premier Inn.

A short drive after breakfast to Blenheim Palace. An imposing palace – birthplace of Winston Churchill and where he proposed to his wife. At this time of year the rooms on view of the palace are limited – in summer you can also view the private space. I will be back. I’m nosey. But the rooms are glorious. The artwork amazing. But I wouldn’t want their heating bills.

The estate is huge – great trees, huge massive trunks that look like feet, a rose garden, the Churchill memorial garden. A massive lake. I imagine the rose garden in full bloom is awesome. Planted with just a few varieties. Iceberg. Peace. Royal William. A pink I didn’t get the name of. The first two grown in my parents garden in the 70s. Not these roses obviously. But they grew these varieties. I suspect that the ones here weren’t bought at Woolworths gardening section though.

My mother would have had a field day. I’ve mentioned before. She was an avid deadheader. She would have been in her element. I know it’s the end of the season but there were a lot of buds still there and if the frost stays away … at some point I guess they will need to refresh the beds. A lot of dead wood. Hopefully the pruning will cut it all back.

It was a glorious walk around the Estate. A massive Estate. Amazing vistas. Awesome trees. Water. Wildlife. Tourists!

The feeling of a great TV blockbuster drama unfolding as you walked around. The boat house. The lake. But I wasn’t about to do a Mr Darcy and emerge from the lake all moody. And wet. I don’t do wet. I’m someone who has to change his swimming trunks as soon as I get out of the pool. I can be moody. But not in a Mr Darcy way. I guess more Grumoy than D’Arcy.

These were great big pots. Filled with black grass. As a friend on Instagram said ‘ I’m not sure about these. Look a bit like toupees’ – looking at them again. She’s right! But they did look great and I guess are pretty easy to manage.
Autumn is here. The leaves are turning. The colours are fab on the trees. Leaves are on the ground. For now. Crisp. Dry. Gorgeous.

By the time we got to Woodstock – I didn’t say it again. Honest. I won’t say it now.

Posted on September 29, 2017March 10, 2021 by happyretiredblog · 7 Comments

Have I told you I’m retired.

Have I told you I’m retired. Oh. Yes I guess I have. A lot. It’s approaching two years now. Two whole years. I am still getting asked. Aren’t you bored yet? I always give the same answer. Bored. Bored? Only with being asked that question.

I have lists to get through. Lists given to me by Ian. Some things I have ticked off. Some still remain after two years. Like the loft. My theory is if it’s waited 15 years what’s another two. I have gardens to see. Workshops to do. Galleries to peruse. Oh. And add in a few trips to Andalucia. New plants and bulbs to purchase.

I agreed, with myself admittedly, that I would have one day off a week. One day where it was all about me. Ian would say what’s different to the other 6. But I wanted a day where I could do what I liked. No home duties. No shopping. Just a me day. Admittedly some weeks I have two. This week was one of those weeks. Ok some weeks I have seven. Especially when I’m in the garden in Spain.

I have had a a busy one. Involving gardens. A museum. A theatre visit. Making the most of a bit of late sun. In London.

Yesterday was a good day. Starting in Blackheath with a pretty good bacon sarnie, a bus ride across the heath and down into Greenwich. It’s pretty surprising what you find when you have a bit of a wander. Aimlessly with you camera. And no sense of purpose.

Having left Ian at the station I wandered along to the river. I used to cycle to Greenwich on my way to the office. Admittedly it was in a previous decade or two. I know that as at that stage I could and did wear Lycra. So in some ways I was retracing old steps. This time not in Lycra. It wasn’t a pretty sight then. It would be shocking now.

I used to go through the foot tunnel which is adjacent to the river. I was surprised yet delighted to find a small patch of planting close to the entrance to the tunnel. Even more surprised that it was not your usual planting , not the odd geranium here and there and bedding plants. Now. There’s nothing wrong with that combination. Planting is important. Of all kinds. But it’s great to find something different.

Having the Piet Oudolf garden near us in Somerset has made me a fan of this style of planting. But for me it’s great in summer and Autumn. I’m not a Winter or spring fan of prairie. Give me lots of Spring bulbs. Daffs. Bluebells. Tulips.

I love the effect of the planting against the harsh concrete and glass in the distance of Canary Wharf. Continuing colour into Autumn. With the drying seed heads. Canary Wharf. The destination of my cycle rides. My work destination for 28 years. Now tthe cycle rides are qin the dim and distant past. In later years I drove. Not through this tunnel of course. But through a different one.

My destination of the day was the Sky Garden at the Walkie Talkie building Fenchurch street. But before my allocated slot I had a bit of time to kill so I had a wander. It’s easy to walk around London when you live here with your eyes closed and miss the things that are around you. To take things for granted. Like the phone box and post box combination. Typically British. Very nostalgic. Since retiring I have had the opportunity to wander. Aimlessly and often. Here and there. There and here. Wherever here or there is at any given time!

I had wanted to go the Sky Garden for a long time. But for whatever reason I hadn’t managed to get a ticket. It’s free but you have to book a time and they only come in two week booking slots. I had booked for last Friday but somehow failed to get into town in time. Luckily you can change the time and day online and I was determined to get there. So I took the boat. From Greenwich to Tower Hill. The brilliant Thames Clipper. When I first started work in Canary Wharf decades ago I used to travel from Embankment to Canary Wharf on the original river taxis. It was the old days and traffic was light. There was a large boat. And a 12 seater which sometimes we were allowed to board. Things are different these days. A fabulous service where you can get a drink on board too! A great way to see the river frontage enroute up the Thames.

