honeysuckle – Gardens. Travel. Life.

Posted on February 22, 2023February 26, 2023 by happyretiredblog

Hello. Where are you?

I love it when photos pop up on one of your social media accounts as a memory of where you were this time last year ~ or in this case in 2020. Today was a reminder the last time we really dressed up and went out out. When we were invited to a fancy pants dinner ( no dancing) at the Mansion House in London. A dinner for the Worshipful Company of Gardeners. Guests of two fabulous gardeners. Good fronds and excellent company. They know who they are.

How time flies. At that time we were going out and about to travel to Mexico. Pre pandemic. There’s been a lot happened since. Three years. Three prime ministers. And three or is it four vaccinations.

I had a message at the end of last week. Where are you? I can’t keep up. The trouble is neither can I. We are here and there and over there. Answering in Spanish when we are in Somerset. We were in Somerset. Essentially A five day gardening trip with some appointments with builders. Supper with friends and tea and cake with others. Ian’s highlight of the week. The arrival of godson Bradley to take two mattresses to the tip. I kid you not. It’s been on the list for ever. Taking up room under the bed. I still can’t get my head around the little baby I once fed ( bottle} now drives tractors and a car big enough to help us out.

We have travelled the route from London to Somerset for more years than I care to remember. The good thing is that I can. I should have counted the number of times we’ve passed Stonehenge. The number of times we have been stuck in that Queue. But it’s always been worth the trip. This time to a garden that’s always neglected in the winter.

Despite the neglect there are some things that reappear year after year other than us. Like these crocus. I have no recollection of planting them. I’m not a great fan of planting small bulbs. Thankfully tulips are os a suitable size otherwise I’d be in a bit of a pickle. But these have multiplied over the years and obviously I have accidentally moved some as there are patches popping up elsewhere. If you see me ordering small bulbs stop me. You should have last year when I bought teeny tiny alliums. Never again. Big fat bulbs of Allium yes.

We as in the royal we have had a good old tidy up. There has been cutting back. Clearing. Emptying pots of compost where the plants have given up the ghost. I should have put them in the greenhouse but to be honest it’s probably warmer outside. I had planned to get a new greenhouse.p 8 years ago. I’ve been patching it up badly I might add. A new one is on the list. The never ending list of lists.

There is a large terrace at the back of the house with some nice paving. Well when it’s clean it may be nice and that’s a job for another day. Or week. Don’t look at the fence which at the height of sumner you can’t see. Don’t ask about it either. It’s a jointly owned fence. If it wasn’t then there would be a new one. I’ve uncovered the slime off the tops of the agapanthus pots to discover tulips popping through. I’m convinced I’ve lost the agapanthus but I’m not giving up yet. If I have then I’ll get some more. They light up the terrace in the summer and are drought friendly so ideal.

I watch in awe as friends post on social media of the snowdrop frenzy at this time of year whilst being thankful we don’t have any. Except we do. A small clump under the ancient and dead apple tree covered tightly by the rambling rector. There have been a few of those in this parish over the years. Rambling rectors whose sermons have rambled on. . This one has been in the garden for over 30. The rose. Not the rector.

I tried to get a decent Photo of the snowdrop in the garden. Give me the chance to photograph an agapanthus any day. There’s no getting down on one lneee or both to get ‘that shot’. Getting downs not usually too bad. Getting up is. I will stick to standing photos only. But this flower is rather lovely but I’m going to resist going down that rabbit hole of snowdrop desire. Well I will try anyway. Says the man who already has started his 2024 tulip list.

One benefit of the cutting back and a grand tidy up is that the primroses and the bluebells are getting some light. Primroses remind me of childhood walks along the Rusty line ~ an old disused railway line whose banks were littered with primroses. I bought some more last year to plant in a grassy area but also think I should plant some on the river bank. Or should it be wild garlic. Or lovely blue wild chicory. Or all of them. Where’s my list?

Blue bells. ~ but are they Spanish or English. Interestingly ~ well for me anyway. I have never seen a Spanish bluebell in Spain in fact I’ve never seen any bluebells in Spain. . A few years ago a neighbour whose garden I love and who is a proper gardener, indeed an expert said that I hadn’t asked her to come and see the garden. I know. For me it would be like asking Picasso to come and look at my paintings. Or Mario Testino to look at my photographs. But I said if she’d like to come and look then she was always welcome. Right she replied. I will be around on Sunday at 2pm. Cold sweats. Hot sweats. Weeds pulled. Nail scissors taken to the grass and she did come and have a look. But I always remember her saying. I hope they aren’t Spanish bluebellls. If they are you need to dig them up. Every year since I look.

Pulmonaria grows like a weed in this garden. I could cover the garden with this ground elder and bindweed. It’s now growing well on the river bank and is always a welcome colour splash at this time of year and with it dotted all around the garden and is a great attraction for early pollinators.

The garden is wet in the winter. Even with the rainfall this winter the ground is wet. Bulbs don’t do very well in the back garden as they generally rot. So there are not many of them. The dahlias I left in are useless. Some years they are ok but this winter has been at times both wet and very cold. So it’s no surprise really. I’ve lost the daffodils along the greenhouse as well ~ a few are through but don’t look promising. I get asked why I don’t plant the tulips in the garden when I empty the pots after they have died back. I’ve done it once and it wasn’t a success. Too much effort for little gain. Last year I bagged them up and people who wanted them for their garden took them. But I must remember to water the tulip pots. They benefit from a weekly watering if you want decent flowers.

Once the lawn dries out a bit it will have its first haircut. Not a short back and sides but a gentle trim. I hate how at this time of year there’s a well worn path compacting the grass on the walk to the bottom of the garden and the compost bin. That’s along with the cat walk ~ not us practising our model walk up and down the garden ~ but the local cats path through. That and then badger when he can get across the river.

Im trying to plan a few things differently this year. Where to plant the runner beans. I’ve got an ear worm of my dad telling me I have to dig a trench. Growing up one of my jobs in the garden was to dig the annual trench for two rows of runner beans. This would be filled with all the peelings from the veg and newspaper. My father was disappointed to find that I didn’t continue to do it in my own garden. But as I’m a creature of some habit I suspect the two rows I put in will be in the same place and the ideas for the dahlia bed will not materialise either. I will have dahlias as I love to pick them for the house.

But we have made one decision and that is a new log store. Ordered and a place identified for its position. It’s all part of a bigger plan but that’s for another day.

There’s still a lot to do. We put in this inexpensive arch decades ago and it’s now smothered with the scent of honeysuckle. Not now obviously. But at the height of summer it’s glorious. But it needs a bit of a haircut ~ like me. It’s in front of the pergola which was put up two decades ago when we bought no 4 to make the two terraces flow. My big mistake then was bad planning for growing over it. but I have a plan. There’s a theme in this blog. Plans. Garden. House. Cottage. Oh another arch is planned toward the bottom of the garden.

So the work will continue this week. Some digging. More tidying. Cake eating. But. I have a day planned in Bath on my own. Except for my camera. And dreaming of tulips. Like the ones at Columbia Road Flower Market today.

Posted on July 22, 2022July 24, 2022 by happyretiredblog · 2 Comments

Hello Heatwave. Hello Somerset

Well it’s been a bit of a hot one. Ironic really as we cancelled a trip to Spain as the temperatures there were forecast to be too high for comfort. I spent 9 weeks there bordering July and August in in one of the lockdowns and I swore never again in August. Yes I know it’s July but it was already August in Spain in June. If you get my drift.

There is no point in getting to Spain only to spend 2/3rds of the day indoors in my pants watching Netflix with the air con on. I can do that in the Uk but without the air con. London was hideous this week when the thermostat hit 30. No air. No air con and no patience.

As soon as it cooled I headed down to Somerset pre the school holiday traffic and avoided the holiday route. I had driven past a roadside cafe that was kind of hidden and this time decided to stop. Oh joy. It was quiet. The pathway was dahlia filled. The omlette was delicious.

Somerset gardening beckoned. It had been over three weeks since we had been here and I had three days on my own to try and break the back of the weeding. Whilst breaking mine. As I drove into the village looking at the car temperature gauge I marvelled. how could the car temperature on Tuesday show 38 in the car park at Sainsbury’s and only 20* the next day in Somerset. It’s bonkers.

We had a good spring display of Tulips again this year and it’s always a difficult one on what to plant for the summer. We are here a little more often as we don’t go away in August and early September but we are conscious of watering at the front of the house. geraniums are always a good bet. They can cope with the sporadic watering and I am lucky that my goddaughter is available and willing to do the watering for me.

I always try and get my geraniums from Columbia Road flower market as both quality and price are excellent. This year is no exception and the decision on going for one solid colour against the warm stone of the cottage is looking good. The only issue we now have is that Jacks Shute is running dead slow to virtual,stop making watering from the spring a tad difficult. I won’t mention the last year it dried up according to Grandad Martin. But it was 1976. A date that has been mentioned a lot this week.

Despite the lack of rain the garden is looking good. Even if I say so myself. It’s had very limited water whilst we have been away and some things were struggling. Largely against bindweed which is the most drought tolerant plant in the garden here. It’s impossible to dig it out at this time of the year. So I cheat and just get rid of what I can. Out of sight out of mind for now. But it’s the biggest single problem we have.

The grass was largely green but was in need of a haircut which is the first thing I always do. I can then do the edges which makes it all look better in my eye. My eyes head to the edges but avoids the weeds. Diversion tactics.

I must do better for Instagram. I should put the garden hose away before I take the photo. But it’s not perfect and it never will be. It will be better when we love here more but until then I’ll struggle to do more than I do. I have come to accept my limitations. Of which there are many. Not just in gardening.

The photo makes the grass look harsher than it is. But we have had a bit of a soaking and it will green up with a little more. I never water a lawn. I’ve never know for it not to jump back after some rain. This lawn needs levelling and redoing l. We have been here 30 years and it’s as is. Uneven. And not Wimbledon perfect. But I like it. It goes with the cottage.

I need to plant more echinacea. We have one and this year it’s looking fabulous. Adds to list.

I only planted these last year and they are a stunning addition. Sanguisorba. I’m not sure if it’s Squirell tails or pink elephant. I’d look in my book if I had written it down. But. I haven’t. So it’s a pretty Sanguisorba If you are asking.

This came from some friends and is a particularly gorgeous dark agapanthus. It’s particularly stunning as the flowers open which I think is my favourite time of flowering. It’s dark and sultry.

Day lilies are gorgeous. This clump has been in the garden for over 30 years. And also seems to have been divided out before that time as it appears in at least 4 other gardens in the village. I have an issue with the plant. It takes up too much room for such a short flowering period. It’s a day Lily. And that what you get for each flower. A day. Very beautiful but the clump needs splitting. Makes a diary note. ( in my head) ~ but I suspect it will be another 30. Months not years before I get around to it.

This clump of persicaria has also been here since we moved in. Decades ago. This one has been split a few times and newer varieties brought in. I love them. Dull to start but with a great colour flower spike and great leaves. Great for picking with other flowers for the house too.

The persicaria polymorpha is very different in flower and leaf and a bit of a bully. In the right place it’s a great statement. Adds a note to split. There’s a lot of notes.

This years biggest self seeder . Evening primrose. Followed very quickly by borage. I had planned to make a dahlia bed again this year. But time and energy ran out. So I left it. The gladioli in that bed have come up again. The borage has self seeded in that space so I’m happy. But. There’s always a but. I’d be happier if I had got myself together and had a lovely dahlia bed filled with big blousy dahlias. Next year it’s either a dahlia bed or a rose bed. Decisions. Decisions. Oh bugger. Both. But I got my dahlia fox this year on the TOdds Botanics stand at RHS Hampton Court.

Last year was the first year I’ve managed to keep the Verbena bonariensis going into a second season. A neighbours self seeds everywhere but she does have a gravel area which helps. Mine – Doesn’t. And the ground is so wet in the winter. Unlike now.

The acanthus is good but not as good or as many as the ones growing in a bit of guerrilla gardening along the road from us in London. But it is better this than last year. There need to be more to make a statement.