I digress. Which I do a lot. So to the Sky Garden. Situated on the 35th floor of 20 Fenchurch Street.

Yes there is a queue for the timed entries. Yes there is airport security as you enter. But boy it’s worth it.

The views from the viewing platform and from inside the building are stunning. London sights. St Paul’s. The Tower. London Bridge station. The London eye.

There is a great cafe with some awesome cakes. Hot coffee. Suitable for all the gardening fraternity who seem to like a bit of cake. Me included.

The planting is interesting. People know I am a bit of a fan of tree ferns. Of Agaves. Succulents. There are plenty here amongst a lot of good planting.

I loved seeing a couple of pearly / foxtail agaves which we have in our garden in Andalucia.

The tree ferns were pretty spectacular too and there were a lot.

I had been to the Crossrail roof garden the week before ( yep on another day off). I love that garden. The major difference to me is that there you walk through the garden. At the Sky garden you walk around the periphary. The planting hangs down two sides and you walk around it. And look up to it. Does that make sense? It somehow feels that you are part of the planting at Crossrail and they have some cool information boards on the planting.

The Sky Garden is a great space and I wonder how the garden will evolve. It’s an oasis in the city and worth a visit for sure. For me the views take over from the garden as they are spectacular. I found the garden secondary to the views.

It’s amazing what you can see from 35 floors up. These are two fabulous looking roof gardens on city of London rooftops. I have no idea of whose buildings they are but it’s great to see the diversity and greenery in the city. You would and do walk past these buildings with no idea what’s above you.

You often don’t realise how green the city is. Greenery splashed wherever you look.

So. It was last week but I’ll include some pics of Crossrail place roof garden. It’s an amazing quiet space in the hustle and bustle of Canary Wharf. Canary Wharf is an amazing place. Yes. Concrete. Glass. But tee are some wonderful,diversions. Green spaces. Art. Sculpture. They do a great guide to Art on the Estate

There are a lot of green spaces around the Canary Wharf estate beautifully maintained and an oasis. It’s definetly worth a visit. Despite having worked on the Wharf for 28 years I am still a huge fan!

Earlier in the week I had wandered into the Wallace Collection A free entry museum in Marylebone. An excellent collection and a fabulous gallery. As usual I found a flowery picture to send to My friend Georgie Newberry

A nice autumnal painting by a Dutch artist.

Next weeks another week. And another garden. We are off to Blenheim Palace. With my camera of course…..

Posted on September 25, 2017September 25, 2017 by happyretiredblog · 4 Comments

Highs and lows of Summer ‘17

So I’m back in London. You can tell I’m in London. I am wearing long trousers. And socks. The garden here is looking tired. It needs a bit of a haircut. A bit like me. The lavender in the window boxes want s great whilst it lasted but is failing fast but the red of the geraniums and the blue of the lavender was a striking combination this year. The geraniums are still blooming despite the voice in my head telling me I should have been deadheading.

The geraniums still going strong in London

I have left behind in Spain a garden that is still dry. Is pretty green in parts with some glorious seedheads dripping future plants across the garden. Agapanthus and jacaranda being the two biggest culprits. There is a lack of colour. Yes the plumbago is still blooming. There is the odd flower on the oleander. The white oleander, the pink has none. The yucca is flowering, but is about to go over, jasmine has some flowers dotted here and there but its more a spring and early summer garden. When we wee viewing in March the scent of freesias was noticeable as you passed by, Needles to say my bulb order will include freesias.

This summer has had both highs and lows for me. The biggest high finally finding and deciding in a heartbeat that the garden and the house – see what came first- in Andalucia was right for us. Seen and bought In a matter of 8 weeks. Any regrets? Four months in – not one. A huge learning curve, well really more like a steep ascent up the highest mountain, on foot with a huge backpack, but great fun to see what has appeared so far and what will appear in early spring. Add the challenge of watering and you get the picture.

Casa Verano Eterno – House of Eternal Summer

The low – the acceptance that something had to give and after 23 years it was the Cottage in Somerset. The cottage is on the market and we will be sad to be moving on. But for one last season I was able to garden in all three gardens. All very different. All challenging in their own way. The wet West Country. The dry villages of Andalucia. The space restraints of London. Different environments. Different plants. Different requirements.

In Somerset I had to forgo some of my favourite plants this season. Dahlias. I have only grown to love them in recent years and now I am deserting them. I will not be able to grow them in Spain and the garden in London will need some rearranging to accommodate. But having seen Jack Wallington & Christopher Anderson’s garden open for NGS I think I may be able to do it. Not quite as spectacularly as Jack thats for sure, his Dahlias are huge and gorgeous.

I have loved the new Mediterranean garden as those who know me have been inundated with pictures, words a bit of a blog and stories of our trips there. Getting to grips with new plants. With new soil. The constant heat – I don’t know about the plants but at times I have wilted. In the shade! The joy of seeing what was in the garden. The excitement of being away for two weeks and finding new plants when I returned. New colours. New Scemts. The range of plants is excellent and the previous owner had an eye for detail. Some will need to change to take in the fact that we are not there peramanemtly. Some additions, More agapanthus more succulents. Some Mediterranean wildflower seed for the banks. A chop for the prickly pears to see if we can rid them of disease, a lesson in citrus.

Then coming back to London to my window boxes. My small patio garden at the back of the house. So very different to Spain. Tree ferns. A black bamboo. Salvia, Monarda. A bit of lavender. Oh. And more agapanthus. Delighted to find that the agapanthus in Spain self seeds as easily as have the London ones.

The ‘expensive ‘ book Ian commented on when I bought it has proved invaluable to identifying a lot of the plants. It also helps that the author Lorraine Kavannagh has a Garden centre – Competa just outside town. Something I didn’t know when I bought the book. Needless to say we have visited. On more than once occasion. I have also bought another book. Wildflowers of Southern Spain. That’s my reading material for my next flight. In 3 weeks time and will prove invaluable for the Spring months.

Back in London I have ordered the tulips for this years window boxes and pots. I like to change the colours but cannot move away totally from the lovely Brown Sugar. First seen at RHS Malvern and grown for the first time last year. I have ordered a delivery of Alliums, freesia and Chionodoxa for Spain. All from Karen at Peter Nyssen who is so generous with her time and help. Especially with those of us who know a bit and need some guidance. I always say that I garden. I am not a gardener per se and Karen is so helpful with suggestions of what to plant whenI need some help, So my orders are in and no doubt I will add to them as I remember things I’d like. I’m hoping that by the time the Alliums arrive in Spain the ground will be easier to plant. Fingers crossed there will have been some rain. Otherwise it’s hi ho hi ho it’s off to work I go – with a pickaxe. Which in fact I have in the garage full of tools we bought with the house. I now realise why there is a pickaxe there.

The planting of the bulbs in London will be a more sedate and easier affair! There is no major worry of frost in Spain ( he says glibly) but I must collect some straw from the local farmer in Somerset to put in the crowns of the tree ferns in London. I didn’t last year and was lucky. We seem to have a micro climate in the garden here which they seem to like as does the little olives and the banana. We had geraniums still blooming one a first floor window in January.

The back garden London
Our Cottage in Somerset is to be sold. I have loved having a typical Cottage garden – foxgloves,roses,clematis,poppies,honeysuckle fruit trees and a bit of veg. But all good things, like plants, has a life cycle and our time in Somerset has been wonderful. I have made so many gardening friends there and have had the opportunity to see some amazing gardens. But the new adventure is exciting. Hard work but fun. When I know what I am doing it will be even more fun, There will be mistakes. I have already made one or two planting errors. But thats part of the fun. Isn’t it

So I head into Autumn with an air of excitement. New bulbs new choices for London. New bulbs and a wonderment of what’s to come for the Spring in Andalucia.
Who said that retirement would be boring.

Posted on September 10, 2017September 10, 2017 by happyretiredblog · 3 Comments

Our Andalucían Garden – succulents & stephanotis

I can’t believe I’m sat in the garden, its still summer here in Spain. It’s 27 degrees on the terrace and I have a cold. Yes a summer cold. It can’t be because I’ve gone out without a vest. My mother always said that if you went out without a vest you’d catch a cold. I haven’t needed a vest and I haven’t worn one for over 40 years. So I’m just unlucky then.

I have managed to do a bit of gardening since we got back on Wednesday evening. The ground is still like iron where not even a pick axe will make a dent. We had some pretty spectacular rain and a storm before we left last week but it had little effect. I do think that the mountains driving up the wiggly road look a little greener though. In parts. Maybe that’s rose tinted glasses. Oh wouldn’t that be making it pink? The road is so wiggly I could be seeing things – I just stare at the road and hope for the best.

We are getting a second flush of Oleander, particularly the white one. It seems to come in stages, the double pink was out in August but has largely died back. And yes I know. It’s poisonous but it seems to me that most of these Mediterranean plants are

What I didn’t realise, but then why should I – its not like i have grown these plants before, is that there are some pretty spectacular seed heads too. Live and learn!

But there are pretty spectacular seeds heads on a lot of things, and I have posted some of the pictures previously. The jacaranda for one – its seed heads are amazing.

The seed heads of the Agapanthus are in mixed stages of drying and I am about to collect some of the seeds to sow on the bank behind the house. . There are a lot of them in the garden dotted around and I suspect a lot are self seeded, Again I am looking forward to next year when some of them may be mature enough and ready to flower. I am sure I will tell you when they do.

The garden has a lot of bird of paradise planted in the ground but the one doing the best at the moment is one in a large pot on the terrace, I suspect that the ones in the ground are younger and I haven’t seen them flower. But we have the second flower of the season on the potted one, its smaller than the one earlier in the season and there is flower no 3 coming quickly behind it.

There is no sign of the blue and white bird of paradise flowering again which is a shame as its pretty spectacular.I have just realised that we have a second plant next to the garage. I mistakenly thought it was a banana. As in plant. Not the fruit. Hopefully It will flower next year. I need to look up how to feed it. But that goes for most of the plants here. What and when to feed. In london I poo my plants. That is using Lou Archer Alpaca poo. Has worked wonders in london. Oh. And a picture of my agapanthus is on the agapanthus poo mix labels.

Unlike the tender plants in the London garden I won’t have to wrap any here. Last year I didn’t wrap anything in London. I didn’t put straw in the crowns of the tree ferns and they survived. But we are sheltered and the winter wasn’t harsh.

The pineapple guava has fruit on it which I understand is delicious but I am not sure that they will be big enough to eat this year. It’s been spectacularly hot and I am not sure that they have grown fat or big enough. The previous owners said last week that they are tasty. Oh well another for next year.

I have checked the Quince following a mention on twitter of the fruit. I have five on the tree – they aren’t pretty are they! Now I need to see if i have enough for Quince jelly.

I find it fascinating to watch the flowers. As we are here roughly every few weeks some are out as we leave and some as we arrive. This little purple/blue flower has been flowering all summer long and is really pretty. It looks as if the flowering period is coming to an end with this one too.