The honeysuckle on the arch goes on and on. And with a white jasmine on the fence which this year is flowering like crazy the scent in the garden on a warm day is delicious. Interestingly the Jasmine hasn’t flowered in years. Or maybe it had and I’ve ignored it. How rude of me.

I remember planting one of these last year. So how come there are 4. The lovely yellow giant scabious. Would you believe me if I said I hadn’t realised it was there. I was sat at the table just gazing out and it was there. I’m sure it wasn’t there the day before. But it towers above everything. It’s like walking along LOndon streets. Always look up. The architecture of the buildings is great and you moss do much if you just look at street level.

There’s nothing like an incentive for rain like me putting up the sail. Which fills with water when it does rain. I did. And it did. I could have entered the wet t shirt competition when I went to let the water down. Hideously cold water and laughter from my godson who has called in after work as I misjudged where the water would go. I’ll get my own back on him.

A door with a view. As long as you don’t look left where if you do you will see the calor Gas canister’s. Why they can’t make green ones is beyond me. I suspect it’s a health and safety issue. But there need to be an aesthetic issue too. There again why haven’t we built a cover or bought the green cover to go over them.

The grape vine had virtually grown over half of the door so it’s been lightly pruned. The vine. Not the door. Not only to expose the door but also to expose the grapes to get them to ripen. Not quite chateau Pitcombe vintage but they will be made into grape and rosemary jelly later in the year. If the birds don’t get them first. They have had most of the red and black currants and the gooseberries already. I dream of a fruit cage. Along with a weed free garden. A new greenhouse. Less arthritic fingers and a six pack. One can but dream. Some are achievable. Some can be bought. Others would be miracles.

One interesting fact. Maybe as a reminder to me but not to you. There was a vineyard in the next village when we moved in. Vintages were patchy but when it was good it was good. Sadly no longer there. Castle Cary vineyard. I remember drinking a decent bottle at a wedding reception of the couple from whom we bought no 4. That’s over 22 years ago. That’s scary.

A black grape. Origin unknown.

The reality of the house and garden. Normal household duties continue out of sight where possible. But I love the fresh smell of clothes dried outside ~ and let’s be honest it’s as cheap as chips.

The borders have filled up well. Not surprising with how much I stuff into that space. Too much really but it looks great. Great places for the slugs to hide and the birds to pop in and out of. I can’t stuff much more into there but I will try. Some of the roses need replacing. Some dividing needs to happen. A little better planting planning. Say that after a few glasses of summer rose. It’s not easy. Planting planning.

The perennials are doing their thing. As are the gladioli. I planted these two years ago and whilst I love the colours I won’t again. They are a faff with staking. The poppies are about to pop their seeds over the garden. Note that I need to get some Lauren’s grape to sow soon.

Apples and pears. We need to coordinate our time here to pick them. They are too good to miss and I hate waste in the garden. There’s a plan to plant more fruit trees and that’s for another day. There’s a fence to be sorted first.

We have looked at the bottom of the garden. Out of sight. Out of mind. It’s like closing the door to that spare room. Two parts are in a bit of a mess. Under the rambling rector and an area behind the greenhouse.

All in good time. For now I have tulips on my mind. I have made grids of ones that have taken my fancy. More than one grid I’ll add. This is one. If I told you how many grids ………

I may be some time.

Posted on July 4, 2021July 11, 2021 by happyretiredblog · 2 Comments

Summer in the Country

When I retired (early before you ask) in 2015 the intention was to,spend more time in Somerset. To travel. We bought a house in Spain and spent time there. Our time in Somerset diminished. We were going to sell the cottage. Three places was excessive. Expensive and time consuming. One had to go and we decided on Somerset. Things were slow. The cottage didn’t move. So we kept it with a decision to review.

Along came the pandemic which changed plans even further. We arrived home from a trip to Mexico in March 2020 to lockdown. I escaped to Spain in late July for 3 weeks and ended up staying 9. More lockdowns. Quarantines. Plans were changed and we haven’t travelled anywhere in nearly a year. We’ve followed the lockdown rules and quarantined in London. Not venturing to Somerset until allowed.

Which has set us into a new pattern. Interestingly this last year has seen us receive a written note asking if we would sell the cottage. Contact through an acquaintance in the next village asking the same question and estate agents asking if we’d like to put it back on the market as they ‘ could sell it tomorrow’. The thing is. We’ve done a turnaround of sorts. The plan will be to spend more time here and Spain. Here and there. There and here.

The day after we were released from lockdown prison and could travel down. We did. Car packed with stuff as after 5 months absence we didn’t know what we had here. We had been lucky for the whole of the lockdown absences. The cottage was checked weekly. Cleaned. The grass cut, but the garden was untouched.

What was the most exciting thing about arriving here. Tulips.

In 2020 we didn’t get to see the tulips. At all. Planted in Nov 2019 we missed them through quarantine in London.. By the time we could come they had gone over. I’d hastily planted the tulips for 2021 on an in between lockdown visit and had to do it quickly. But to be honest. I wasn’t disappointed. All the planning I’d done on colours and numbers went out of the window and I threw them all together. No artistic thought at all. But it worked. We arrived to a glorious display. Even if I say so myself.

A bit of an eclectic mix. Glorious brown sugar. Dutch dancer. Ballerina. Queen of the night. Barcelona. Hocus Pocus. The white of Maureen. I have to try and beat the show for 2022. Quite how I will manage I don’t really know. I have some thoughts but I’d better get my act together before my choices become limited.

Well the tulips have gone. Some to a good home. It was an awesome season but I’m so over tulips. Till next time that is and I’m busy planning the tulip choices on another wet weekend.

For now replaced with geraniums and coleus. Not earth shattering inspiring but needs must and practicality has to ensue. Worries of more lockdown when we couldn’t get here and the summer weather. Two lovely salvia in pots along the front door. A gorgeous scent as you brush past. I haven’t grown coleus since the 80’s but I’m a fan once more.

The biggest problem with the geraniums has been the lashing rain. Once beautiful flower heads quickly rot and turn to mush. But there are more coming.