I’ve said it before but I haven’t really liked Lantana. But to be honest it is growing on me. It works hard and comes in some lovely colours. Even after the potted one is neglected it bounces back with colour.

We have a number of jasmine varieties in the garden, tracheospernum, azoricum, a what I call common jasmine and one unidentified. Oh and that stephanotis I keep bleating on about. After a slow start its been a corker. In a pot by the door the scent is delicious. Oh I’ve said that before. Move on.

What i didn’t know and I am sure i have witttered on about previously is that they can fruit in very hot summers. Well its been hot and there is a new fruit forming and one from last year that has ripened and opened. You can plant the seeds but as I am not here all the time that’s not for me.

I managed an afternoon tidying at the rear of the house where there is a gentle slope up to a steeper one. At the lower end are succulents and at the top some sad prickly pears and some pine which i have now found out are protected. No chopping these down but I wouldn’t want to anyway.

I have said that the plants here are new to me. I am used to either our London garden which is more of a yard with tree ferns, agapanthus some perennials and annuals. All in pots. Our Somerset garden which is a true cottage garden full of traditional and lovely perennials, Roses and a bit of lawn. succulents have never featured big but they do here as you would expect in a mediteranaean garden where water is at a premium and the heat is on.

I’m in love with the Agave. – the pearly agave or foxtail agave. It’s shape and form is gorgeous. I have two, one in a pot and one in the ground. One is upright the other is hanging over the pot. Both are fabulous. I like that word. Like the agaves A lot.

I need to name the rest of the succulents. Not with actual names that would be silly. Not Boris or Doris but identify their plant names. That’s for a cooler autumn day sat at the kitchen table. In spain or london.

To add to the Swiss cheese plant we have growing outdoors there’s another ‘indoor’ house plant from my youth doing really well outside. There are a number of them in the garden at various stages of growth – the money tree we called them as I was growing up.

Next on my list is to read up on pruning. I had a great day last year with. Sara Venn pruning our Somerset garden. We worked on the fruit trees and the roses and they have been great this year. I may be doing a light prune this Autum but the cottage is now on the market.

I will need to read up on the Jacaranda, the oleander the hedge with no name because I don’t know it. But it’s has been here and growing well for over 30 years. The pomegranate which has never fruited and which I have been told to go out with a paint brush when it flowers, the olive trees, the almonds and the citrus.

The citrus is flowering again, two lemons I thought were on their way out and a lime I had moved because it needed a second chance.

So I have plenty of reading ahead of me. Identifying. Pruning. Planning oh and planting. The tulips are ordered. I’ve said I want alliums. More agapanthus. But I have to wait for rain or hire a JCB to plant them!

I am sure you will hear all about it.

Posted on August 21, 2017August 22, 2018 by happyretiredblog · 1 Comment

Back to the new Mediterranean Garden

So I’m back in Spain. This time for three weeks. It should have been one but friends asked to come to stay so it was decided (yay) that I should stay on and be here when they arrived. Which meant staying three weeks in total. Oh. And I’m then home for 6 days to collect my bus pass and then back again for 12 days.

That’s not a bad thing as there is a lot to do. Blocked drain. One of the watering system pipes has detached itself. Neither of which I will do of course. But I’m here to sort out. And to do a bit of gardening whilst I’m at it. There is plenty of clearing up to do

I’ve said it before. But I’ll say it again. The ground is dry. Very dry. Too dry to plant anything. I have some plants still in their pots standing in a vat of water for whilst I’m away. Ready to plant when and if we get some rain. Two salvias. A jasmine Azoricum. A clivia.

Some plants like the Leonotis Leonurus – lions ear appear to have gone summer dormant as the weather has been so hot.

The clearing of the bank and what I call the roundabout are both done. I am now happy to go and look at the almonds and figs without fear of stepping on a snake. Or some other creepy crawly. The almonds are ready. My ‘book’ says check in August and September to see if the dupes are splitting. That’s a new word for my dictionary but not sure how often I can slip it into conversation. They are earlier than usual but the extreme heat has brought everything on earlier.

There are loads of them on just three trees and I am 3/4 of the way through picking them. Once picked and the outer shell taken off the almonds are then ready to dry. Please don’t ask me for how long. They are supposed to rattle when they are dry which some are doing. So I will pack them into air tight containers – Tupperware anyone. Some will be given away as presents.

I have laid them Out on trays and need to turn them regularly -like every time I pass!

I’ll leave picking the rest for another day there are loads left and I’m not going to waste them.

There is beginning to get some more colour back in the garden. It’s been so dry this summer. Much hotter than usual and some plants seem to have hibernated. A drop of water and there are blooms again. Except the Leonotis Leonurus – lions ear which appears to have gone summer dormant.

This Bougainvillia is a lovely colour. There aren’t too many flowers on there but they are pretty lovely. I must check on pruning for later in the season. I don’t want to prune next years potential flowers – puts pruning into google. There is also one random plant on the back slope which has appeared since the clearing.

I thought I’d seen the end of the stephanotis but no. There are still a number of buds. I lovethe waxy flowers – they look so lovely and smell delicious. Not enough for a bridal crown. Well not on my head anyway.

I love the colour orange in the garden. This has started to bloom again. Probably as I have been watering since I’ve been back. It just appeared overnight. That or I missed it as I walked past. But it’s a welcome sight in the corner.

Now I need to go and look at my book so that I can check what this is. ! . There are only two flowers left. But the seed heads are an interesting shape. .