So it was onwards and upwards. Well not quite. More like downwards and weeding. The thing about being away for 5 months are the weeds. Here in Somerset we are plagued with ground elder and bindweed. Anything else I can cope with. Not these two. You turn your back and they are halfway up a rose tree. Leave it three days and it’s smothering the sweet peas. In Spain it’s just the heat. In London the snails. Wherever you garden there are challenges.

Project one was to revive one of the beds next to the terrace. It was full of yellow daisy and golden rod with a massive clump of day Lilly. Can I just say I loathe golden rod. I’d only kept it as it was something my parents grew in the garden as I grew up. But someone who helped in the garden used to divide it. Then plant it everywhere. We were overrun with it and not surprisingly I swore every time I passed what seemed to be a new bit.

The patch was tired. Overgrown. Some of the roses needed a good hatchet job on them. Which I did. We were late to the pruning party this year so after a shout out on Instagram for advice I did as I was told. Light prune and some later flowers. All in all it’s been a good rose season so far. Including the new roses I bought for the revived bed. The golden rod disposed of except for a small bit and the taller plants moved. But as usual I’ve over planted. I also overwater. Which bearing in mind the rain we have had that’s difficult.

I’d forgotten how many roses there are in the garden. With things cut back and tidied they have been given a new lease of life. So much so that I bought half a dozen more for the revived bed.

I have planted a lot of new perennials. I suspect all too close and too tight. But you need to hide the weeds. Don’t you? Existing plants have been feed ~ or as I like to say I’ve poo”d my plants. Using alpaca poo from Lou Archer. They’ve had a really good feed and it’s showing in the results. The Astrantia are fabulous this year too.

There are two new dark red Astrantia. Hadspen”s Blood was one of the first I ever bought. We bought it at Hadspen gardens nursery when we first moved here over 25 years ago from Sandra and Norrie Pope Over the years it’s disappeared and I managed to get two this year. They are just coming into flower and I expect there may be a pic or six.

Added to that is another whose name escapes me and I’m too,lazy to go and look it up. But I will for next time when I can also get a good photo.

I’ve discovered a new nursery not far from us. Blooming wild Nusery owned and run by Will and Lauren. They have a great selection of plants and are really helpful and knowledgable. Added to that the quality of their plants is awesome. I have developed a bit of a thing. It’s dangerous and expensive. I’ve got a bit of a thing for Persicaria. Which is a good thing as Will at Blooming Wild likes them too and they have a great selection.

We are getting into the swing of things here this summer. Up and down the A303 to london and back. But we are getting the benefit of the garden. We are also seeing things in the garden that we would normally miss. This year the Cornus is an example. It’s pretty glorious and we missed it totally last year. But I always struggle to get a good photo of it. This was taken from the bathroom window.

It wasn’t all weeding. We took some time to walk up the Lane to Rye Ash. Over the years I’ve got to know the names of the various fields. Rye Ash. Alders. Pump Ground. Big Ridge. My godson and Grandad were hay making and we went to sit on a hay bale and watch. Not the first time and Grandad ( not mine but I’ve called him that for years) reminded me that we sat in Rye ash over 15 years ago on hay bales and had a picnic lunch during a break. He remembers as I took a photo which he still has on his wall.

We were privileged to see a red kite hovering over the field. Such a magnificent bird. What a great place to sit and watch the farming traditions. Especially when you have the hay fever day from hell.

Things are moving. One of the things I like the least about the West Country is that when it’s wet. It’s wet. The the sun shines. Then it’s wet again. In June I grew webbed feet. Try wearing flip flops with webbed feet.

But the salvia have started to flower. Some I thought I’d lost through neglect have come through. Some that shouldn’t have minded the neglect have got the hump, and disappeared .

We also have fruit. And one type of veg~ runner beans. No. I didn’t dig a trench and I know that somewhere my father is appalled. But they are now at the top of the bean sticks and heavily flowering.

There are green & red gooseberries. The red so sweet you can eat straight off the bush. The raspberries don’t even get into the house.

I always check underneath before I pick the gooseberries . As a naive child I though that babies were found under a gooseberry bush. Imagine. What would I do if I found one? It was either a gooseberry bush or the stork. Thankfully we only have herons.

There are currants. Red and black. Some rhubarb. Apples. One plum ~ disaster and the pigeon will eat that I’m sure. A couple of pears.

We’ve had a walk or two. Through the village mainly as my foot continues to be an issue. Plantar fasciitis is a pain. A pain in the heel and the sole literally. That’s my days of wearing heels and flip flops over.

A walk along church path. Something we hadn’t done for a while. Well we couldn’t really. We had either been in lockdown london or if here weeding.

Ian said . ‘Remember when we first walked along this path”. ‘ i was 25’. Thanks. That was decades ago. Someone said ‘ Ah. That’s romantic’. Really. You don’t know us very well. Romantic we are not. It’s scary. We have been in the village for nearly 30, so maybe now we are the village people and accepted.

And so it’s back to old London town for a few days. a few appointments for me. Another trip past Stonehenge. Another time I say to Ian. “Will be nice when it’s finished” and another time he says “when will you stop saying that” . Me. Never.

Back to a very different garden. No ground elder. No bindweed. Just snails. Tree ferns and agapanthus and the two old boys. Not us. The 16 & 17 year old cats.

The tree ferns have gone bonkers. The feeding Friday regime is working as well as a handful of alpaca beans in the crown at the start of the growing season. With a weekly liquid feed. Another line to wind up Ian. I’m off to poo my plants.

The front gardens looking good. All but one of the agapanthus are flowering. The one that’s not just happens to be my favourite. A tall fat white flowering one. Except it’s not. Why? Who knows. Maybe like me it’s a sulker.

From September there will be garden number three to contend with after an absence of 12 months. Well. Maybe. Dependent on the Delta variant. Or as some radio presenters are calling it. The Johnson.

Who knows. At the moment it’s just one day at a time. We are healthy. Double jabbed and at least have the luxury of being able to get out into a garden. Or two. And to deal with the humongous number of airline vouchers we have for cancelled flights. Enough to paper the sitting room.

What will be will be.