Three months later I’m still learning what plants we have in the garden. Some are pretty unusual. What I didn’t expect was a swisss cheese plant outside. What next. A rubber plant! Our house plants from the 70″s. So my book says the Swiss cheese can flower. Cream in colour and edible fruits. Who knew. Not me. But I still don’t really like them. But let’s give it a chance. It may grow on me.

I loved and hated the jacaranda tree when it was in flower. The flowers were gorgeous. When they were on the tree. But they didn’t stay there. They fell – not a surprise – onto the path. Like a blue jewelled walkway. Staining the brick. Now it has seeded. Which are interesting. And they are not dropping . Looking like little bats hanging high up in the tree.

We have prickly pairs dotted around the garden – mainly on the back slope but one or two in the main area. The ones on the bank are looking sad. Last year they were all cut to the ground. Suffering from cochineal fly. I wasn’t here then but have been told like it was a crime scene as once cut they bleed. The cochineal flow are back.

Looks like we may need to cut back them again.

Baby prickly pairs popping up over the garden. They easily take root.

A white version of the mandevilla with a gorgeous yellow throat. We also have a pink which is flowering when and if it feels like it.

There’s a whole host of succulents dotted around and it’s great that they are drought tolerant as with this weather that’s a huge bonus.

As well as the main garden which sounds grander than it is we have a small piece of ground behind the house across the road. This hadn’t been touched or cleared for over 6 years and we decided that when we were having the slope behind us cleared we would have that done too. I call this the roundabout. Which it is not.

There is little on there. Two fig trees. A sickly almond. Some spikey succulents but we will need to think of some planting. To hold the soil. And to look good of course. The one fig tree is awash with black figs. Today’s picking I think and I will freeze some for jam.

Edit

It’s all a bit different to what I have been used to. Our garden in Somerset all cottage garden. Not a prickly pear in sight. Unless you consider the prickly pair of owners.

We also have trees – real trees.

So it’s been an interesting few days. I’m here alone. I have pottered in the Garden. Snipping here. Deadheading there. Taking photos. Making plans. Understanding why I didn’t attempt to strip the bank and the roundabout myself. Slipping over down the bank. Almost doing a triple toe loop and a couple of pas de deux as I hurtled to the floor almost falling flat on my face. Thankfully no one was around to see my inelegant moves. Or my embarrassment.

It hasn’t deterred me. There will be more gardening tomorrow after I have trained the welcome cactus to wave its arms for when the friends arrive with the 11 and 13 year old boys. Yes. It needs a sort te the pot. It’s on my ever increasing list. To add to the list that Ian has left me.

Posted on August 15, 2017August 22, 2018 by happyretiredblog · 4 Comments

I don’t mind if I do. A trip to the Alhambra Palace & gardens

We had our first visitor to the new house this weekend. Which was exciting. You know that feeling where you love something and hope others do too. Well that.
The joy of being here in Spain is the opportunity to look at new and different gardens. To look out for new ideas and new plants to weave into our new Mediterranean garden. It’s a huge learning curve and one where after only theee months I have lost a few plants on the way. The ground is hard. The climate harsh this summer. Hot. Dry. My visits here scattered.

So with our first visitor we headed off to the Alhambra We had been 18 months ago in April 2016 but it’s a stunning visit and one I will not tire of. Not yet anyway. An easy 1.5 hour drive away. The Alhambra is a series of buildings with the Nasrid palace the glittering jewel in the crown. One where you have an allotted time to visit.

The gardens when we were there in April were nice. I hate that word. Nice. It kind of means bland. Nice. So I was interested to see the summer planting. The colours. The smells, but slightly worried with this years extreme heat we may have missed it.

Tickets for the Alhambra are always sold out. There is no point deciding on the day to go visit. You need to plan. Your tickets. The entry time to the Nasrid Palace. Plan your trip. Thankfully we had. Tickets booked in May. The route planned with the assistance of my good friend Sally. Sally sat nag. We are rubbish as map readers so are happy to be dominated by the Tom Tom.

Water is a bit of a luxury here in Spain especially during the summer months. So I was surprised to see the gardens being heavily watered. At 10am. By watered. I mean Watered. Heavily. But when you walk around the vast and varied garden you can tell I’m not watering enough in mine. Even for drought tolerant plants. This years heat has been brutal.

But I have to say the planting is simply gorgeous. Stunning in parts. Colourful. Interesting. Plants I knew. Ones I haven’t seen in years. Simple. Interesting. A few I have to revert to Twitter for help in identifying. The planting so colourful that it reminds me of my parents front borders of the 1970’s.

There is structure. Carefully cut and structured hedging. Labelled. Please do not touch the plants. It’s yew. It’s poisonous. Something I’ve found a lot of the plants here are.

I was surprised to see roses. I don’t really know why – but I’ve been Surprised to see many things in the gardens here. Hollyhocks for one.

There has been an absolute stunner of a rose growing over the gates of the house opposite us. A gorgeous red. So full of bloom I had to go and check it was real. It was. This yellow rose in the formal structured beds was a stunner. I thought too yellow for Graham Thomas. But a beautiful rose dotted about over the gardens. There were a lot of standards. Giving height. Structure. Colour at eye level.

I haven’t seen Alyssum since it was planted down my parents front path in the 1970’s. Like lobelia a staple in gardens years ago – , which I have in window Boxes for the first time in years this year and has grown and looks well ,but like Alyssum seems to have fallen out of fashion for more blousy plan more unusual plants for the borders and window boxes. It was the standard bedding plant back in “the old days” along with lobelia, tagetes ,petunias, godetia, busy lizzies and begonias. Oh and red bedding salvias . Most of which were to be found in beds across the Alhambra. To be honest – it was a delight to see old friends.