Posted on March 14, 2021March 14, 2021 by happyretiredblog · 7 Comments

Lockdown London garden

I can’t remember the last time we have spent so much time in one place. Certainly not in London. When I was working we would escape to Somerset most weekends. When I dropped to four days a week it was long weekends. We would travel. Visit family in Wales. In Scotland. Then came a new adventure. Spain.

Then all travel at first became restrictive. Then it stopped. I’m not complaining. It was necessary. It was our choice to stay in London. My main thought was if I should become unwell we were only 10 minutes from a major hospital. We could walk to the local shops. We are I know very lucky to have a choice.

The upside is that we have spent time sorting out things in the garden. No major projects but a bit of work here. A tidy there. Numerous trips to the local recycling centre. For those who have seen pictures of the garden in London you know it is small. I think it’s tiny and it is.

The top pic is the square ( ish ) patio area taken a few years ago. Add a side return and that’s it’s measure. Small. But full of pots.

We have had a major tidy up of the side return. The gravel was tired. Compost had been spilt so it was time for a clear up. It’s amazing what such a small job does to brighten up what can be a dark pathway. A small change but so Wirth the effort. But let’s be honest. There’s no much else to do. I’m so over cooking three meals a day. Making bread. Making cake. Marmalade.

Three trips to the builders merchants. Suitably social distanced to pick up bags of gravel. I’m not sure the builders merchants is as busy as usual. On day three Ian went to pay as the gravel was loaded into the car. One of the guys said hello. I see your back again. ‘ yes says Ian we bought 8 bags and need 4 more. Really said the guy. You’ve got enough then. You’ve bought 12 this week. He was right. Remember though. Ian is the person who when asked how long we had been together said ‘ oh. About 8 years. It was 20. Don’t ask him now as he will say with lockdown too long. Oh. And it’s 30 years.

Things then get moved around ~ the plan to replace the small plastic covered store with a new one. Which instead meant an addition. Moved to give the path a better sight line. Bearing in mind the only people to see the garden in a year has been us and the cats it wasn’t something I was that bothered about. But Ian?

Don’t look at the window sills. I know they need paining. It’s on my list. Made by Ian but we need some warm dry weather. And for the tulips to be over.

Another delivery of Dalesford compost and a bin to empty the open bag into. That way it just may stop me getting compost all over the gravel which then compacts and you don’t get the crunch when you walk on it.

The window boxes are planted with tulips. Don’t ask me which ones as I don’t know. I had some ‘leftovers’ from the main plantings here and in Somerset. But who doesn’t like a tulip surprise?

There’s been time to move pots around. To top dress the pots. A bit of a feed. There’s always a use for old chimney pots. The agapanthus are poking through. Some canna are showing that they have survived the winter. I’m hoping that the cold freezing weather has passed but after yesterday’s hail who knows.

The plants are just coming through and it’s nearly time to poo my plants. I’ve had a delivery of alpaca poo feed from Lou Archer and will start on my feeding Fridays soon. I do feeding Fridays as it serves as a reminder for me. I then remember hopefully when I’ve done it. Trust me though. As each day has merged into one and we have lurched from meal to meal to day to week. It may just be a struggle.

This agapanthus is ‘ agapanthus don’t know’ as are many of them in the garden. I’ve said it before I’m a shocking labeller. But ‘don’t know ‘ seems to be a popular name.

Not a great pic but if you put on your specs or get a magnifying glass you will see a green shoot of canna starting to romp away. The great thing about these chimney pots is that they give height. Downside is that the pots need regular feeing and that they can’t spread.

Another chimney pot plant. This time an almond. Planted probably 15 years ago. Occasionally looks a bit sad if it needs a bit of water but at this time of year it’s about to open its blossom. Which no doubt will end up as confetti in the wind.

It’s such a pretty pink blossom and nothing like the ones on the bank in Spain which are larger. White with a pink hue.

The citrus tree has been moved around a fair bit. But it’s flowered in Winter. Survived the frosts and bitterly cold winds. Now it’s setting fruit. Don’t get too excited as they are the tiniest little citrus I did ever see. But. They are setting in a cold london garden. Don’t hold your breath for a delivery. So small I’d post them in a matchbox.

Another chimney another plant. I lost an aeonium over winter. Of course it was my fault as I didn’t cover or bring it in. But then I haven’t done that in years. But when one plant dies another has taken over. A self seeded digitalis I think. I don’t know when I last had any in the garden. But it’s growing well and I have a few more growing around self seeded into other pots.

The red trailing thyme is going great gums and I shall be getting more from Pepperpot Herbs for the summer.

I’ve removed the fleece from the tree ferns. And put them back on again. And removed them again. I’m hoping for the last time as I can’t see any frost forecast.

If it was up to Ian the garden would have so many that we wouldn’t be able to move. It’s the one plant he never says ‘ don’t you have enough’.

Jasmine

Jasmine officinale planted in a teeney weeney pot compared with its growth. But we are only in March and it’s full of buds halfway up the drainpipe and Ian is convinced Cyril has his drey in the foliage. Yes. There is a funnel stuck in the pot. Why? I find it easier in these small pots to water through the funnel especially if it’s dry and for putting in liquid feed.

The scent from this jasmine will fill the house with the first floor bedroom window open. I love the smell some people don’t but for me scent is a driver in such a small garden. I’m about to plant freesia into pots for both the front and back garden.

Another jasmine is full of buds this year. Probably because it heard me say that this was its last chance. It’s jasmine clotted cream and I had high hopes for it. Maybe as high as the one at the other end of the side return. But no. It’s been a poor performer until this year where it’s full of bud.

The clematis has started to spring into growth. I hate trying to train them with their brittle stems. How many times have I broken what I thought was a dead stem to find a mile of growth chopped off. It’s growing through a large container of salvia hot lips. I never mind cutting that back as you get the scent of the leaves as you do.

Some people don’t like hot lips but it’s a great filler and flowers for months right up to the first frosts. In this garden that’s late. Very late.

I’ve hacked the salvia back hard as I have the Amistad. I’m not convinced Amistad has survived though which is disappointing as it was still flowering in December.

The front garden is small. I’d love to have a long front garden like my parents garden at the house where I was born and grew up. At first the borders were full of roses. Mostly bought in the garden department at Woolworths who in their day had a great selection. The names of which I can still remember. Superstar. Iceberg just two.