The line for the Nasrid palace queues alongside some lovely beds. I love the orange colours in the garden but hate the smell of tagetes when you handle them. In a mass planting the orange of these are uplifting. Dotted under standard roses.

wqWe came across this gorgeous plant. Planted as a mass in some beds whilst in others there were splashes of colour and in some more a riot of colour. An explosion. After a shout of ‘help’ on twitter it was identified as an euphorbia- euphoebia marginata Kilimanjaro. Thank you twitter folk.

They certainly know how to do colourful with their planting. More an explosion than planting. But it’s stunning. There were also beds of dahlias, statice and all manner of things. Salvias a plenty. What looked like a form of knautia.

Someone has been kept busy. The shape size and scale of some of the topiary was awesome. I have trouble trimming our hedges and I know if I tried to shape them I’d end up with such ugly shapes. Yep. I know. A bit like me!

It wasn’t all colour. The agapanthus in huge drifts at the entrance were going over. Flower heads turning into big fat seed heads. I think I’ve taken enough photos of aggies this year. There were some tall architectural trees. But an abcence of succulents unless I was too mesmerised with the colours that I missed them.

You can’t help but be in awe of the buildings here. The intricate craftsmanship of the decoration in the marble the woodwork and the history.

But the gardens are a surprise. A welcome place to wander and reflect the majesty of the palaces.

A reminder to me of the blaze of colour I grew up with in my parents borders – the planting of annuals where the concept of less is more was rarely understood. But it set me up for the love of colour. Of gardens and gardenning.

I can’t wait to go back again in the spring and to see what the bedding has been replaced with. I hope bulbs. Lots of them.

Posted on August 7, 2017August 7, 2017 by happyretiredblog · 3 Comments

Weeds. Weeds. And more weeds.

No it wasnt funny the first time said Ian. A grown man standing in the garden. Squeaking. Weed. Weed. I guess he’s too young to remember watch with mother. Bill and Ben the flowerpot men. With Weed . Behind the potting shed. Which looks nothing like the lovely potting shed of Karen Gimson. She knows I have potting shed envy. That I’m going to move into hers.

Anyway. As usual I thought it was funny. Obviously not. But I was here to weed.

Having bought our new Spanish house and having a new garden to manage and with spending more time there the garden in Somerset has been a bit neglected. Ooh. A lot of ands there.

It hasn’t helped that we have had sun. Rain. Sun. Sun. Rain. So the garden has grown. You can watch it grow. From the dryness of inside the kitchen window. Plants are taller. The weeds stronger. I maintain I have the national collection of bindweed. Hideous weed. The plant. Not the Bill and Ben character.

I’ve tried for weeks to get to the cottage. But every time I have a day or two it rains. It pours. Horizontal rain. Wind.Great British Summer. I’m a wimp. I’m a fair weather gardener. Don’t judge me. You know who I mean!

It’s sad to see that the garden isn’t as pristine as I usually have it. Pristine is the wrong word. It’s not a show garden. I’m not a gardener. I garden for me. I grow what I like. Where I like. But I usually have more time. The grass had been cut but there was work to be done. But yes. There were some lovely plants in bud. In flower. Seedheads. New beginnings.

The roses I pruned with Sara Venn earlier in the year were budding like crazy. The second flush of flowers coming through now. I had a great day with Sara and she taught me a lot about pruning fruit trees. Maybe I can persuade her to come to spain!

The apple tree we pruned is loaded with fruit. The best I’ve seen in years. We were a bit ( I say we – Sara ) worried about the tree with the red apples. But it’s done amazingly well. Some have been picked and brought home. The tree was supposed to be a Laxton superb. My mothers favourite apple. You can’t beat a laxtons she used to say. Well someone has beaten me. This ain’t laxtons superb.

Everyone knows I like a dahlia or two and I planted a couple of new ones this year – well more than a couple to be fair.

Bought and planted. Before I knew we would hopefully be on the move. Two have flowered beautifully. But. Hello. Cafe au lait where are you hiding? Not under the bindweed. Surely not. I first saw cafe au lait at Georgie Newberry’s Common Farm Flowers And fell in love with it. I have had so many suggestions over the last year for new dahlias I can’t keep up.

The dahlia bed was doing ok. The tubers I had left in had come through. Beaten off the slugs – and a couple were blooming lovely. Black Jack. Rip city. A couple of bishops.

There’s a couple of things I’m rubbish at. – gardening things. Staking is one. Always on my list. Rarely crossed off. Remembering when the plants get straggly. Or there is wind. The other. Labelling. I have had the intention of a plan. Labelling the plants. Putting them down on paper. A proper plan. So I don’t forget the names. It was a plan. But 23 years later it’s still a plan. I’m trying not to make the same mistake in Spain. I’ll tell you how I get on. In 23 years time

But thankfully I have the invoice still from Withypitts so have identified Peach Delight and Shooting Star.

The bees havent deserted me. The Echinops all a buzz. Two for the price of one.

The weeds are bad. So bad that I have a helper. Quite how Ian has decided to help I don’t know. Obviously there is no tennis on the TV But he has. I might have to turn a blind eye at his technique and the odd pull of a plant that is not a weed. Today he’s keen. Carry on regardless.

It’s amazing. Often there are plants which run away with themselves. This is one. I swear that this year it’s two foot taller than usual. I like them. Great for cutting but boy are they invasive or what!

The monbretia. Yes I know it’s all crocisima now. But my parents called it Monbretia and old habits die hard. This clump has never previously flowered. I mentioned it last year and moaned about it. Someone said that they always flower. This year the clump is flowering. Like crazy. Have indeed me anything different. No. Not that I can think of.

I planted an Emily McKenzie and it’s in bud. I’ll miss the flowers this year as I am away again.

The garden photographs well. Looks good. Even if I say so myself. But please don’t look too closely. Bindweed and groundelder are everywhere.

We have a grape vine at the back of the house. It catches the sun. But I thought that this year we had no grapes. They aren’t sweet and last year for the first year I picked them. Ate one. Even sourer than me. So I made grape and Rosemary jelly. Went down a bomb. So I started to hack the growth back – full of horticultural technique me – and lo and behold hiding under the growth were bunch after bunch of grapes. Larger than last year and hopefully with some Aug sun ( please ) they will get fatter and juicier. Chateau Pitcombe if wont be. But good old grape and Rosemary jelly again. And again.

Rhubarb. Not picked for ages. So I have. No need to force this rhubarb. Looks like I’d need to force it to stop. There will be rhubarb gin and rhubarb and star anise cordial. Some for next door for a crumble. The gin to add to the sloe gin supply gently brewing in the kitchen cupboard.

The poppies are over for another year. The seed heads are drying ready to explode and sow themselves for another year.

So now I ache. My back. My arms. I’m weeded out. But do you know what. Give it another three weeks and on my next trip and I’ll be doing it all over again. Whether I want to or not.

Posted on July 31, 2017August 3, 2017 by happyretiredblog · 2 Comments

Hello again hello.

It’s the last week of July and after a trip to Italy and a quick whizz around two NGS London open gardens I’m back in Spain. The open gardens were fab – two very different London gardens.

Jack Wallington garden was a revelation in what you can do in a small London garden. Great planting. Huge varieties and all plants labelled! Oh dear. Please don’t judge me Jack. I always forget what names. Let alone plants. But jacks echiums are giving us ideas for our new Mediterranean garden in Spain. Other plants Ideas for our small London garden. Oh. And it’s open again on 10 September.

So after an abscence of three week what would the Spanish garden have in store.? Well. Certainly drier than in London. I’d been panicking a bit about the heat. The temperatures are high. Even for summer. In the Andalusian hills. There is an irrigation system. And someone to go in and water. But…….

At the back of the house we have a slope. I’ve mentioned it before. The last time I went up there I itched for days. Was worried I’d encounter a snake. And we had an Italian experience. I don’t think I’ve mentioned that.

Was worried about fires so we arranged for it to be strimmed. I was asked. Why don’t you do it yourself – you’ve got the time. “Excuse me” I said. “Strimming an extremely dry slope in 30* heat dressed from head to toe in overalls.” Thanks. Maybe next year. So it was done. Not by me and looks so much better. The almond trees look better and there is a good crop. Quite what I’ll do with them is another question. . The figs are ripening and hopefully will be ready to pick when we have friends staying in the next two months.

Lovely figs. Waiting to ripen and turn black

The other side of the bank doesn’t look as great and needs some more planting. The prickly pears look like they are going down with a disease again this year. I know they were all cut to the ground last year and a skip filled between two houses. I’m hoping to have a mix of nespera, olives and some succulents dotted about. But the ground is as hard as iron. We need to wait for the rain.

Down in the main garden most of the plants were looking ok. Some are struggling in the heat. Even those that are drought tolerant. There are three areas to the garden. The main area at the front of the house. Three beds. A lavender path. Some citrus. Some pots. To the side of the house and ro the back two sloping beds. Cactus. Succulents. Stuff. The mandarin and lime that Ian wanted and are in pots are looking good. Plenty of mandarins. No limes this year. There will be next.

The pearly agave in a pot is looking fab. Particularly if you catch it in the right light. I’ve found another at the back of the house – I’m hoping they will flower.

When I left three weeks ago I thought the Stephanotis would flower and be over by the time I got back. Its in a large pot and has struggled a bit but there were still beautiful waxy blooms. As I tidied the plant up I found one single solitary fruit. I never knew that they could fruit – mind you I have only really seen them as pot plants. Indoors. Used in bridal bouquets apparently. Not mine.

They smell lovely.

I forgot to take a picture before I left – the fruit has changed a lot in a week. Apparently the black silky seeds can be easily propagated. Not by me I fear.

This border and the circle under the old olive tree is doing well. There are loads of olives. The strawberry mint I planted and which I thought had died is growing again. I didn’t think that even I would be able to kill mint.

The lavender likes me being away. I tend to overwater. So it does better when I’m not there.

I cleared a bit of the oleander next to the garage. And found a lovely plumbago. Struggling behind the oleander but the blue is lovely against the white of the garage. Now I know it’s there I’ll make sure it does well. ( right – as if )

The wall planting has one solitary red geranium flower – we are in between blooms. The scented pelargoniums are doing really well. I find them a bit boring. Insignificant flowers. But boy. As you brush past the scent is delicious. And they are pretty hardy in the dry.

I also found that there are six quinces on the quince tree. Well what else would you expect? But I was surprised. Now to see what I can do with them.

I’ve mentioned before that my mother was the queen of deadheading. Something she instilled in me. I’m not as bad as her – I don’t walk up anyone’s path and deadhead as I go. She did. But these little flowers drive me insane. I’m forever taking off the dead ones. I mean forever.

The agapanthus have finished and are setting seed. I’m going to let a lot self seed this year. There are a lot of plants. I have space for more. Don’t I? But I have been making a note of some really dark ones. There have been some great suggestions of new agapanthus for me to look at on twitter this last month.