Then they got old ~ the roses ~ my parents later. They dug up the roses and planted spring bulbs to be followed by annuals which they grew themselves. Hours and hours spent in the greenhouse that they had bought for me and never wanted. I’m like them. They loved to have a lovely front garden. Loved people commenting on it as they passed by. In competition with Den & Blem next door. The garden was certainly colourful but the endless pricking out. Patience. Smoothing I didn’t inherit from my parents.

I digress. Back to lockdown london. The front garden is also pots. Lockdown meant I had bulbs destined for Somerset. They may have been destined to travel. We weren’t. Not in time to plant them anyway. The tulips were planted in haste in between the release from one lockdown to the start of what we hope will be the final one. They are up and romping away. Apparently. As I planted them in November. Nearly 4 months later we haven’t seen them.

But not the daffodils and narcissus. I’d planted a few around the greenhouse. That’s as far as I got and brought them back to london. So I had to find some pots. Some I had. Some I’d bought for the first lockdown.

Pots were hard to get hold of in lockdown 1 but the local ironmonger had buckets. So I bought buckets. Quite a few. They now have tulips in some. Alliums in another. I know. Alliums in aluminium buckets. But needs must.

There are tete a tete in another. When the bulbs finish I will replant them with annuals for the front. Well that’s my plan. Best laid plans and all that. Strange mentioning plans aQs we haven’t had any for 12 months.

The tulip pots at the front are doing really well. Three large pots of Hocus Pocus. A tall bonkers tulip from Peter Nyssen. I loved them last year and unusually for me have planted them again in the same points. I like to change things around every year.

The window boxes are also coming through well. I had a plan. A colour plan but it went a bit by the wayside. I planted more at the cottage than expected as I’d bought more pots. So my colour combinations may be a bit a bit different this year. But what I do know is that if they all flower it will be colourful.

I love this tulip. Planted both here and in Somerset it just makes me smile.

The large evergreen agapanthus have survived the cold and wet winter. They will be fed in the next few weeks. The canna have been potted into larger pots. Canna Annei was superb last year and I will buy a new red to go out there too.

For now it’s green. Very green with a splash of yellow. Hopefully by April it will be awash with the colours of tulips to be followed with a summer splash. Now that’s soothing to look forward to.

Posted on February 7, 2021February 11, 2021 by happyretiredblog · 8 Comments

A Tale of 3 Gardens. Spain

Hopefully this is the last a tale of. The final one in the trilogy. There can’t be another. Can there? No. Not ever.

When I retired in 2015 the plan was to spend more time in Somerset. To travel. To help out and spend a week at RHS Chelsea with Lou’s Poo and Todds Botanics

Be part of the poo crew. To help out at Common Farm Flowers and be part of the Dream team.

I’ve done all three. Though the visit of a certain pandemic in 2020 put a halt to most things for the year and so far this.

Poo crew & dream team

I spent most of the Summer of 2015 at the cottage, spending time with my godchildren. Friends. Visitors. Summer was great. Plenty of gardening. Summer turned into Autumn. Into winter. I remembered that the winters and Springs were wet. The garden impossible to garden under water logged ground.

Ian and I traveled to Spain in March 2017.

We were booked to stay in a Pueblo Blanco ~ Frigliana for a week. We planned to view some small townhouses in the area. We had wanted a bolt hole abroad but originally in France. In all the years we looked we hadn’t found anywhere where you feel in love with the place. Latterly we had looked at Spain. Our B&B accommodation fell through at the last minute and had to find somewhere else. We ended up in another pueblo blanco. Competa and fell in love with it.

Competa

We had a list of properties to view. Things ticked. Cross ticked. Agreed on. Or so I thought.

My wish list: a town house so I could walk to the shops and restaurants. A terrace. No garden. No pool. So we viewed exactly what I wanted. Ian said we should view some houses in the campo. Which we did and none filled me with joy. Until.

Ian had seen a property on line and he said. ‘You’ll love the garden” I wasn’t convinced not because I didn’t trust his judgment. But it was 10 mins drive from town. It had a garden. It had a pool. It was one bedroom less than I really wanted. But there’s one thing I’ve learnt after over the last 25 years. At least go and see it. Then you can say no.

The reality. We arrived at the house. The drive there was fine. Yes some dodgy corners. The access road was concreted. Tick. All plus points. We parked up and approached the gates. Entered the garden and walked up the curved path with lavender borders looking at the view. Ian turned and simply said. ‘You don’t need to see the house do you. Your minds made up.

The owners had done a fantastic job on the garden and the house. To be fair to me at that point the house was irrelevant.

We viewed it in March and rather aptly we were at RHS Chelsea show when we heard from the agent and now friend that contracts had been exchanged. I flew the next day to collect the keys and after nearly four years I still get the same feeling each time I arrive at the house.

We have changed some things. Some plants haven’t worked for us as we aren’t there all the time. There are drought tolerant plants and there are drought tolerant plants. The seasons are different. Each summer different to the last. Wetter autumns. Drier summers. No two years have been the same.

The garden is a number of parts. The drive. The main garden. The bank adjacent to the bathroom and bedroom. The rear bank behind the house. The upper bank. The lower bank. The roundabout that’s not a roundabout. Each has a different kind of planting and thankfully the banks look after themselves. Sort of.

The drive

The drive has oleander on the right as you drive in and on the other side is the bank,where there are a couple of magnificent pine trees. Some large agave. Creeping Rosemary, a honeysuckle, a mimosa and some dying prickly pear.

The bank is steep and whilst it’s stable I’m not. Not on a dry bank. One two occasions I have been stood on the bank one minute planting some creeping rosemary. The next sliding down the bank on my bottom.

Instagram reminded me that the oleander in all its parts is poisonous. But it does well and the colours are glorious and the seed heads on some pretty amazing.

For now ignore that wall and the access road. That’s another story which I’ll come back to. That’s if you are with me until the end. Brace yourself. I’ve had to limit the number of photographs.

The pines gave me the first experience of the nasty little blighter that is the processionary caterpillar. Nasty evil little caterpillars all marching in a line. Coming down the trunk from white nests in the trees. Dangerous to dogs and young children. We didn’t have any last year but as soon as we see any we have someone in to remove the nests which have to be taken away and burnt.