It’s not all been gardening. I managed a day wandering around town taking some photographs. But the heat defeated me. I had to sit in the square people watching. That was so hard to do. For hours.

The sunsets are awesome and are something I don’t think I will tire of. Glorious from our terrace. The sun was so red and bright in the sky as it went down behind the mountains.

The town of Competa. A 10 min drive from the house. A glorious white washed Andalusian town. Nestling on the hillside.

So I’m home for just over a week and then back to Spain for three. It was supposed to be only a week in August but we have visitors coming for another week – and we can’t not be there with them. Not when it’s our two favourite boys arriving with their parents. Wouldn’t be right would it.

Ian will be there for a week as planned. Largely to drink wine. On 15 August the town celebrates its wine festival – NOCHE DEL VINO: – which starts with the wine treading on the Plaza de la Vendimia. Then goes on all night. Not that we will. We also have. A friend staying for that. But we are also heading to the Alhambra. In August. In the heat. But it will be worth it. It’s such a stunning place.

I also found some gardens that open near to Granada. Though we may not have time this time.

But. As I left the forecast for the end of this week is 41*. With night time temperatures of 24. Who know what I will find next week!! I’m sure I’ll tell you though.

Posted on June 20, 2017 by happyretiredblog · 1 Comment

London Calling

So I said goodbye to sunny Spain. Sadly left the mew Mediterranean garden and the heat behind to catch the delayed flight to London. Down the long and winding road. Again. This time singing to myself. Ian flew back a few days ago.

Nothing better than sat waiting to board the plane whilst an irate passenger berates rather rudeley the girl at the gate. Who smiles sweetly and let’s him rant. Well done I think. Then says. In broken Spanish. Thank you sir. I am Ryan Air. You are travelling British Airways. Boom. A deflated and embarrassed angry man.

We eventually depart. A full flight. An announcement goes over the tannoy. ‘Today we have a passenger flying with us who has a severe nut allergy. We will not be serving nuts. We would also ask you to refrain from eating your own nuts. ‘

Childish I know. But I collapsed into a heap of giggling childish laughter.

Did I say escape the heat. Huh. It’s hot back in London. Without the air conditioning and everyone complains how hot it is. Even me.

There is another constant. My love for agapanthus! They have gone crazy whilst I’ve been away. Combination of the heat and the feeding of Lou’s pooh in the spring. We had great leaf growth and I had thought I had overfed. But the number of buds has been great. Agapanthus that struggled to flower last year are bursting.

I almost love the opening buds more than the full flowers. Or maybe the seed heads after flowering.

We bought two plants a good few years ago and put in a large pot in the centre of the front garden. Garden is an wxagatration. It’s an area at the front of the house. But this agapanthus never ceases to amaze me. There are loads of buds every year which virtually appear over night. Small light blue flowers. I keep thinking I ought to split them. Maybe next year. Maybe not.

The agapanthus by the front door were bought at Columbia Road flower market a few years ago. Cheap. Cheerful and have been great. This year they seem taller than usual so I will need to be careful that they do not snap off. Or get picked like they did a few years ago!

I know that this one will be the darkest of them all. The tell tale signs of the bud give it away. It’s a really dark colour – like a black almost.

But like Spain a lot will open whilst I’m away which happens every year! The good thing is that they have a good flowering period. Oh. I’ve just found a self seeded one about to flower in the orange tree pot.

The back garden is small and I mean small and has to incorporate everything. Like a washing line amongst the plants. All the plants without exception are in pots. The tree ferns.a couple of olives. An almond tree. Easy to move around. But a pain to water.

An empty chair. Usually occupied by one of the cats but it’s too hot for them. They are sprawled out behind s tree fern.

I have always had window boxes. I think it’s an inherited thing. My parents did hanging baskets. Hanging at their front door. A bit of a show off with next door as to how could have the best. . So I like to have the front looking good. I maybe have missed one or two years where I have had a break but this year I decided to go back to the good old geranium. They were great in the pots in Somerset last year and went on right into the autumn only being moved to make room for the tulip planting. Which I also did in the window boxes here for the spring.

This year for the first time I added some lavender to the boxes with the geraniums and it’s worked really well. Even if I say so myself. I also used good old lobelia for the side boxes something I haven’t planyed in years. My parents always grewv it along the front path accompanying allysum which I don’t think I’ve seen at a garden centre or nursery in a very long time. That and the good old Busy Lizzie! Their garden was a homage to the planting of the time. Lobelia. Allysim. Petunia. Tagetes. Godetia. All grown from seed.

I digress.

Gardening in London is a challenge. The garden is small. There’s lots I want to grow but can’t. Dahlias another of my loves are rubbish here. We get overrun with snails. Not slugs. I have one climbing rose. A lovely David Austin bought my a good friend of mine Emma. As a thank you for staying at the cottage.

But the upside is that we have a sheltered garden where most years we don’t have to cover the crowns of the tree ferns. Tracheospernum grows well. Jasmine grows like crazy up the drainpipe out of a ridicously small pot. A black bamboo whist scraggy is over 10 foot tall.

There have been disappointments. As the garden is small I like to have some scented plants. The jasmines flower at different times and the smell of both is very very different. So I bought a Philadelphus to add to the mix. A belle etoille which we have had in Somerset. Gorgeous smell. White flower with a purple throat. But it appears that it’s not what I got. Pretty. But plain white with little scent. Annoying. It will have to go. It’s not what I want and I don’t have room for mistakes!

The email has arrived from Peter Nussen re Speing bulbs! Oh. Lordy. I’ll have to make decisions for next year soon!

Right. I’m off to water. Yet again