The garden

I love the gates. Little things please little minds but I love them. It’s like stepping into a secret garden. At this time of year the glorious purple of the hardbengia vilocea hangs over the top and is full of bees. I’d never seen one before ~ the plant. Not the bees obviously. But it’s become a huge favourite. I am trying to grow one in the sheltered garden in London.

The gates take you into the garden and the curved path up past the garage to the terrace and the house. Have I said I love the path? The curve of the path is amazing as it moves the eye to take in the various angles. To the right along the garage I have added clivia and freesias to the existing planting. There is a small ~ in comparison to the one on the other side ~ Strelitzia Nicola. Which I first thought was a banana. Massive leaves. Tall. Leaves ripped in the wind. The smaller is yet to flower.

But I think I gasped when on one visit I looked up at the larger plant and there was not one but three beautiful black and white birds of paradise flowers. We have had flowers three out of the 4 years we have been there. I bought another for a different part of the garden which I may regret it as it may be a bit exposed. We are 700m above sea level up the mountain and wind can and does swirl around the house. But the views to the coast of Málaga are outstanding. On clear days and dependant on the time of year you can see Gibraltar and/or the coast of Morocco.

To the right and on the bank further back of the flower is a bottle brush. I’ve never been keen on them after someone once commented that she thought they were vulgar. To be honest in the right planting the colour against the blue sky is amazing.

In this bed are some tall yucca. A rather tall jacaranda which is beautiful when it flowers but a nightmare when it drops its flowers which stain the path Last year we bit the bullet and had it cut back. The additional light we got was amazing and despite a hard cut back it’s romping away. I was told we would kill it. My reaction. If it dies it dies but it needs to be cut back.

Another of my favourite flowers is the pineapple guava. ( Feijoa) Beautiful flowers and a small fruit later in the season. They are a bit of an acquired taste. I don’t mind them but a friend who was staying said they tasted like germolene! Just as well they don’t smell like it. Two pet hates. The smells of germolene and TCP.

I have had issues with the lavender path. I’mmsure it’s because I’m not there all the time and it’s not covered by irrigation but I’ve had to replace half. Instead of replanting with more and after falling in love with yet another path I planted white gaura. After seeing a gaura path at Ultimg Wick I decided that I wanted to include some here. I planted it’s in 2019 and it has been a success inter planted with the lavender.

The jacaranda has a banksia rose growing up into the branches along with some honeysuckle the scent of which is amazing on a warm evening. The rose surprises me as i didn’t expect to see it doing so well here.

You can just see the caterpillar like salvia above the lavender.Salvias do quite well here. I have a couple of Amistad. This salvia Leucantha and salvia oxyphpra both do well.

To the right of the path beyond the garage is the larger planting area. More yucca. A nice variegated which I prefer. The small olive has been moved as it wasn’t doing so well. There are some small date palms. Agapanthus ~ now that’s a surprise. Lots of osteospernum. Last year I managed to get there in August and I planted a new Strelitzia Nicolai along with a melianthus major.

At the end of the path is a raised bed with a large olive tree. Is it ok to say I don’t like olives. Except the ones from this tree which I pick when black and salt them.

Underneath the olive are three curry plants ( helichrysum italicum ) which definitely smell like curry in the heat of the day with a insignificant yellow flower. All around this bed and in the raised bed are osteospemum along with succulents.

The previous owners sent us some photos of the garden when the renovations were being done and before the planting of this area. I love seeing the before and after of any project.

Photographs from previous owners

Two years ago we added large pots of ferns at the end of the path. I guess they shouldn’t work. I think they are in too much searing sun. But they do and have grown massive. These have recently been tidied up a bit and will be fed to bring on new growth in the Spring. They have become a feature and what started as two have grown in number.

I said I wouldn’t have any pots on the terrace. We wouldn’t be there enough. They needed watering. Water was expensive. Umm. Something went wrong. We have pots. Lots of them and we have help in watering them when we aren’t there.

A fabulous colocasia black magic. A colocasia mojito. An alocasia. More ferns. One of my favourite agaves. A big fat foxtail agave, ( Agave attenuate) A pot of society garlic, ~ (Tulbaghia Violacea) and for Spring, pots of deliciously scented freesia.

Over the terrace is an old grape vine which gives some shade in the summer and stains the floor and chairs when the birds treat themselves to the grapes. I pick the grapes and make grape and rosemary jelly. Lots of it to add to delicious Spanish cheeses along with quince jelly from the one tree we have.

There are of course pots of agapanthus. A pot of Strelitzia Reginae which flowers for months. Usually most of the months when we aren’t there.

The terrace has a white boundary wall with a long planter built in. The planting in here has changed each year. We have some great scented pelargoniums in there now. I add some annuals when I can and dependent on when we are there in late spring to plant. One year it was all red geraniums which against the white wall and the blue sky’s was a joy. Who knows what it will be this year! I quite fancy creeping red thyme.

The chairs have been removed and more ferns places there which was just as well as we weren’t there a lot last year. Or so far this.

The edge of the boundary which looks down to the access road bank and to the coast has a small border. It has two orange trees which fruit sporadically. I’ve experimented with the other planting trying to get it right. I still haven’t got there. One year it was alliums which did really well in year one. Year two was a disaster. Then it was ferns which I’ve now moved. The latest planting is society garlic.

To the side of the house is another planting area. One that needs little work and behind that an area with four almond trees. Not quite an orchard. Not yet. My plan is to add a few more fruit trees. Ignore the small citrus. That died.

The almond trees will be in flower now (Feb). Years one and two I picked them and dried them. You need a sledge hammer to open them. But the almond blossom is stunning.

We have two large pomegranates on the bank which have the occasional flower at which point I can be seen jumping for joy. The fruit sets. More excitement. Then it drops. Every time.

The lower part of the bank has succulents galore. A Swiss cheese plant. Wildflowers. Jasmine. Agapanthus. One of my favourites which I’m hoping has self seeded and taken is the sesbania punicea. A pea like flower on a spindly small tree. The seeds after flowering are pretty spectacular too.

My pride and joy which up until COVID struck was the one prickly pear we had managed to keep almost free from the cochineal fly. We even had it fruit. Sadly I think by the time we return we will have lost it. When the fly hits it devastates the cactus. I won’t be deterred. It will be cut right back and we will grow it again.

The rear of the house is a steep dry bank that follows through to the drive. Believe me it’s steep. The access bit has wild orchids. I’m pretty jealous though as a friend has bee orchids. I may have to persuade her to let me have one.

The higher part has a large brown fig. Two loquats with their fabulous big leaves. I’m not a fan of the fruit to be honest but the trees look good. The flowers are scented but I’m never close enough to smell them.

On the lower bank there are agave. Rosemary. The bottle bush. Some rogue allium planted three years ago which have continued each year. Carpobrotus Edulis creeping down the bank. Various succulents.

Remember I mentioned at the beginning the roundabout that’s not a roundabout. Well. It’s not a roundabout. It’s a piece of land across the access road and is an incredibly steep stoney bank. It has a couple of large and I mean large agave on the bank. Two scraggy fig trees and in Spring is carpeted with yellow oxalis. A real acid yellow colour. I won’t admit wanting to run down that bank pretending to be Maria Von Trapp singing the hills are alive. In the summer months it is full of Spanish wildflowers. I’ve bought an excellent book ‘wildflowers of Souther Spain ‘ by Tony Hall. It’s been great to be able to identify what we have.

The roundabout that’s not a roundabout

The garden is so completely different to both the London and Somerset garden. As dry as Somerset is wet. But there are similarities in each. There are agapanthus in all three. A grapevine in two. Lavender. Rosemary. I have tried dahlias in all three. Somerset is the only successful one.

The garden in Spain is a new adventure which has been halted. The garden is watered and we now have help to keep on top of it until we can return and return we will. Until then I get regular updates.

We were lucky to take over an established garden but changes are slowly being made. Nothing drastic but ones to fit in with our lifestyle. I’m ever thankful to our friend Lorraine Cavannagh at Viveros Florena to whom I go to for advice. When we moved I bought a book on Mediterranean plants. To be honest I bought it before we moved and I had no idea then that she was local to the house. She also has a citrus book which we have. Lorraine will let me know when she has something arriving that she thinks I will like. Last year I bought a large colocasia mojito in February just as we left for Mexico and arranged to collect it 5 weeks later. That 5 weeks was 5 months!

There are too many plants to mention but here are a few of my favourites otherwise I’d waffle on and on!

A Tale of 3 gardens ~ London.

A tale of Three Gardens ~ part 1

Links to parts 1 ~ Somerset and Part 2 London.

Posted on July 4, 2020 by happyretiredblog

Six on Saturday Somerset.

We have finally made it to Somerset. I was last here at the beginning of February when I tidied the garden. Cut some things back. Looked at the tulips slowly poking through.

Now I’m back after nearly 5 months. The tulips are over. The bindweed is strangling the plants and things have had sun rain sun rain so have run away with themselves. And everything else.

But there is colour under the bindweed green.

One of two honeysuckles in the garden. This one actually hangs over the fence from next door. But I’m not complaining. It’s very different to honeysuckle number two.

This one is honeysuckle Graham Thomas and goes crazy every year over an arch. It has a fabulous scent.

Hello Astrantia. These grow so well in the garden that I need to get some more. When we moved here we bought Astrantia Hadspen Blood from the old Hadspen garden. A fabulous garden with a wonderful nursery run by Sandra and Nori Pope. The gardens are now the Newt in Somerset.

I’m so glad this has survived. The lovely echinops which will be full of bees tomorrow.

Pink roses. This rose bush never fails to deliver. I pruned it late and hard this year and still it flowers and flowers. It’s be in now for years.

We also have currants. The black currants are over. The gooseberries hanging on a little. A few red gooseberries which are so sweet I can eat them off the bush. But we have masses of Red currants . As well as weeding and tidying there will be red currant jelly making I think.

Posted on August 10, 2019August 10, 2019 by happyretiredblog

Six on Saturday – Somerset

This week it’s six on Saturday from Somerset. It’s a bit of a neglected garden but there are some flashes of loveliness.

The perennials are outgrowing the weeds thankfully.

The Echinop is a real bee magnet and has grown really well again this year. The colour is vibrant in the summer garden and I must add some more.

The white phlox seems to have spread quite a bit. There are patches of it in places I didn’t realise it was planted in. It’s a glorious almost iridescent white in certain light. Almost see through in bright sun.

When we moved in over 25 years ago we had a lot of self seeded evening primrose with a pretty acid yellow flower. We now only have a few of these growing but they have never been lost in the years since we moved in.

It’s been an awesome year for roses. I pruned them late this year. The trouble with not being at the cottage as often this year is that we often miss the best displays. This is an absolute gem of a rose. Don’t ask me its name. I have never been a great one at labelling. It’s in my list to do better.

Buddleja davidii,is a bit like marmite. You either love it or hate it. We started off with Buddleja globosa.

A lovely orange/yellow flower which we lost along the way and replaced with a lovely white.

It’s easy to photograph bits of the garden in isolation and to avoid the weeds. This is through the honeysuckle arch and you can’t see the abundant bindweed and ground elder.

Posted on June 8, 2019 by happyretiredblog · 3 Comments

Six on Saturday Somerset

Back in Somerset for a few days to do some work on the neglected garden! Despite the plethora of ground elder and bindweed there were some good bits.

The honeysuckle over the arch , Graham Thomas I think ha gone flower crazy this year. It’s a beautifully scented plant and is a real attraction to the bees. I hate to dodge them as I ventured through.

The garden ha always done well with Astrantia. I’m not sure which one this is. I know I have bought astrantia shaggy but that is all white.

The Cornus is another one that has gone mad. It’s a pretty large specimen and is a great addition to the garden.

Another Astrantia. Could be ruby wedding or Hadspen blood. Whatever it is it’s lovely.

I pruned the roses after leaving it to late last year as we were away. They have responded well. Those pruned hard have come back and have plenty of buds. This is a climber hidden under a clematis!